Tom of Finland Foundation Faces Internal Revolt as Former Residents Accuse Leadership of Abandoning Radical Queer Roots
There’s been some tension among former members of the Tom of Finland Foundation, who claim that the organization has strayed from its radical, queer beginnings. This situation brings up important issues about how the foundation honors the legacy of Tom of Finland, known for his homoerotic artwork. Matt Stromberg shared these concerns in Hyperallergic, but the foundation hasn't made a public statement yet. At the same time, there's a surge of labor activism in the art world, with unionized staff at places like the Brooklyn Museum and Guggenheim Museum recently finalizing contracts. In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that artists could apply for grants up to $10,000. Sadly, the community is also grieving artist Francis Lee Rogers, found dead in Central Park. Meanwhile, Columbia University's Journalism School is pausing its MA program for a curriculum review.
Key facts
- Former artist residents of the Tom of Finland Foundation claim its leadership has lost the radical, queer spirit of Tom and his house.
- The Tom of Finland Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit.
- The allegations were reported by Matt Stromberg in Hyperallergic.
- Unionized staff at the Brooklyn Museum, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and American Folk Art Museum ratified contracts after months of bargaining and strike threats.
- Whitney Museum of American Art workers celebrated a new contract.
- NYC artists can now receive up to $10,000 in city-funded grants, double previous amounts, per Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
- The British Museum will provide audio tour options for its Bayeux Tapestry exhibition after a blind patron sued the London institution.
- Francis Lee Rogers, a 63-year-old artist who painted Central Park birds, was found dead in Central Park.
Entities
Artists
- Tom of Finland
- Francis Lee Rogers
- Mala Iqbal
- Hrag Vartanian
- Maia Ruth Lee
- Min Park
- Matt Stromberg
- Rhea Nayyar
- Valentina Di Liscia
- Christopher Myers
- Karin Chien
- Namrata Tripathi
- Jose Alvarado
- Sarah Rose Sharp
- Hank Willis Thomas
Institutions
- Tom of Finland Foundation
- Hyperallergic
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- American Folk Art Museum
- Brooklyn Museum
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- JJ Murphy
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Zimmerli Art Museum
- Rutgers University
- British Museum
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
- Columbia University Journalism School
- Nieman Lab
- Bushwick Daily
- Poster House
- The Image Centre
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- New York City
- New York
- Brooklyn
- Manhattan
- London
- United Kingdom
- Central Park
- Knickerbocker Avenue
- Finland