MoMA lays off entire education department amid COVID-19 crisis

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has laid off its entire education department, affecting about 100 freelance educators, due to the indefinite closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesperson told Hyperallergic that no new contracts will be offered and that it will take months or years to return to the budget levels needed for educational services. This comes despite MoMA having recently launched free online art history courses and the fact that digital educational programming is now more relevant than ever. The layoffs are part of a broader trend among major US museums: the Whitney Museum has cut 76 employees, while MASS MoCA laid off 120 of its 165 staff. The American Alliance of Museums reports that US museums are losing at least $33 million per day. Some institutions have set up relief funds: the J. Paul Getty Trust created a $10 million fund for Los Angeles visual arts, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation helped establish another $10 million fund with 23 foundations. MoMA had opened a $500 million expansion in October 2019.