SFMOMA curator resigns after controversial 'reverse discrimination' remark during diversity discussion

Garry Garrels, the senior curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, stepped down after stating during a staff Zoom meeting that failing to collect art from white artists would be 'reverse discrimination.' On July 9, 2020, museum director Neal Benezra confirmed that the board had accepted Garrels' resignation and expressed gratitude for his service. Garrels later expressed regret for his inappropriate remarks. His exit follows the resignation of Nan Keeton the previous month, which occurred after the museum suppressed comments from a black former employee regarding institutional racism. Garrels' final day at SFMOMA will be July 31, 2020. He has been with the museum since 1993, acquiring works from various artists. In 2019, SFMOMA sold a Rothko for $50.1 million to support projects for underrepresented communities, amid a petition calling for Garrels' dismissal.