SFMOMA cuts spark backlash while Chicago museum staff unionize and Cleveland MOCA restructures board

Last month, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art made the decision to shut down its online magazine, film events, podcast, and offsite gallery, which resulted in seven job losses. Although the museum framed this as a strategic update, attendees at a recent board meeting expressed their outrage, calling it disrespectful to the arts and pointing out that these programs were among the most accessible. Meanwhile, 60 employees at the Art Institute of Chicago signed an open letter pushing for unionization, citing issues with the management structure and decision-making, worsened by layoffs during the pandemic. They urged leadership to respect their organizing rights. In Cleveland, the Museum of Contemporary Art appointed Audra T. Jones, Joanne R. Cohen, and Stephen Sokany as co-presidents, with Jones becoming the first African-American in that role. She highlighted that the new leadership aims to foster diverse discussions and a stronger focus on artists. This change follows controversy from last year when MoCA faced backlash over censoring Shaun Leonardo's exhibition, leading to the resignation of director Jill Snyder.