In the Arts: Museums Aim to Slow Bill Regulating Sale of Art
June 24, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
Several major New York cultural institutions are lobbying the state legislature to put the brakes on a bill to regulate the sale of artwork, reports The New York Times.
The measure, co-drafted by the Museum Association of New York, would prohibit institutions from selling works to pay for operating expenses. Cultural organizations fear the legislation could restrict curatorial judgment.
A June 1 letter signed by more than a dozen organizations urges state lawmakers to defer action on the bill to give institutions and the public “the opportunity to comment more fully.”
In other arts news, the Times reports that the Metropolitan Museum of Art has completed a round of job cuts necessitated by heavy losses in its endowment. Some 200 employees were laid off and roughly 95 more took voluntary retirement packages, reducing the museum’s staff size by 14 percent.
And The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will sharply curtail its subscription concert season in 2009-10.
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