A renovated and expanded museum opened in 2019 in a glass building that is now a landmark downtown, and the museum has an endowment of more than $6 million. On view through March 6! We refuse to continue being verbally and emotionally abused; we refuse to be gaslit and silenced when we defend ourselves, the letter said. Myers has been a divisive figure during her 27-year tenure at the museum. This exhibition combines Hills use of mylar safety blankets alongside recent drawings. Weitzman said a museum patron, Monica Krider, had wanted to share her thoughts with Pam about the Watchdog story. We uphold anti-oppressive and equitable practices, while striving to create opportunities for education and action to build a stronger community. As Asheville Watchdog reported, Reilly was one of six former employees who complained to the board in 2015. A majority of the museums board has remained steadfast to Myers, the museums director since 1995, despite complaints by former employees in 2015 and again in 2021. To view financial information and our governance, please visit our Finance and Governance page. I argue they have one of the most important roles at the museumand similarly, in any guest-serving institutions. Your email address will not be published. Tribal art is an odd omission as the PMA goes to great lengths these days to include Native American people in their exhibition, but this is not Portland . This is a great example of how privilege protects itself. 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville. Its our responsibility to promote the health of the museum and its mission. Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Where is that information and why not presented here? Advisory councils focus on education, marketing, community engagement, and development. I believe we are on a solid path forward, Click wrote. 1,000+ Events. And Im sorry to say, Michelle, youre no longer on the board. do koalas have poisonous claws. As has been echoed again and again, there is a fierce and ugly disconnect between Pam and her supporters and the community. Monica Krider, a real estate agent, attended as a guest of Gretchen Lewis, who is also a real estate agent and a museum member. becoming a Museum Member, renewing your membership early, or upgrading your current membership. As for the lovely donor Ms. Hamill Ill let her own -nauseously entitled, and completely out of touch with reality- words speak for themselves and they speak volumes. Saenger responded, We do not believe it would be appropriate to share incident reports or security videos., Sarah Reincke, president of the Docents Association before Weitzman and a former trustee, said she believes the board was trying to find any excuse to rid themselves of a Trustee who consistently voiced valid opinions the Executive Committee refused to consider., Reincke said Weitzman was not the person who reprimanded Pam at the party, and she is not responsible for how another person expresses an opinion., The board used the actions of a third party as cause for Michelles dismissal, further proof, Reincke said, of the museums dysfunctional leadership., In a statement to Asheville Watchdog, Saenger wrote that the museum does not comment on trustees who leave the organization., If the board feels it necessary to ask a trustee to step down before the end of their normal term, it is not a matter we take lightly, but with the best interest of the museum in mind, Saenger wrote. Instead, board member Benites made a motion that Michelle be removed from the board.. If this reader is interested in being even handed and balanced, where are the comments speaking to what is going on at the museum with its apparently comfortable complacent board, and an executive director who may be highly effective at raising money but who appears to not be qualified to manage people. This is not a game to me, Weitzman said, adding that she had raised concerns about employee mistreatment with Saenger; with the previous chair, Herbert Butch Patrick Jr.; and with board vice chair Kevin Click, the chair of the human resources committee. Saenger told Asheville Watchdog that as far as he knew, the museum, established in 1948, had never removed a trustee. At the board meeting Tuesday, Benites said he was terribly, terribly upset by the incident. Home / Uncategorized / asheville art museum board of directors. The Asheville Art Museum is dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, access and inclusionnow and in the future. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. asheville art museum board of directors Thats a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall. The most recent dates shown on the N.C. Sec of State site is 2020. His reason had something to with the theater it could have been anything. It is compliance and should fall to the CFO or COOin this case the same individualthe museum was under an extension when I arrived and remained so when I left. Weitzman was part of a group who had gathered on the second floor to talk when Krider, whom Weitzman said she had just met, said shed like to speak with Pam Myers, according to Weitzman. I did not sign the letter or go on record with Watchdog because I am afraid of retaliation from Pam and the board members who are in active leadership roles in this community. Our Vision + Mission: To transform lives through art. In that time has there been any kind of official response from the organization, its board or director? Some Asheville artists have complained that the museum is inaccessible and unsupportive of local work. As a friend of the arts and the Museum, your support is more important than ever. She said that former employees had told her, unsolicited, that they were still experiencing nightmares, PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and continual therapy from their experience working at the museum. The Asheville Art Museum's vision is to transform lives through art. This Educational Organization is headquartered in Asheville, NC. She and other current board members, as well as past board . Grace is a 2021 participant in the McKinsey Black Leadership Academy Management Accelerator and a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. I have a feeling yall are going to regret your fumble here. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. Youre focusing on me and refusing to focus on the problem, Pams leadership inability, Weitzman said. This has led Hill to incorporate the idea of Olinthe Nahuatl word for the natural rhythms of the universein Aztec cosmology in her work. That was like one of the few times over the course of multiple years, working as an art student in the city, that I was even able to step foot inside that space, said Maurer, who uses they/them pronouns. In all of my life, Ive never been in a situation where there was such hostility, and I actually felt physically threatened, Benites said. What is it with people these days? In fact, by the third story there were not even responses from the organization/board to the reporters inquiries. He said the controversy over Myers has been brewing for decades. Do we only care about rectifying injustices from long ago? Le'Kita Brown, Vice President. You said to me you will not stand down on this. Krider, according to Weitzman, continued with her rant about a terrible way to run an organization.. Mind you this was right before the museum was going to reopen, a supposedly exciting time to be there. Furthermore, Hamills ignorant comments about gift shops being extraneous just goes to show that leadership and the people they surround themselves with do not understand how museums work. I see lawsuits as several laws appear to have been violated. The Asheville Art Museums vision is to transform lives through art, and we welcome all visitors without discrimination. Weitzman said a museum patron, Monica Krider, had wanted to share her thoughts with Pam about the Watchdog story. The Best of Asheville: Private 2.5-hour Walking Tour By Travel Curious - Asheville City Tours 2-3 hours Experience all that Asheville has to offer with a private 2.5-hour highlights tour led by an experienced local guide who Free cancellation from $170.00 per adult Reserve Travelers talk about " permanent collection " (10 reviews) " black mountain Myers, the museum's executive director for 27 years, declined to be interviewed by Asheville Watchdog. Something needs to be done now. Comprised of artwork created from 2016 to the present, Sherrill Roland: Sugar, Water, Lemon Squeeze reflects on making something from nothing, lemonade from lemons, the best of a situation. The word used by three former staff is traumatic. , Kevin Click, the board vice-chair and a former human resources executive, said in a written response to questions from Asheville Watchdog that Myers has been very positive about the coaching and feedback she is receiving.. North Carolina museum exhibiting 20th century American art. Im sorry that having a frank conversation that you didnt want to have seemed like an attack. Asheville Art Museum Art Exhibit: RAUSCHENBERG: A Gift in Your Pocket Mar 1 @ 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center Asheville Gallery of Art "Awakenings" Group Show Mar 1 @ 11:00 am - 6:00 pm Asheville Gallery of Art Luzene Hill: Revelate Mar 1 @ 11:00 am - 6:00 pm Asheville Art Museum Leading ambassador and advocate for museums and cultural institutions in New York State . I worked at the museum under Pam Myers. I was often told by Pam government organizations, local funders, and others didnt support the arts in Asheville-it was made very clear they did not support her. // Photo credit: Lindsey Grossman. Book effortlessly online with Tripadvisor! They said Asheville represents itself as a progressive and inclusive city for LGBTQ artists, but the museum caters to a particular demographic that is no longer actually inclusive or representative of folks in the broader community here. The fact that this has surfaced twice, she said, its not acceptable. The Smithsonian's Advisory Boards provide advice, expertise, and assistance to the Institution's leadership on the widely diverse programs and operations of the Smithsonian. In the letter to the Trustees, the 29 ex-employees wrote that current and former staff want to reclaim our Museum an institution built by the community and for the community.. Every request was honored, Krider said. I think this is horrible., Zahler added that he was supposed to be making the motion to remove Weitzman, but obviously I got on a little too late I would like to second that motion.. Current and former employees, volunteers and board members of the Asheville Art Museum describe a workplace that is "beyond toxic," an Asheville Watchdog investigation found. But some trustees felt the board should do more, such as hire an administrator to run the day-to-day operations and free Myers to focus on fundraising and larger issues. Open daily 11am6pm. Elaine Bleakney, a poet and writer in Asheville who knows Reilly and Grossman, wrote the online petition. The board has stood by Myers, 65, largely crediting her with raising $30 million in a capital campaign that spanned well over a decade. Monica Krider, a realtor, attended as a guest of Gretchen Lewis, who is also a realtor and a museum member. Facebook . Asheville may be best known for its traditional acoustic music, but Moog showed that the swirling, space-age sounds of his synthesizer could fit quite naturally against the mysterious backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 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