Briefing
The Met announces record attendance figures despite losses; BP continues to sponsor London institutions in spite of protests
The Met announces record attendance figures despite losses; BP continues to sponsor London institutions in spite of protests
- New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced record attendance figures for its fiscal year, which ended on June 30, despite facing a deficit of around USD$10 million that has led to restructuring, voluntary buyouts, and numerous high-profile job cuts. The total visitor numbers, which amount to around 6.7 million, include the museum’s three locations: the Met Fifth Avenue, the Met Cloisters and the recently opened Met Breuer.
- Despite recent protests in the capital, British Petroleum has announced that it will be renewing GBP£7.5 million worth of sponsorship deals for five London institutions. BP will continue to sponsor the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company for the coming five years.
- Jamillah James has been announced as the new curator of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA), formerly the Santa Monica Museum of Art. James joins ICA LA after serving as assistant curator at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, where she directed exhibitions and programming for Art + Practice, and will assume her new role on 1 August.
- The 6th edition of the Sinopale Biennial, Sinop, has been postponed due to continued political instability in Turkey. In a joint statement, the curatorial team of Melih Görgün, Nike Baetzner, and Jonatan Habib Engqvist wrote: 'We strongly believe that our country will leave this process behind as soon as possible … Postponed is not cancelled.'
- Jens Hoffmann has stepped down as deputy director of the Jewish Museum, New York, a position he has held since 2012. Hoffmann has left in order to refocus his career towards ‘curating exhibitions and working closely with artists’, but he will retain the title of director of special exhibitions and public programs at the museum.
- Arts Council England has announced that it is investing GBP£12.2 million in 94 museums and organisations around the country as part of its Museum Resilience scheme. John Orna-Ornstein, Director of Museums, said: ‘The focus of our investment approach for museums in 2015-18 is on building a more resilient sector. The Museum Resilience fund is a key part of that, providing vital support to museums right across the country.’
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