The Dallas Museum of Artwork (DMA) introduced this week that it has laid off 8% of its workforce amidst ongoing price range issues. Beginning 1 December, the Texas museum will moreover take away its Friday night hours and shut its doorways to the general public on Tuesdays. Whereas the DMA has characterised its downsizing efforts as steps in direction of sustainability, ongoing plans for a $150m renovation and enlargement undertaking haven’t been interrupted.
In a press launch, the DMA described its resolution as following a “cautious evaluation of each side of the museum’s operations” in addition to a recognition of the necessity to “regulate to new realities in a post-pandemic world, together with rising prices, expiration of presidency funding and audiences not but returning to pre-pandemic ranges”. Whereas prior efforts to decrease prices produced hiring freezes and budget-friendly exhibitions of the museum’s everlasting assortment, latest layoffs have affected “almost all departments”, representing a unilateral downsizing of operations. In complete, 20 worker positions have been eradicated, whereas two have been turned from full- to part-time.
With the announcement of adjustments to its workforce and operations, the DMA claims that it’s “now in alignment with achievable income objectives”. In the mean time, it doesn’t anticipate “to make different adjustments or additional employees reductions”.
Notably, the DMA’s embrace of austerity is available in direct distinction to its multimillion-dollar enlargement plans, described in its undertaking web site as a revitalization of the presently “unwelcoming, off-putting” and “troublesome to navigate” two-block campus, initially designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes in 1984. In August, a proposal by the Madrid-based Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos was introduced because the profitable design from a shortlist of six finalists, with DMA director Agustín Arteaga claiming that the museum can have the much-needed alternative to point out “masterworks” beforehand stored in storage, and showcase “probably the most important assortment of latest artwork of any encyclopaedic museum”.
No updates have but been given relating to adjustments to exhibition scheduling or employees all through the renovation course of, and The Artwork Newspaper’s request for remark stays unanswered.
