Barnes Foundation Fires or Lays Off Twelve Employees, Including Curator Inaugurating Role

The Barnes Foundationin Philadelphia over the past six months terminated a dozen full-time roles,Artnewsreports. The eliminated positions account for 6 percent of the museum’s 206 employees. Among those who lost their jobs are finance director Jill Duncan, curator Corrinne Chong, who specializes in nineteenth-century art; research associate Amy Gillette; and historian TK Smith, the Barnes’s inaugural assistant curator for art of the African diaspora.

Foundation spokesperson Deirdre Maher attributed the cuts to “a variety of factors,” noting, “We make regular adjustments to our operations based on current needs and to ensure our ongoing financial well-being.” The Barnes attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year with its well-regarded collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century art. Maher cast the organization—which boasts a $130.9 million endowment and which took in $28.8 million in the last half of 2023—as “financially healthy.” It has historically added and trimmed roles: According to Maher, the foundation has grown its staff 15 percent since 2020, though it eliminated 4 percent of positions in 2023.

Though many positions, including Duncan’s, were eliminated entirely, Smith says he was fired by foundation director and president Thom Collins after asking for a contract from the Barnes and from London’s Hayward Museum regarding the publication of his research for a forthcoming Mickalene Thomas exhibition that is to open at the Barnes and travel to the Hayward. According to Smith, the Barnes refused to offer him a contract and told him that if he didn’t produce an essay for the exhibition catalogue, he would be out of compliance with his role. Smith additionally said that he felt the museum “had no intentions to fulfill the promises of the position” for which he was hired, and which had sat vacant between its 2020 creation and his 2022 hiring.

The foundation refused to comment on the issue of Smith’s essay, citing staff privacy. A legal representative for the museum rebutted the curator’s accusation that leadership was inadequately prepared for his arrival and failed to answer his queries regarding his position, saying, “Museum staff members maintain regular and open communication with all employees regarding their roles.” The Barnes has said it plans to rehire for Smith’s role.