As US museums continue to struggle with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, many have drawn connections between the year-long decline in visitors and staff cuts. But as the number of visitors begins to stabilize, it is not clear whether the museums will regain their lost positions, a problem that has become more urgent as funds are diverted to other projects.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York reported that it received more than 861,000 visitors in 2023, a 33% decrease from 2019. The museum laid off ten employees last December, citing rising operating costs, inflation and a drop in visitors. and as a reason for the reduction in memberships since the pandemic. The museum declined to comment further.
Last summer, the Guggenheim raised the price of adult tickets from $25 to $30. Similar price increases have already been introduced at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which offers paid admission only to New York State residents and students from the Tri-State area), the Whitney Museum of American Art and museums in San Francisco. Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA).
SFMoMA, which could not be reached for comment Art Newspaper went to press, last November it eliminated 20 positions, laid off seven employees and chose not to fill 13 positions. Christopher Bedford, the museum’s director, said attendance had dropped 65 percent since 2019, writing in a statement that the drop reflected “broader economic issues,” such as a drastic drop in foot traffic in downtown San Francisco since the pandemic.
Some museums have come under fire for pushing ahead with multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion projects while cutting their staff. In October of last year, the Dallas Museum of Art laid off 8% of its workforce and reduced hours in a $180 million renovation. The decision affected 20 employees, two of whom were demoted to part-time positions.
After undergoing a $100 million renovation and expansion of its campus, Maine’s Portland Museum of Art (PMA) cut 13 positions in February. In 2022 the museum settled an unfair labor practice complaint with 14 former employees who were fired. PMA declined a request for an interview, but said in a statement that attendance was down 35% from 2020 and that government funding to maintain programming and staff “will soon expire.”
The PMA says about 70 percent of its operating budget covers staff salaries and benefits, and museum director Mark Bessire took a voluntary 20 percent pay cut. However, the museum will go ahead with the redevelopment of its campus, which it believes is outdated. When the project is completed in mid-2025, it expects to attract around 500,000 visitors a year, which is a huge boost from the 170,831 visitors it received in 2019 – numbers that will naturally require more staff.
