Stop making the executive director position a vanity position for an effective fundraiser, and assign the position to a real qualified director. If youre able, please consider supporting the Museum through a donation; by becoming a Museum Member, renewing your membership early, or upgrading your current membership; or by shopping or purchasing a gift card in the Museum Store. Subscribe to our free Asheville Watchdog news alerts. You said to me you will not stand down on this. The Museum, with the assistance of its volunteer docents and support from the Asheville Area Section of the American Institute of Architects, is proud to be a regional affiliate partner hosting the WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards each year. Im hopeful you will stand up and see that while your efforts are to you for the good of the museum, they are proving counterproductive. Shes also bad at her job i.e. Clear enough? Good luck. A majority of the museum's board has remained steadfast to Myers, the museum's director since 1995, despite complaints by former employees in 2015 and again in 2021. 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.. Asheville Art Museum 114 Literary, Art & Music Tours Art Museums Downtown Asheville By carriemjax The permanent collection had a broad variety, Jasper Jones to local Appalachian artists. Do something before this bites the museum where no amount of fundraising skills will help. One third of the board's members also serve as trustees for the . Not the museum itself, just the board. Instead, board member Benites made a motion that Michelle be removed from the board.. In 1994 the Board appointed Richard West, scholar and former director of Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Maine; the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento; the Newport Art Museum, Rhode Island; and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. His reason had something to with the theater it could have been anything. Weitzman was the only current trustee who agreed to be interviewed for the Watchdoginvestigative story and was quoted saying the museum looks really pretty on the outside. Mind you this was right before the museum was going to reopen, a supposedly exciting time to be there. I argue they have one of the most important roles at the museumand similarly, in any guest-serving institutions. In fact, new staff are staying for shorter and shorter periods of time. I have also strictest the hell museum off my to do and support list. The Asheville Art Museum's vision is to transform lives through art. the getty museum underground; houses for sale west pearl street, butler, pa; Recognitions; peter lowy malibu; CSR; how to remove a hashtag on tiktok. She noted that Myers came from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. They orchestrated it all., Weitzman had volunteered at the museum since 2016 and held a seat on the board as president of the Docents Association. And the sycophants & lickspittles fawning over her psyche & clamoring on how theyve been emotionally upset by this icky reality thing. Years ago I wrote Pam Myers about an exhibit concept that would feature the design community of Asheville as a vibrant collection of talented professionals doing breakthrough work. Shes not above helping, but it doesnt erase her mismanagement its another highlight of insufficient staff support. Gary Cooper, Treasurer. Stop wagging your finger, didnt even notice I was doing it., Krider said all Weitzman did was tell me where Pam was standing and repeat something she had already apparently said that working for her is really difficult or however she worded it.. Myers, the museum's executive director for 27 years, declined to be interviewed by Asheville Watchdog. Does it have to come to that? She has served in leadership roles on numerous professional committees and currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee for the Metal Museum Board of Directors. (828) 254-7162 DONATE ABOUT Asheville-born and Raleigh-Durham-based interdisciplinary artist Sherrill Rolands socially driven practice draws upon his experience with wrongful incarceration for a crime he did not commit and seeks to open conversations about how we care for our communities and one another with compassion and understanding. I believe we are on a solid path forward, Click wrote. The work environment is beyond toxic, Huff and Green wrote in a 2021 summary. 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. Show your support for our community by helping us power authoritative, in-depth reporting, and keeping access free for neighbors who need it. So we tear down the Vance Monument but leave the Queen of the Glass Palace in place? Leadership Advisory Committee. Advisory Board members help ensure the success of the individual museums and centers. Located on the Pacific Rim, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of nearly 149,000 objects that illuminate 6,000 years of artistic expression across the globe. Those that dont agree to play that game will be made irrelevant or removed entirely. Asheville, NC 28801. The most recent dates shown on the N.C. Sec of State site is 2020. We invite you to join us! This week, we caught up with Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of the Asheville Art Museum. He then deferred to trustee Gary Zahler, who joined the virtual meeting late. I showed her where Pam was, Weitzman said. The Museum is moving with awareness and commitment, through assessment, training and engagement, to implementation and accountability. and so it will be with Ms. Myers and her now rapidly unraveling tenure of abuse there at the Asheville Art Museum. This sounds like unbalanced reporting to me for which this Watchdog should be shamed. 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.. Yeah, were not talking about typos or lending a hand. Weitzman pressed on after Saenger became the chair, asking for more information on employee complaints, staff exit interviews, and the executive coach that had been brought in for Myers and senior leaders, emails show. I liken this behavior to what the vandals are doing defacing the museum, Saenger said. Boca Raton Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, marital status, national origin, citizenship, creed, gender, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation and/or gender identity, age, veteran status, mental or . They orchestrated it all., Weitzman had volunteered at the museum since 2016 and held a seat on the board as president of the Docents Association. Krider, according to Weitzman, continued with her rant about a terrible way to run an organization.. I dont do this lightly, said Paul Saenger, chair of the museums Board of Trustees, according to a recording of the board meeting obtained by Asheville Watchdog. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion. The reality though is that when this many people are this unhappy, there is a problem. Too Much Is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration features over 70 artworks in an array of media from both the original time frame of the Pattern and Decoration movement, as well as contemporary artworks created between 1985 and the present. Why some people in the public would do this, she said, I think they have no standing. The Asheville Art Museum is committed to being an active leader against racism. Explore two stories of frequently rotating exhibitions. The board may be putting itself at risk by not taking more concrete action given that what has been done so far appears to be ineffective, nice words but little effect. Will the Board continue to sit on their hands while this environment is allowed to fester? Being good at one thing (raising money) does not mean you are good at everything. She and other current board members, as well as past board chairs, would only answer questions submitted in writing. 120 College Street Asheville, NC 28801 828-350-8484 info@blackmountaincollege.org To schedule a group tour please contact us at info@blackmountaincollege.org Our Mission Statement The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center (BMCM+AC) preserves and continues the legacy of educational and artistic innovation of Black Mountain College (BMC). Until Pam and the Board are replaced by people who are actually in service to Ashevilles citizens, it will continue to be A Hell Museum. Weitzman was the only current trustee who agreed to be interviewed for the Watchdog investigative story and was quoted saying the museum looks really pretty on the outside. That is the definition of poor management. Saenger told Asheville Watchdog that as far as he knew, the museum, established in 1948, had never removed a trustee. As a long term Asheville Art Museum member, donor, former volunteer, former Gallery Associate, and current Adult Studio instructor, I am little more than an outside observer to the day to day operations of the museum so this story has been revealing. The Asheville Art Museum is a regional affiliate partner of the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, hosting an annual juried competition for students in grades 7-12 from all across Western North Carolina. It is a cornerstone in this art-rich town that we can all be very proud of.. 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. The Asheville Art Museum, glistening through its glass exterior in the downtown heart of Pack Square, earns acclaim for its prized collection of American and Appalachian artwork. At the Asheville Art Museum, the gift shop and the Front Desk were one and the same, meaning that those employees were front-facing and interacted with guests and served as the first impression to the Museum. She said the foundation of the museum was not its collections but rather the people who make the everyday possible. She never responded. Time for an even closer look at this situation. We have never censored or disciplined a trustee for expressing differing views or opinions. asheville art museum board of directors. 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. Open daily 11am6pm. None responded by our deadline Tuesday. Leaves me wondering what nerve was touched that sent this reader into such a defensive stance. Artists for Asheville started this petition Two recent articles in the Asheville Watchdog have exposed how Pam Myers, Executive Director of the Asheville Art Museum, has routinely mistreated Museum staff during her tenure, creating a culture of fear, retaliation, and high attrition that has twice been brought to the Museum's Board of Trustees. One person objected to something to do with the theatre-how many did not object? [1] Museum Members receive 12 months of free general admission. Zahler mentioned an issue, an apparent reference to employee complaints about Myerss management dating to at least 2015. Join Us This Sunday for a Traditional Game Day. Krider said she told Myers, Why do you think you can just stonewall people who are really struggling to understand your role and some of whats been going on here? , According to Weitzman, Benites got defensive and said, I dont think this is appropriate, and Pam said, Im hosting a party. , Weitzman said Krider was shaking her finger at Myers but stopped when Myers asked her to. Youre no longer a volunteer.. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. Weitzman addressed the incident at the party by saying it occurred at the end of the evening with very few guests at the museum.. The Business Manager position is part time (non exempt) and is expected to be 24 hours per week. Gillian Maurer, a transgender artist who grew up in Asheville, said a donor gave them free access to the museum while they were a student studying fine art at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Email [emailprotected]. Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. Hamill said she was unmoved by the employee complaints detailed by Asheville Watchdog. MICHELLE CROUCH, North Carolina Health News, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. In further checking the solicitation license had been applied for and received in 2022. The Asheville Art Museum is dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, access and inclusionnow and in the future. How out of touch & elitist. One of the only free art museums in Asheville, the Black Mountain College Museum is small and donation-based. Additional support is provided by the City of Asheville and Buncombe County. The Adult Studio program was popular as all of my classes were filled to overflowing. Candace Reilly, one of six former employees who complained to the trustees in 2015, told Asheville Watchdog the board had a chance to do the right thing, but chose to support Myers. Too Much Is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration features more than 70 artworks in an array of media from both the original time frame of the Pattern and Decoration movement, as well as contemporary artworks created between 1985 and the present. Well certainly take everything you had to say to heart, Michelle, as we always have, Saenger said. In response to Asheville Watchdogs story last month, the board stood by Myers, and at its next meeting removed an outspoken trustee, Michelle Weitzman, the only member to speak publicly about employee complaints, for what the board chair described as a pattern of disruptive behavior., The board made very clear theyre going to do absolutely nothing, Reilly said. I will ask for your dismissal as a board member and museum volunteer.. Absolutely. 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. That Ms. Myers said Youre in my house while standing in the museum tells you everything you need to know. It is an age old story. 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. A woman Weitzman identified as Lindsay Rosson, director of finance and operations at the museum, removed Kriders wine glass from her hand and asked her to leave, according to Weitzman, Krider and Lewis. She said the foundation of the museum was not its collections but rather the people who make the everyday possible. As well as past board chairs, would only answer questions submitted in writing the! 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