hundreds of jobs to be cut at some of England's biggest museums
plus: 1,200 jobs axed at the National Trust
it’s your maxwell museums friday briefing
the world of museums has not had a great week. apologies in advance for the doom and gloom featured in the news round up below, but the past 7 days has seen a torrent of job loss announcements, from some of the UK’s biggest institutions. i think it now looks increasingly likely that no arts or heritage organisation will escape significant job losses in the coming months. and that’s before we even consider the growing risk of a second coronavirus wave…
in personal news, this week was the first ever maxwell museums presents live online event, all about how to make it as a curator. nearly 40 people attended to hear from an expert panel and it was AMAZING. i’ll have more news on future online events soon so keep your eyes peeled, including on my instagram @maxwellmuseums.
and make sure you open next week’s main maxwell museums newsletter edition - i have a very exciting competition in partnership with Tate Modern for you. till then.
job cuts I. the National Trust is facing its “biggest crises in living memory” and will axe 1,200 jobs to try to plug an eye-watering £200 million black hole in its finances due to COVID. the Independent
job cuts II. the trust that looks after 9 museums in Birmingham, and which is one of the largest regional museum groups in the UK, puts half of its staff at risk of redundancy. Express & Star
job cuts III. York Museum Trust, another major regional museum group in England, also said it is preparing to make redundancies after making a loss of £1.5 million due to the pandemic. Yorkshire Live
job cuts IV. demonstrations were held at Tate Modern’s reopening as the gallery’s commercial arm is expected to slash 200 jobs. the Guardian
erm, ok. in this week’s most “i’m sorry, what?” news, ‘dating’ app Grindr launches an art section. it’s worth clicking through for the headline alone. The Art Newspaper
cherry on top. a dystopian sculpture of whipped cream and a giant fly have been unveiled as the latest sculpture on the Fourth Plinth in Trafagar Square. ngl i love it 🍒🍦😋. Sky News
HRH PPE. the Duchess of Cornwall was the first senior royal to don a face mask in public when she visited the National Gallery in London this week. £38 from Liberty in case you were wondering. Mail Online
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall visits the National Gallery, London 28 July 2020 © The National Gallery, London
anger in Oslo. to the outrage of preservationists and art-world figures, a giant Picasso mural in Norway’s capital has been torn down and removed to storage. New York Times
back in business. 3 of Scotland’s biggest museums have announced their reopening dates. BBC News
Geffrrye statue. the Museum of the Home in Hackney, east London, has decided not to remove the statue of Sir Robert Geffrye despite a public consultation in favour of doing so. Huff Post UK
the special relationship. Grayson Perry’s next exhibition will be brand new artwork inspired by a recent road trip across the USA. maxwell museums
and a some bonus reads:
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