The Asheville Art Museum's vision is to transform lives through art. The Museum invites you to explore our outstanding Collection of American art of the 20th and 21st centuries and to discover the richness of Western North Carolinas unique artistic history. For the record, I am canceling my membership. I believe we are on a solid path forward, Click wrote. Asheville Art Museum opening events All events are held at 2 S. Pack Square. Please, check your inbox! Pre-purchased online tickets are encouraged; walk-in tickets are also available. Cons The biggest con of working at the Museum is the Executive Director. Art is certainly important, but the quality of the education leaders for our children should be primary. The high attrition rate is simply bad business.. Reports by employees of mistreatment, and authoritarian management should always be regarded and investigated. An outspoken member of the Asheville Art Museums board, the only current trustee to speak publicly about employee complaints of mistreatment, was ousted from the board Tuesday and removed as a museum volunteer. But how does that make the museum Youre in MY house? Inappropriate behavior? I suspect these actions will anger and incite resignations among the docents organization , an essential AAM support group as they learn how their chosen leader and representative was treated. The work environment is beyond toxic, Huff and Green wrote in a 2021 summary. This story is good work! At some point words need to translate into both action and changed behavior, not just more words. Thats absurd, Krider said. I never heard anyone speak with such divine right, Krider said. Few outside the museum noticed when, this spring, five board members one-fourth of the trustees resigned. I chalk it up to there being better opportunities for staff elsewhere. I never heard anyone speak with such divine right, Krider said. 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. Does BeLoved Asheville clean up after homeless people? I, and another board member, opposed the contract because of the directors extreme salary and benefits while maintaining a toxic working environment ($242K this year with a $35K bonus if shes still here next month). Thank you for registering!Please visit My Account to verify and manage your account. I think they felt threatened anyway, physically, and they were verbally attacked., Saenger allowed Weitzman an opportunity to respond at the board meeting before she was banished. After the meeting, Weitzman told Asheville Watchdog she believed her removal was retribution for challenging the museums leadership. I must say I second Nancy Fergusons comment. I will ask for your dismissal as a board member and museum volunteer.. Monica Krider, a realtor, attended as a guest of Gretchen Lewis, who is also a realtor and a museum member. Sounds like a fiefdom to me, regardless of the he says, she says. How any board handles conflicting views in a crisis generally trickles-down to how an operation is managed. See here for our terms of service. Kill the messenger certainly sends a message to the employees Few outside the museum noticed when, this spring, five board members one-fourth of the trustees resigned. The board has twice brought in an executive coach in 2015 after six former employees complained about the museum's management to trustees, and again in 2021 after eight other ex-staffers voiced their concerns to Huff and Green. I love when TheRump ends with that you always know more bad news is inevitably on the way. This sounds EXACTLY like the art museum I used to work for. I, for one, will have no interest in the Art Museum until this issue is addressed and employees are given a voice. We engage, enlighten and inspire individuals, and enrich community through American art of the 20th and 21st centuries. The argument is that she has consistently failed at other very vital parts of her job and the Board has been relatively inefficient at addressing them seriously and effectively. January 23, 2020 POSSIBLE REASONS BEHIND STUDENT VISA REJECTION. Righteous indignation feels great, but solves nothing. 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. Youre no longer a volunteer.. Your involvement is essential, now and in the future. She urged her fellow trustees to ask for Myerss resignation and to find a new executive director. In a town as small as Asheville, everyone knows everyone and there is no scandal in that. Engaging, enlightening and inspiring individuals and enriching community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries since 1948. ashevilleart.org SaveSave Acrylic and mixed media on board Dimensions. Its not even just about the people who work there who were hurt by someones tactics and approach, Krider said. As Asheville Watchdog reported, the board has twice brought in an executive coach in 2015 after the six complaints to trustees, and again in 2021 after eight other ex-staffers voiced their concerns to Huff and board member Darren Green. Also, while it may be true that toxicity exists in many museums and nonprofits, it is wholly unacceptable to settle for the status quo. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Board of Directors Patrick Chaffin | Ryman Hospitality Properties John Esposito | Warner Music Group Eddie George | Entrepreneur Kevin Green | Chartwell Hospitality Dr. Alex Jahangir | Vanderbilt Medical Center Doug Kreulen | President and CEO, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Ken Levitan | Vector Management Kimberly Lewis | Emerson Grace Pre-purchased online tickets are encouraged; walk-in tickets are also available. New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college in Sarasota, Florida.It was founded in 1960 as a private institution known simply as New College, spent several years merged into the University of South Florida, and in 2001 became an autonomous college, the eleventh independent school of the State University System of Florida. After the vote to remove Weitzman, Saenger said, I would just underscore that its just not appropriate to take things into your own hands. Its our responsibility to promote the health of the museum and its mission. Im sorry that having a frank conversation that you didnt want to have seemed like an attack. A vibrant arts scene, creative restaurants and beer galore dazzle in this Southern jewel of a city. She urged her fellow trustees to ask for Myerss resignation and to find a new executive director. Support the creative future of our region and donate today. Why are so many who live here in the present so spineless? Its also about what it looks like for Asheville, all of us.. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. In the meantime, it is time for us, artists and arts professionals of Asheville and surrounding regions, to do what the Board of Trustees has been unable to accomplish as a body: collectively and publicly voice our care for the Museum staff, advocate for them and the Museum's future, and call for the removal of Pam Myers as Executive Director. Join, renew, or give the gift of Museum membership today. Linda Kendall Fields is a resident of Fletcher, North Carolina and has been on the Asheville Music School Board of Directors since it became a non-profit organization in 2012. I tried to stand in front of Pam. Great work, Watchdog Team. Krider said that she was disturbed by what she had read in the Watchdog story. Its an embarrassment. I am not the least surprised by anything I have recently read about her managerial style. He then deferred to trustee Gary Zahler, who joined the virtual meeting late. However, I have not taught a workshop nor class there in over a year. The Collectors' Circle is dedicated to increasing their own knowledge about art and collecting, while also growing the Museum's Permanent Collection through annual purchases from an acquisition fund created by yearly dues. The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Asked for comment, Benites wrote that after significant discussion the board had decided to have all communications be with the chair.. As one of the employees who left in 2015 I can attest to the hostile, dysfunctional and toxic work environment. Inappropriate behavior? Is there a chance NC electoral votes will be split? Certainly should not be punished for it ! Employee complaints have been a source of discord on the museum board. This is what was decided seven years ago, and it is the same today.. This is a great example of how privilege protects itself. I dont always agree with her, but I have immense respect for her and what she has accomplished for Asheville. We need ethical and compassionate leadership from the Executive Director and Board. Weitzman said she wanted to make clear that she was not the one confronting Myers at the party. 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.. Kate Meehan, Idaho National Laboratory. The new director came in Fall of 2014 and since then 31 people have quit. It sounds like that is not happening, and that is not sustainable. Asheville-born 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. But the culture of fear in employees, the morale and the attrition is horrendous., In ticking off Weitzmans pattern of disruptive behavior at Tuesdays board meeting, Saenger, the chair, said, I dont see in any way how this benefits anyone or anything about the museum.. In one email to Click, the chair of the human resources committee, and then board chair Butch Patrick, Weitzman wrote that fear of being fired has created a large morale deficit compounded by the inability to speak up., She asked for immediate action and wrote that there have been issues and concerns for a long period of time.. Former trustee Michelle Weitzman claims her removal was a retaliatory action by the North Carolina institution's director, Pamela Myers, following an substantial investigation by the . . Or do you simply disagree with her management style? I am aware of at least 15 full time staff that have quit just this year. In fact, she is no longer there as a volunteer. And AAM gets that money whether or not students go. After the meeting, Weitzman told Asheville Watchdog she believed her removal was retribution for challenging the museums leadership. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. We need a Museum that supports every person involved in creating and sustaining exhibitions, programs, building its permanent collection, and upholding the institutions mission to engage with all who walk through its great glass doors. Clearly there has been a consistent and ongoing pattern of abuse of volunteers and employees by Ms. Myers, which quite frankly reads like nothing short of a reign of terror .very very bad public relations no matter how magnificent your prized glass edifice there in Pack Square is. There are many ways that you can become involved and be a part of this extraordinary community endeavor. For as little as $5 a month the cost of a craft beer or kombucha you can help keep local journalism strong. Three of the board members who resigned in May, including Huff and Green, told The Watchdog the treatment of employees and the boards response was a factor in their decision to leave. It was not an attack.. 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 Power Plant, a leading contemporary art space on Toronto's waterfront, has lost nearly its entire board of directors, with 24 out of 27 of its members resigning en masse earlier this week.The members who resigned have done so due to objections to the institution's management by an affiliated nonprofit organization, the Harbourfront Centre, and have called for the institution to be held . In charge of it all is a board of trustees with full authority over the museum's affairs, and one that operates out of public view, often yielding to the will of its long-time executive. It is a cornerstone in this art-rich town that we can all be very proud of.. An outspoken member of the Asheville Art Museum's board, the only current trustee to speak publicly about employee complaints of mistreatment, was ousted from the board Tuesday and removed as a museum volunteer. Experience great art while mingling with fellow art lovers at an opening reception, watch a local ceramist throw a pot in her studio, discover new creative skills at a workshopall this and more. , Frame: 16 1/8 x 16 1/2 in. The Museum is nearing the end of the final phase! My long time experience with organizations tells me that this situation will fester and not go away. The fact that many have shared this sentiment and the board continues to take no meaningful action is ludicrous. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. Rebel/Re-Belle: Exploring Gender, Agency, and Identity | Selections from the Asheville Art Museum and Rubell Museum combines works from two significant collections of contemporary art to explore how artists have innovated, influenced, interrogated, and inspired visual culture in the past 100 years. whichhe continued to create over the course of his career as an art director and into his personal work after retirement. Asheville Art Museum The newly renovated Asheville Art Museum at night The Asheville Art Museum is a community-based nonprofit visual art organization in Western North Carolina (WNC) and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To engage, enlighten, and inspire individuals and enrich community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Few outside the museum noticed when, this spring, five board members one-fourth of the trustees resigned. Its also about what it looks like for Asheville, all of us.. So California Woke values complainer got the boot for causing problems. Workers are expendable. Kids under 15 should be allowed in at no cost if art is to be advanced now the fee is $10 for those same aged kids. The Collection; . A renovated and expanded museum opened in 2019 in a glass building that is now a landmark downtown, and the museum has an endowment of more than $6 million. She returned to the group, and Lewis approached Myers. We need a Museum that operates with consistent transparency and accountability. Our mission is to encourage young professionals across industries to learn, support, and ultimately invest in diverse and . How could they even try with the firewall built around Pam? 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. becoming a Museum Member, renewing your membership early, or upgrading your current membership. But, with the revelations coming from this and other articles, I now have to question my assumptions. Researches Biltmore's fine and decorative art collections and history to support internal and external communications as well as exhibitions, publications, and training and educational materials . It only takes a moment. Late-night Thursdays until 9pm; closed Tuesdays. Myers, the museum's executive director for 27 years, declined to be interviewed by Asheville Watchdog. Kindness and gentle approaches And Im sorry to say, Michelle, youre no longer on the board. Krider said she felt the response to Lewis was not right and approached Myers a second time. Krider, according to Weitzman, continued with her rant about a terrible way to run an organization.. Museum Members receive 12 months of free general admission. If the city and/or county are providing significant support to the museum, it would seem appropriate that they have presence on the museum board. Well certainly take everything you had to say to heart, Michelle, as we always have, Saenger said. This is no way to run any organization, let alone a supposedly not for profit arts organization. Thorough and revealing (and entertaining!). Simply give us a . I was impressed to know that the leader of an unpaid docent group held a position on the board. You said to me you will not stand down on this. Last week, the letters in the museums sign were altered from Asheville Art Museum to A Hell Art Museum. Asheville Police spokeswoman Samantha Booth said Wednesday she could not locate a police report on the vandalism. The Asheville Art Museum's facility at 2 South Pack Square. Weitzman said a museum patron, Monica Krider, had wanted to share her thoughts with Pam about the Watchdog story. The Asheville Art Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums which receives support for its programs from Museum Members; other generous individuals, corporations, businesses, and foundations; the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources (www.NCArts.org); the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the primary source of federal support for the nations libraries and museums; and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency which believes that a great nation deserves great art. 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. Everything you had to say to heart, Michelle, as we always have, Saenger said five. There being better opportunities for staff elsewhere becoming a Museum patron, Monica Krider, had wanted share! 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