Woke art in London is going broke

This isn't as much a blog post by me, as me alerting you to an interesting article in The Evening Standard on 30th January. It's a very interesting article which I think will resonate with a lot of people - and it's a RECOMMENDED READ from me.

How the capital's art world went broke on woke alerted me to a few things I didn't know before

The author JJ Charlesworth is an art critic, art magazine editor and writer with twenty-five years of experience in contemporary art, publishing and education. Since 2006 he has worked on the editorial staff of the London-based international art magazine ArtReview, where he is one of the editors. He says he has also lectured and taught extensively, tutoring at London’s Royal College of Art, the Royal Academy Schools and Central St Martins College

Below I summarise

• key points from what he has to say
• commentary from me - marked up as "ME"

So what does he have to say?

Here's some key points:

Major financial challenges 

• major art institutions in London face major financial challenges
• the Tate and the Royal Academy of Arts have announced serious deficits (£11million and £2 million respectively)

Changing agendas do not bring in punters

Over the past few years art galleries have been pursuing programming agendas that don’t always resonate with audiences.

• culture wars (decolonisation / identity politics / Just Stop Oil etc etc) are not attractive to many exhibition visitors
• whereas major art galleries can host sell-out exhibitions for major "old favourite" artists from the past (e.g. Monet at the Courtauld; Van Gogh at the National Gallery in 2024)

ME: I think he's got a very important point.

He quotes numbers of visitors for institutions compared to pre-pandemic levels and suggests which ones are struggling 

The Continuing Saga of Sackler Embarrassment for Art Galleries and Museums

Remember the protests against the Sackler Family relating to the Opioid Crisis around about a year ago? Many were led by Nan Goldin -- and included a die-in at the V&A and a threat to NOT exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery if they accepted a £1million gift from the Sackler Family

There are news reports that Purdue Pharma is to close and be reinvented as a new "public benefit company" controlled by a trust or similar entity.

Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has agreed to plead guilty to three federal criminal charges for its role in creating the nation's opioid crisis and will pay more than $8 billion and close down the company.

"OxyContin maker to plead guilty to federal criminal charges, pay $8 billion, and will close the company"| CNN

Pat on the back for Nan Goldin and other protestors I think....

References on my Facebook Page to the Opioid / Sackler scandal went as follows:

More protests at sponsors of the arts with a shady past (and present?) . This time Nan Goldin has arrived to protest the Sackler Courtyard at the V&A (re. Opioid scandal and deaths in the US + associated court cases against Sackler)
Extremely odd interview of Nan Goldin on Channel 4
Channel 4 Interviewer "but where are they going to get the funds from?"
Nan Goldin "they don't need more architecture"
Channel 4 Interviewer "but where are they going to get the funds from?"
Nan Goldin "they don't need more architecture"
+ about 2-3 times more at which point I despaired of the Channel 4 ever employing people who listen to the answer.

Artist Nan Goldin leads die-in at V&A over use of Sackler name

Campaigners target £2m museum coutyard over family fortune linked to painkiller Oxycontin

I predicted earlier this week that Nan Goldin would "hit" the art sponsorship connections in London - and guess what....

"The National Portrait Gallery will be forced to turn down a gift of £1m from members of the multibillionaire Sackler family if it goes ahead with a prestigious new exhibition of the work of US artist Nan Goldin."

Nan Goldin threatens London gallery boycott over £1m gift from Sackler fund

Some of you may recall that there was a lot of removal of the Sackler name from very many buildings, art galleries

The Sackler Name

My understanding is that some Sackler names are associated with the potential for criminal charges and others are not - or less so. 

For example, the Elizabeth A. Sackler - whose name is on the Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museumhas distanced her branch of the family from her uncles and cousins and called their OxyContin wealth ‘morally abhorrent’.

It's quite difficult to find an analysis of this.....  It's also not helpful by lazy journalists referring to funders as "The Sackler Family" - without identifying which of the five trusts is responsible

• Meet the Sacklers: the family feuding over blame for the opioid crisis | The Guardian - this was the most helpful explanation I could find

The deal does not release any of the company’s executives or owners – members of the wealthy Sackler family – from criminal liability. A criminal investigation is ongoing. OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to plead guilty to three criminal charges

• Massive lawsuit says Sackler family broke laws to profit from opioids | The Guardian  - which names the individuals who are identified in the lawsuit which

accuses Sackler family members of knowingly breaking laws in order to enrich themselves to the tune of billions of dollars, while hundreds of thousands of Americans died.

• 'We need prison time': Purdue's belated guilty plea gets skeptical reaction | The Guardian  

While the guilty plea was welcomed, there was also anger over the US justice department’s failure to prosecute executives

AND SO....

• which are the Sackler names now in the frame for potential criminal liability? (see above)
• when is the Sackler name to be removed from all endowed gifts funded by Oxycontin abuse?
• Or are the organisations going to wait until actual criminal liability is established? (as opposed to the company accepting responsibility and closing down?)

Job losses at major art galleries

Staff working in the 'art' side of major museums in the UK seem to be surviving Covid-19. Those working in the trading arms appear to be not so lucky. 

Some of the strategies being employed to allow art galleries and museums to live within their means seem a bit crude at present - and, in my opinion, there needs to be rather more business 'nous' employed in my option.

Tate staff protesting the proposed job cuts

This is a tweet by the union representing the staff at Tate Enterprises Ltd - the commercial subsidiary, which operates retail, publishing and catering within the galleries - following a socially distanced demonstration will take place outside Tate Modern at the end of July.

Today the press is being welcomed back to @Tate Modern, but the workers from #Tate Enterprise working in shop & cafés won't be: instead they'll be made redundant! Culture bail out money should save jobs! #CulturevsCovid pic.twitter.com/custyXB3Pp

— PCS Culture Group (@PCSCultureGroup) July 24, 2020

I'm left wondering whether the Head of Coffee - on a salary which exceeded that of curators of art at the Museums(!) - will be on the list of those whose jobs may be for the chop.  (READ my post from January 2020: Next time stop and think before you have a coffee at the Tate)

To be honest - if it were staff in Conservation (which requires training for jobs with limited opportunities) who faced the prospect of losing their jobs I'd be very concerned. However the trading arm does NOT exist without the reason why the art galleries and museums exist. Jobs in catering also crop up rather more frequently than jobs for conservation staff or curators.

While it's always sad that anybody loses their jobs through no fault of their own, let's keep a proper perspective on this. 

• It's a lot more sad for people who are losing their lives during the pandemic and 
• there is going to be a major structural shakeout with respect to how organisations are run in future - and there's no guarantee that ANYTHING will ever go back to being the same as before.
• If more cuts in spend are needed, and I were in charge:
• I think I'd be very inclined to start with all those earning a salary of over £35k - right up to the Director - with the percentage cuts increasing as salaries increase.  
• That would enable more people to remain employed and reduce those who would need to claim benefits. 

More about the job losses

These articles tell you more about the consultation about the need to cut back on staffing due to the anticipated decreased level of trade at the Galleries.

• Tate boss defends plan to cut 200 jobs in art gallery shops and cafes | BBC (9th August)
• Tate and National Gallery commercial units to cut hundreds of employees (10th July)
• Tate faces protests over impact of job cuts on BAME staff | The Guardian (26th July)

Which London art galleries and museums reopen next week?

Here's a summary list of the art galleries and museums in London which begin to open from next week  PLUS

• what you need know in order to visit 
• which are offering extra benefits for essential workers who have kept us all supported through this health emergency. 

The RA reopens next week

I won't be venturing out to see any of them in the near future. I've got a risk factor re Covid-19 so am more content viewing art online right now.

All Galleries REQUIRE pre-booking in order to manage numbers and social distancing

Masks will be recommended by all galleries.

The list below is ordered in terms of date of reopening and amount of information available on the website.

Royal Academy of Arts

The health and safety of our visitors and staff is paramount. We will be following government advice on health and safety as a minimum, with additional measures and standards also in place. Among these measures will be a limited number of visitors at any one time, and asking that all visitors wear a face covering while at the RA.

Open to Members: Thursday 9 July
Open to the Public: Thursday 16th July
Days of the week: Thursday–Sunday
Hours: 11am–4pm
Advanced booking: ESSENTIAL https://knight.royalacademy.org.uk/page/reopening-corona

the UK’s Emergency Services, NHS and social care workers, Blue Light Card holders will be able to visit for free. Simply book online using the promo code THANKYOU. We'll require employee ID when you arrive for your visit.

Exhibition Programme

• the four-star ‘Picasso and Paper’ exhibition has been extended to August 2.
• ‘Gauguin and the Impressionists’ was due to open March 28, but will now run from August 7 to October 18

National Gallery

added social distancing, one-way art routes and a contactless experience.

Open to Members: Monday 6th July

Open to the Public: Wednesday 8th July

Days of the week: daily

Hours: 11am–4pm

Advanced booking: ESSENTIAL https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/plan-your-visit

Exhibition Programme

• ‘Titian: Love, Desire Death’ has been extended until January 2021

Wallace Collection

A one-way fixed route will be in operation to visit the galleries, starting on the upper floor. Not all galleries will be open for visitors.
The café and cloakroom will be closed.

Open to Members: ?

Open to the Public: Wednesday15 July

Days of the week: ?

Hours: 11am - 3pm

Advanced booking: ESSENTIAL - see https://www.wallacecollection.org/blog/Wallace-Reopening/

Exhibition Programme

• Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company will reopen on Wednesday 29 July.

Tate 

One-way routes and safe distancing guidelines are in place throughout the galleries. Prepare for a bit more walking than usual. Access information for each gallery will be published mid-July.

Open to Members: ?

Open to the Public:  All Galleries reopen on Monday 27th July

Days of the week: ?

Hours: ?

Advanced booking: ESSENTIAL - see https://www.tate.org.uk/visit

Exhibition Programme - see individual Tate Museum website for programmes. Some exhibitions are extended; some are cancelled

Serpentine Galleries

Please only come if you can get to the gallery safely. Group size is limited to maximum 6 people.

Open to Members: ?

Open to the Public: 4th August

Days of the week: ?

Hours: ?

Advanced booking: ESSENTIAL https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/visit/

Exhibition Programme

Dulwich Picture Gallery

Open to Members: ?

Open to the Public: AUTUMN 2020

• 4th July - open for gardens, pop-up shop and café

Days of the week: ?

Hours: ?

Advanced booking: ESSENTIAL

Exhibition Programme: ?

Victoria & Albert Museum 

- NO NEWS

British Museum 

- NO NEWS

National Portrait Gallery 

- Closed for the next 3 years - see my previous blog post National Portrait Gallery not reopening - until 2023

Art Galleries and Museums to reopen - with covid secure measures

This lunchtime it was announced that Art Galleries and Museums can reopen from 4th July 2020. However they will have to comply with ongoing requirements for social distancing for interiors.

At the same time the social distancing rule will be limited to something called "one metre plus" which seems to mean a minimum of one metre if two metres is not possible but try and do more than one metre.

The British Gallery in the National Gallery of Art

Art Galleries and Museums in London

Most of the larger arts venues fall under "step three" of the official lockdown plan. Step three relates to all those which are seen as "higher-risk businesses" either:

• because they involve crowds of people in close proximity
• or because it's know there is a much greater threat of Covid-19 transmission within enclosed spaces

Hence they were told that they could not legally re-open before July 4 - but that to be confirmed and today it has.

The Directors of the Tate, Science Museum Group, the Natural History Museum, the National Gallery, the British Museum and the V&A welcomed the news and issued a joint statement which said

“The British public have faced a wretched few months of isolation, loss and anxiety in confronting the Covid-19 pandemic,” they said. “The reopening of museums – whose galleries speak to the creative, resilient power of the human spirit – will provide solace and inspiration as Britain looks to the future.

All the following closed on 18 March 2020 and have now been closed for over three months.

Covid-secure measures

It's expected that it will be mandatory that all public spaces inside MUST follow they follow guidance to ensure they are "Covid secure"

The type of measures we can expect to see when the art galleries and museums reopen are:

• minimise face-to-face contact by requiring customers to pre-book tickets, 
• require the public to stand in spaced queues and to enter and leave through different areas. 
• erect screen to minimise the risk to staff 
• staff wear face visors
• improve ventilation systems where these are problematic and/or fail health and safety tests re. circulation of Covid19 laden air.

Why no announcements?

It's been clear that moves were afoot to reopen art galleries and museums since the Director of the National Gallery returned and did a short video from inside the National Gallery a couple of weeks back.

As a result I'm really VERY surprised that nobody had their Press Releases sorted in advanced and ready to go when the Government announced the changes.

I'm wondering what's going on which means that none to date have actually announced they are reopening. I'm guessing representations are being made about money re. loss of income and the additional costs of reopening.

Tate Galleries - closed until further notice - or 4th July???

There is nothing on the websites of the following - which is surprising given they've known this has been coming for some time.

• British Museum
• National Gallery 
• Tate Britain / Tate Modern
• Victoria and Albert
• Royal Academy of Arts - but they at least have announced changes to exhibitions for 2020/21 (see NOT The Summer Exhibition)
• Wallace Collection
• Dulwich Picture Gallery

Temporary Closures beyond 4th July 2020

• National Portrait Gallery: closed for the next three years (and more!) - see National Portrait Gallery not reopening - until 2023
• Courtauld Gallery - Closure of the Courtauld Gallery - more details - remains shut until Spring 2021 due to major renovation. Note it was originally intended that it would only be shut for two years from Autumn 2018. 

Food and Drink

The hospitality side of the galleries and museums should also reopen BUT they are presumably under the same constraints as all other venues inside providing food and drink i.e. if you enter you must give your name and address for contacting.

Smaller commercial art galleries were successful in getting recategorised as non-essential retail and hence were allowed to open earlier - but have adopted an approach of "appointments only" + strictly limited numbers at any one time.

NOTE: Theatres and concert halls are able to reopen from July 4 but not for live performances. What do you do if not have a live performance? Show films?  I think this may come within the following

Permitting cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed-doors for broadcast, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact.

10 x £10,000 bursaries to artists to replace Turner Prize 2020

There will be no Turner Prize in 2020. Instead Tate Britain has announced that one-off bursaries of £10,000 to 10 artists.

These will be announced in about one month's time - in late June.

The change of thinking has also added an extra £60,000 to the prize pot. The bursaries have been made possible thanks to generous funding from a group of Tate’s supporters, including The Ampersand Foundation.

NO EXHIBITION AND NO TURNER PRIZE IN 2020
both are replaced by 10 bursaries X £10k

The Turner Bursaries: why the change?

The very obvious problem in terms of the preparation required for an exhibition is that people are NOT at work and NOT doing what they would normally do to enable the annual Turner Prize Exhibition to go ahead.

This is simply not achievable under current restrictions.

An alternative was sought - and the decision was made to provide financial support to a larger selection of artists through this period of profound disruption and uncertainty.

Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain and chair of the Turner Prize jury, said:

“Gallery closures and social distancing measures are vitally important, but they are also causing huge disruption to the lives and livelihoods of artists. The practicalities of organising a Turner Prize exhibition are impossible in the current circumstances, so we have decided to help support even more artists during this exceptionally difficult time. I think JMW Turner, who once planned to leave his fortune to support artists in their hour of need, would approve of our decision. I appreciate visitors will be disappointed that there is no Turner Prize this year, but we can all look forward to it returning in 2021.”

One can only surmise after the split prize last year that this might be another example of "how we do things differently after the Pandemic" and that the Bursary idea might catch on.

It's a lot fairer than giving one artist a very large sum of money - and this move has also leveraged out more money to support artists i.e. there's an extra £60,000 in the prize pot!

• the normal prize post is £40,000
• this gets split between a First Prize of £25,000 and three x £5,000 for the three other shortlisted artists

Those eligible for the Turner Prize are artists born or based in the UK for outstanding exhibitions or other presentations of their work in the previous 12 months.

The change in the prize pot makes me wonder 

• how much it costs to put on the Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain and 
• whether the person who wins the Prize should be given the option of a very big cash prize or a much smaller cash prize and an exhibition at Tate Britain.

The Turner Jury

The members of the jury who will determine who gets the bursaries are: 

• Richard Birkett, Curator at Large at the Institute of Contemporary Arts; 
• Sarah Munro, Director of BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art; 
• Fatoş Üstek, Director of Liverpool Biennial; and 
• Duro Olowu, designer and curator.

The Tate says they've spent the last 12 months they've visited hundreds of exhibitions in preparation for selecting the nominees - but surely that should be 9 months if you disregard lockdown and their inability to visit any exhibitions

In line with the existing prize criteria, they are invited to nominate British artists based on their contribution to new developments in contemporary art at this time. 

The new plan is that they should hold a virtual meeting to select the list of 10 artists, which will be announced in late June. 

Coronavirus and Art #4: Art Galleries, Museums and Auction Houses close in London

The list of art galleries, museums and auction houses in London which have announced a temporary closure due to the Coronavirus Pandemic are as listed below. 

• I will update this post periodically as new closures are announced.
• Links in the name are to the website or the page where there is an announcement.

The home page of the Serpentine Galleries is unequivocal about what has happened.

Art Galleries and Museums in London

The British Museum will close temporarily from 18 March 2020. Director Hartwig Fischer would like to share this message.

For more information, please see our website: https://t.co/3WrFt92jn2 (1/3) pic.twitter.com/CDrCKIaPhF

— British Museum (@britishmuseum) March 17, 2020

• British Museum
• Tate - has closed all four galleries including Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives until at least 1 May.

• National Portrait Gallery

The safety of our staff, visitors and community is our priority, therefore we have decided to temporarily close the Gallery from Wednesday 18 March until further notice. Please read the full statement below, we look forward to staying in touch with you here on Twitter 💛 pic.twitter.com/pIbfaYopMi

— Portrait Gallery (@NPGLondon) March 17, 2020

• The Royal Academy closed while I was writing this blog post! 

We hereby rename Tuesday Shut All The Museums And Galleries In The UK Day

— Royal Academy (@royalacademy) March 17, 2020

• Serpentine Galleries 

Following careful consideration in response to the COVID-19 situation, the Serpentine will temporarily close to the public from today until further notice.

We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Wish you all good health, the Serpentine team. pic.twitter.com/hqmUQHHntR

— Serpentine Galleries (@SerpentineUK) March 17, 2020

• The whole Southbank Centre, including the Hayward Gallery, has now closed
• The ICA is closed - this includes exhibition spaces, cinema, theatre, bookshop and canteen.

Following careful consideration of the current course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the entire ICA (exhibition spaces, Cinema, Theatre, Bookstore and Rochelle Canteen) will close to visitors and staff until further notice.

Read more: https://t.co/Cxykn4S3o0 pic.twitter.com/pNeE7G9Rwp

— ICA (@ICALondon) March 16, 2020

• Victoria and Albert Museum - close as from tomorrow at South Kensington, Museum of Childhood, Blythe House, V&A Dundee 

Art Galleries in London still open

• The National Gallery remains open for the time being but its new exhibition about 17th century Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi. has been postponed.
• The Wallace Collection also remains open - but has a lower footfall than some others.

The Wallace Collection is open as usual to welcome visitors, and there are no changes to our opening hours because of coronavirus. We are continuing to monitor the advice of Public Health England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and will update our visitors if the situation changes.

• The Mall Galleries is still open.

Art Galleries elsewhere in the UK

National Galleries Scotland have closed temporarily - until further notice.

Galleries closed until further notice.
In order to help protect the health of our staff and visitors during this difficult time, we are closing all of our Galleries from 5pm this evening, 17 March 2020. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/ze35WxMfPY

— National Galleries (@NatGalleriesSco) March 17, 2020

Auction Houses

The auction houses are not so much closed as very busy rescheduling sales.

• Christies are currently rescheduling a significant number of sales around the world
• Sothebys has an Update to its Spring Sales Schedule

Next time stop and think before you have a coffee at the Tate

Today the Tate garnered some of the worst PR for an art museum that I've seen in a while - except from those who hang stolen art and/or are run by people who are fraudsters.

It's not up there with the Sackler debacle (re the Opioid crisis  and stripping the Sackler name from various art galleries and museums) but it has invited an awful lot of ridicule. Twitter has been red hot and articles appeared as the story gained notice.

In a nutshell, the Tate proposes to pay a "Head of Coffee" more than it pays its curators.

The story started with a piece in The Times (see above). Since then the story has been highlighted on Twitter by:

• Grayson Perry - which attracted a LOT of comments
• Bendor Grosvenor 

Articles about the proposed salary have been in:

• The Guardian: Tate Britain's £40k 'head of coffee' role sparks row over low curator pay
• The Telegraph: Tate in hot water with unions over £40,000 'head of coffee' role which dwarfs salary of curators which quoted the union organiser

Alan Leighton, Prospect national secretary, told The Daily Telegraph: “The pay discrepancy highlighted is a stark reminder, not that the head of coffee is paid too much but that highly qualified museum professionals are paid far too little. Across the sector it is clear that roles which exist in other sectors are paid well, while heritage-specific roles are paid appallingly. This cannot continue. Without these qualified specialist workers there would be no galleries and no museums. It’s time that was recognised and those roles rewarded accordingly.”

• The Daily Mail: The daily grind! Tate Britain advertises for new 'Head of Coffee' on £39,500 salary... while paying its curators just £26,959
• Evening Standard: Tate seeking new 'head of coffee' with £40,000 salary

The Tate side of the story

This is the article - Slot Roasting Collective - which is about the coffee created for the Tate - and ostensibly why they need to employ a "head of coffee". I gather finding supplies and quality control of their own in-house grinding operation is one that requires knowledge and expertise

I wonder whether it also requires first and second degrees and considerable experience to be paid much less than this in a curatorial role related to the principal purpose of the Tate.

Tate Coffee is produced as part of the Tate Commerce operation whose objective is to

maximise profits and extend the value of the Tate brand, to support Tate’s work and collection

However coffee grinding does not make it in the Tate's overall strategy and vision statement for its main purpose.

Instead Tate Commerce states

We will make our vision reality by being:

• Customer focused – prioritising and championing the needs of the customer
• Open – to new ideas and perspectives; to calculated risk; encouraging exchange and collaboration
• Interdependent – building on the strength and uniqueness that Tate brings, without losing sight of the benefits of enterprise
• Global – connecting with the world through products and publications
• Sustainable – looking to the long term and demonstrating operational responsibility

My view is that

• Tate has not learned the salary lessons which the BBC had to - about how an enterprise which receives state funding MUST demonstrate that comparability in relation to responsibility when grading jobs and awarding salaries. 
• The BBC is in the midst of paying out millions of pounds in response to those who have asserted that they been treated unjustly in an employment context. 
• I'm wondering what the staff at the Tate might start doing in the near future now the union is involved
• Could the Tate end up paying out a lot more money on salaries for curators in the near future - or will they cut curatorial jobs to finance the salaries of curators' jobs catching up with the "head of coffee"
• The coffee collective idea is nice - but I'd love to see the actual numbers and whether or not it actually contributes significantly to the finances of the Tate. Maybe the commerce operation needs to have its financial targets stretched - and some criteria for what it can and cannot do spelt out rather more clearly?
• I also wonder what will happen if visitors to the Tate start boycotting the coffee?
• When it comes to comparability..... The individual who is critical to sourcing wild coffee plants for the entire world - including literally finding it in countries around the world - works at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and is the husband of a friend of mine. I'm just wondering whether what he'll think about the salary in question......

and finally......

I'm waiting for the inevitable T shirts with the slogans

Nice coffee - shame about the management

NEW Ethical slant on 2019 Power 100 "The most influential people in art"

Last month, the Annual Power 100 was published by ArtReview. This annual listing of influential people in contemporary art has been described as a barometer of influence in the artworld - and tracks people over time as well as up and down the listing.

What's unusual is that the nature of the power players has changed in the Power List for 2019.

Campaigners and activists are now very prominent in the list following their efforts to name and shame those that are deemed to:

• receive funds from patrons and sponsors who are now considered toxic in more ways than one
• exhibit art stolen from other cultures

The 2019 list was compiled in consultation with a panel of 30 artists, curators and critics from around the world. It continues to reflect a shift away from the traditional power hubs.

If you click the arrow icon to the right it explains the rationale for the choice of the individual and their placement in the Power 100 - see https://artreview.com/power_100/

The top 10 of the Top 100 in ArtReviews 2019 Power 1000  

Campaigners and activists - beyond the contemporary

Art and artists can and do effect change in the real world.

They have also now gone way beyond the contemporary art world per se - insofar as they are challenging sponsorship of and artefacts in museums and art galleries housing art which is emphatically not contemporary i.e. it's about heritage too.

The campaigners include:

• Nan Goldin - a photographer who has questioned the ethics of philanthropy and spearheaded protests against the Sackler family over its implication in the opioid crisis in the US and for its engagement in the ‘artwashing’ of profits from the sale of OxyContin by family-owned Purdue Pharma. Her campaign has led to the refusal of Sackler funds by various institutions around the world including the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate. Only last it was announced that the Smithsonian would be rebranding its Arthur M Sackler Gallery - despite the fact Arthur M Sackler died before Purdue Pharma was created by his brothers!
• Felwine Sarr & Bénédicte Savoy (6) - both undertook an investigation and authored a ground-breaking report Restitution of African Cultural Heritage. Toward a New Relational Ethics (in French: Rapport sur la restitution du patrimoine culturel africain) commissioned by President Macron which has been instrumental in questioning the function of the museum. They also advocate for the unconditional return of art obtained in suspect circumstances by Western institutions.

A GROUNDBREAKING REPORT published in November 2018 declared the restitution of Africa’s cultural heritage was “impossible no more.” Commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron, the document is authored by French art historian Bénédicte Savoy and Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and examines the history, inventory, and display of ill-gotten artifacts and art objects of questionable provenance in French museums (70,000 at the Musee du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, for example) and other Western institutions. The report calls for transparency and a restitution process that meets the demands of affected sub-Saharan African nations whose cultural wealth was plundered in the colonial era and beyond. | Culture Type

You can read more commentary on this topic - and see who else gets a mention - in

• The Most Important Artists Are Also Activists—Plus 3 Other Takeaways From Art Review’s Latest Power 100 List | ArtNet News
• An introduction to the 2019 Power 100 | Artreview
• ArtReview Power 100 list 2019 led by campaigners against 'artwashing' and 'looted' colonial artefacts | inews
• 11 Black Artists, Curators, Scholars and a Collector Made Art Review’s 2019 List of the Most Powerful People in the Art World | Culture Type
• Who Are the Art World's Power 100? The Annual ArtReview Ranking is Now Out! | widewalls
• Glenn Lowry and Nan Goldin topped Art Review’s 2019 Power 100 list | Artsy
• MoMA boss tops art power list after gallery's relaunch | The Guardian

A radical rethink about how galleries show art

In a year – and era – marked by disruption, protest and bitter conflict between outsiders and the establishment, not least over the question of who gets to represent culture, institutions have been forced to respond with convincing arguments or risk being sidelined.

I'd venture to suggest that the status on #1 on the list that Glenn D Lowry gets as Director of MoMA in New York reflects

• an ever present lean towards the USA in this listing
• the completion of a new $450 million extension at MoMA creating more and better space; and 
• a thorough rethinking of the museum model at MoMA - which is now leading the way in presenting a more global perspective of art
• (despite the fact that some - like the Tate - has been doing this for years at Tate Modern! ....and back to the American leaning.....)

Lowry’s goal is for a museum offering a more global representation of art’s history, and a better representation of the diversity of artists working now and across the decades.

Others in the same vein are:

• the Studio Museum of Harlem’s Thelma Golden (7) who has 

devoted her career to ‘creating space’ for the expression of diverse voices, which she describes as a ‘cultural act, but also a political act’.

• Maria Balshaw, Director of the Tate is 9th on the list for the Tate’s recent efforts to decolonise and ‘decentre’ its own collection. 

Banksy also landed back in the top 100 at #14 for the first time since 2008. He's described as Street artist taking on the global artworld media spectacle and

The artist Banksy (14) makes this list precisely for the way in which his existence highlights institutional willingness (and struggle) to accommodate an artist who has no need for the establishment. As the battle for control over who gets to represent culture plays out, the dominant institutions and narratives will continue to come under pressure to adapt.

Lest we forget

The listing is also still dominated by the rich, powerful and well connected (see example)

But for how long?

London Art Galleries and Museums: Membership Scheme costs compared

The cost of seeing an art exhibition in London is not cheap. Enrolling for one or more Friends / Membership schemes can seem like a sensible thing to do if you like viewing art. 

Certainly, I planned on visiting art exhibitions a lot when I retired and one of the very first things I did when I retired was to take out memberships at a number of the national art galleries and museums in London - and I've never regretted it - until now.

The reality is Annual Membership fees for Art Galleries and Museums keep on rising 

• by more than the cost of inflation (as government funding has been cut) over the course of the recession 
• some rises have also been pretty steep and less than transparent for those addressing some pretty ambitious development plans!  I use direct debits for my memberships and got a major shock when I realised how much I was now paying for my RA membership!

Given memberships are often gifted at Christmas I thought I'd do a review of:

• what each membership scheme costs
• my conclusions as to which is best for what
• the best value art membership scheme of all - and it's maybe a scheme you're not aware of

Some of you who have enrolled and, like me, have not looked at your direct debits lately may get a SHOCK!

National Gallery from Trafalgar Square on a late winter afternoon

Art Galleries and Museums - The cost of membership

Membership fees have changed and come museums have got very cute at working out what makes a difference to people eg

• some are very family friendly with free access for more than two kids (see Tate and V&A)
• some are kind to young people eg V&A
• some are well suited to those who like taking their friends and guests to an exhibition
• some do decent discounts on books and items in shops eg NPG and Tate
• some do decent discounts on restaurant meals and throw in great views eg National Portrait Gallery (one of the main reasons members go to to the NPG!)

Art Gallery / Museum	2017/18 Million visitors	Benefits Summary	Annual / Life Membership
British Museum	5.8	Free unlimited entry to exhibitions, special events, members room & other benefits	£64 single £86 joint £44 under 26 single
Dulwich Picture Gallery	?	Free unlimited entry to all visiting exhibitions and Collection + Friends' Private Views; Friends Rates on tickets for lectures, art classes, talks & events; InView magazine (3 editions per year); Friends monthly e-news; opportunity to get involved with the work of the	£43 single £61 single + family guest £25 under 30 single Year 1 payment covers 14 months for direct debit
National Gallery	5.0	Free unlimited entry to exhibitions + private views of exhibitions, exclusive Members' events including concerts, cinema screenings, talks, and more	£68 single £94 joint (household) £107 single + guest Nothing for young people
National Portrait Gallery	1.7	Free unlimited entry to ticketed exhibitions + members' only private views and previews; 10% discount in Gallery Shop, Portrait Café & Restaurant	£55 single (direct debit) £80 single + guest £90 joint (same address)
Royal Academy of Arts	1.1 (2016/17)	Free entry to exhibitions for you and a family guest (but you have to book first for some) + Previews to exhibitions before they open to the public; Priority booking to all RA events. Private views and exclusive Friends events; all-day access to the Keeper's House; RA Magazine and a weekly email newsletter; 10% discount in the RA shop (but not on everything)	£125 standard friend + guest £60 16-25 single + family guest [Note: NO SINGLE MEMBERSHIP]
Tate Group (Tates Modern, Britain,  St Ives and Liverpool)	8.2	Free unlimited entry to all four Tate galleries and any exhibitions, plus member talks, events and viewing hours. Unlimited free exhibition entry at all four art galleries (No need to book, just turn up) +; Exclusive Members Hours away from the crowds; Access to Members Room; 10% Tate Shop discount. Free admission for up to six children	£76 single (direct debit) £120 single + guest (direct debit) Year 1 (Direct Debit) = 15 months for the price of 12
Victoria & Albert Museum	4.4	Free unlimited entry to all exhibitions (no need to book) +  exclusive previews; priority booking for evening talks and access to specially curated Members-only events; Members' Room; V&A Magazine (three times a year); quarterly newsletter & monthly emails; free access to exhibitions for up to four children (under-18)	£70 single £95 single + guest £145 joint + 2 guests £45 single under 25
Wallace Collection	0.5	Free unlimited entry to all exhibitions + exclusive events (Lectures / tours / exhibition previews); Concession rates on public events including concerts, Friday Lates, lectures and art classes; 10% discount in our Museum Shop and The Wallace Restaurant*	£45 single £65 joint £30 Single under 25

1. Most of the above also do Joint Membership schemes + guests but I've not included them above as I think the cost will have limited appeal to all but the most sociable and well endowed.
2. The Courtauld Gallery closed in September 2018 for at leas two years for renovations. Meanwhile you can see the Impressionist Paintings from the Coutauld at the National Gallery.

Some of the world famous Courtauld Impressionist paintings at the National Gallery

My conclusions

• For those who like blockbuster exhibitions - consider 
• the British Museum (if you like historical / cultural aspects of art)
• the National Gallery (for once in a lifetime exhibitions of art loaned by other national museums)
• the V&A (if you like design, fashion and/or contemporary culture)
• the RA - for "once in a while" blockbusters. (They certainly don't have them every year.)
• If you have a young family the Tate and V&A are your best bet - both provide free admission for children under 18 (6 and 4 respectively). Others provide free access for under 12s and discounted prices for 13-18 year olds.
• If you want to see exhibitions when they are less crowded, choose less busy hours of the day or extended hours which are also open to the public. 
• Members previews at some galleries are if anything MORE crowded than when the public are in!  
• Only galleries who are making a very serious effort to make the galleries less crowded for viewing by members should get your money.
• If you enjoy somewhere to relax after seeing an exhibition, consider the Tate. Best view in London (across the Thames) and some comfy seats at Tate Modern. HOWEVER
• most galleries forget that a lot of their membership patrons are pensioners who like to have decent sit down at some point during the day, especially after seeing an exhibition. 
• The leather Chesterfields in the Friend Room at the RA (sadly now gone for good) kept me as a member for a very long time!  Hard seats have very little appeal....
• If you want a stunning view - and a discount - with your lunch, consider the National Portrait Gallery Restaurant - which looks out at Parliament and the London Eye over the top of the National Galley. The 10% discount is a bonus!
• Think very long and hard before signing up for a Royal Academy of Arts Friends subscription
• there is NO SINGLE MEMBERSHIP for those of us who like visiting exhibitions on our own -and/or not having to pay through the nose for the odd times we take a friend as well.
• as a result, it's TWICE the cost of most of memberships (ie equivalent to Friend + Guest subscriptions elsewhere) - and creeps up each year without being signalled loudly. 
• Plus having a membership card no longer means free access whenever you want (i.e. the main reason I have a card) as you still need to book entry for members previews and some popular exhibitions - which means less spontaneity and you don't eliminate booking!). 
• It's much much cheaper to just book for the exhibitions you want to see and pay for tickets online.

The Best Value Membership Scheme - by a long way!