Amidst the gloomy economic circumstances facing many art institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lesley Heller gallery, in operation in New York since 1994, will permanently close.
Temporary, if indefinite, closures at MoMA PS1 in New York and the Broad in Los Angeles have lead to staff cuts. MoMA PS1 has put 47 out of 64 employees on furlough and the Broad will terminate the contracts of 130 employees (129 of them employed on a part-time basis) at the end of this week.
In an email reviewed by Artnet, MoMa PS1 director Kate Fowle informed staff of the furloughs, also notifying them of the plan to pay the full salaries of all staff until 1 May and allow access to full health benefits until 31 July. Fowle added that it is expected the furloughs will last until late July.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a statement from officials at the Broad revealed that they are hoping to reopen in July, though even then it is expected that ‘daily operations will change dramatically’.
In late March, a significant proportion of employees at MOCA were let go. Other institutions affected by the closures brought on by the global health crisis include Hammer Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
