Copyright The New York Times
Fifty-four percent of museum employees have considered quitting their jobs in the last five years, and more than one-quarter of full-time workers earn salaries that fall below a living wage, according to a new survey. These findings are part of a survey, released by the nonprofit organization Museums Moving Forward, which seeks to improve the working environment of cultural institutions by gathering information from executives and staff members. More than 3,000 museum employees from over 90 arts organizations, and representing different roles, participated in it; it is the second edition of a longitudinal study that will continue through 2030 in consultation with SMU DataArts. The survey developed because curators wanted to better understand the correlation between metrics and emotions; for example, how an employee’s salary or possibility of promotion might affect their perception of the museum’s mission and leadership. “It felt important to create a base line of data that didn’t previously exist,” said Mia Locks, the director and co-founder of Museums Moving Forward. Researchers polled workers at institutions including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. However, some of the largest museums in the country did not participate, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Gallery of Art in Washington. The last study, in which nearly 50 organizations participated, was published in 2023, during a difficult time in the museum world. Many employees demanded changes from institutions that faced the economic uncertainty following the pandemic and called on museums to improve their diversity, equity and inclusion policies. In that study, 68 percent of workers surveyed considered quitting their jobs. Locks said that the results indicate that workers have been pleased with changes that some museums have made. The survey was conducted largely before the Trump administration’s critique of the museum industry, which has included an attempt to overhaul the Smithsonian and end diversity programs. The report describes this current climate as “an increasingly volatile moment that many are calling the new culture wars.” Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
