Letters to the Editor
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‘Identity Crisis at the Brooklyn Museum’
Kate Taylor’s story, “Identity Crisis at the Brooklyn Museum” skims the surface of a very serious and complex issue that Arnold Lehman rightfully shines a spotlight on: the widening gap between the “elite” art institutions of New York City and the people who live here and quietly pay the taxes that support these institutions [Arts & Letters, “Identity Crisis at the Brooklyn Museum,” November 20, 2006]. The Museum of Modern Art received $65 million in support from taxpayers through New York City’s capital budget, and yet its own statistics show that only a miniscule number of visitors are non-white.
Mr. Lehman’s admonition to look at the Census is right on the mark. Shouldn’t taxpayer supported institutions feel some obligation to serve New Yorkers of varied economic and social status? One can quibble with how the Brooklyn Museum displays some of its cultural riches, but Mr. Lehman has at least stepped up to the plate while too many of his colleagues have failed to even get into the game.
As Brooklyn’s largest private foundation, we observed the flow of public and private dollars into Manhattan’s cultural crown jewels and chose instead to support arts and cultural institutions like the Brooklyn Museum, the Queens Museum, and the Newark Museum precisely because they take smart and creative approaches to sharing their art with persons from all communities.
MARILYN GELBER
Independence Community Foundation
Executive Director
Brooklyn, N.Y.
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