Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to Lay Off Over 30 Staffers

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, sent an internal email to staff Wednesday notifying them of the upcoming layoffs.

According to emails obtained by Boston-area NPR station WBURThe museum said it faces “an unsustainable deficit that we are committed to addressing” and that the only move to achieve “financial sustainability” is to “implement a restructuring.”

Museum confirms layoffs WBURtold the radio station that 6.3%, or about 30 employees, would be laid off. The layoffs will take effect on Friday.

“Our challenge is to create a sustainable business model while staying true to our mission. Leadership made this difficult decision only after carefully considering every available option,” the press statement said.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the Union Museum in Boston said it wanted to “meet and bargain with the museum” to avoid layoffs, “maintain workforce diversity” and ensure “shared sacrifices are made by museum leadership.”

“The union only learned of the layoffs late yesterday,” the statement read. “The museum has just informed us who in the union specifically is on the layoff list. We are deeply concerned by the news that sixteen members and seventeen other museum employees have been laid off, and we have asked the museum to provide details on the reasons for the layoffs and what steps they could have taken to avoid this drastic step.”

Like many other institutions in the United States, the museum previously underwent restructuring and a series of layoffs in 2020. Fifty-six employees elected to take voluntary early retirement, while a further 57 employees were laid off at that time. The museum also cited financial sustainability as a reason for the decision.

The museum did not respond to a request for comment by press time.