Newfields announced a 30-day plan of action to address issues that stemmed over a job posting last month that many saw as racist.
The plan of action will focus Newfields “on becoming an empathetic, multicultural and anti-racist institution,” according to a press release.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art, which is part of the Newfields campus, faced a public backlash last month when, in a job listing for a new director, it said it was seeking to "attract a broader and more diverse audience while maintaining the Museum's traditional, core, white art audience.”
Newfields president Charles Venable resigned shortly thereafter when dozens of staff members called for him to go for what they deemed to be a “toxic” work atmosphere.
READ MORE: Newfields Regrets Reference To 'White Art Audience' In Job Description
That led to the bord of trustees’ creation of the action plan, which includes a $20 million endowment dedicated to works by marginalized artists; increased diversity on the board of trustees; organization-wide diversity, equity, inclusion and access training; new programming and community outreach.
“Over the past month, we’ve listened, we’ve learned, and now we have acted to take Newfields in a new direction,” said Kathryn Betley, Chair of Newfields’ Board of Trustees.
Newfields said it has already put some of the plan into action.
“This plan is about rebuilding trust and forming new partnerships,” Jerry Wise, the interim president of Newfields, said. “We intend to bring more voices into our decisions, reflect greater diversity in our offerings, and embed Newfields more deeply in the fabric of our community.”
