Sackler sponsorship: should art be on the side of the angels?

Tiffany is joined by the art critic and TV documentary maker, Waldemar Januszczak, the writer Michael Savage (Grumpy Art Historian), and the ex-museum director, Tom Freudenheim (Old Fart Thoughts On Museums) to discuss whether arts sponsorship should be ethical. 

They reflect on the significance of the decision taken in March 2019 by the National Portrait Gallery and the Sackler Trust not to proceeded with a £1m donation, questioning to what extent we are seeing a tipping point in arts funding. They assess to what extent the politicisation of museums is a new phenomena, or if it has been part of the cultural world for decades, and argue over whether it's a positive or negative development, before reflecting on where vital money for the art world will come from, including... museum charging. 

► GUESTS

Waldemar Januszczak, is an art critic and and television documentary maker. He tweets at @JANUSZCZAK. You can read his Sunday Times article compelling the dropping of Sackler sponsorship here: The ugly truth about art: why Nan Goldin is taking on the Sacklers 

Michael Savage blogs here, as Grumpy Art Historian.  He tweets at @GrumpyArt

Tom Freudenheim can be found writing in the Wall Street Journal and here on OFTOM He has a twitter account, but doesn't really tweet @TomFreudenheim

 

► FURTHER INFORMATION 

Find out more about Pain (Prescription Addition Intervention Now) organised by Nan Goldin to address the opioid crisis, here. 

Read Adrian Ellis, director of AEA Consulting, in the Art Newspaper, on increased public scrutiny of museum boards in a social media age, which sets this issue in a broader context. 

 

 ► MUSIC

Signature tune: Nick Vander Black Kopal - Galaxy I

The rest: 

Tim Hart - Royalty-Free Music Large Collection (100+ Tracks) - Track 24 Ecstatic Waltz

Tim Hart - Royalty-Free Music Large Collection (100+ Tracks) - Track 40 Keys

 

► SOCIAL MEDIA 

Behind the Scenes at the Museum is on Instagram: @BehindtheMuseum & Twitter: @BehindtheMuseum

---

Behind the Scenes at the Museum is written and presented by Tiffany Jenkins and produced by Jac Phillimore.