COLLECTOR SETH STOLBUN RESIGNS FROM BOARD OF NEW MUSEUM–AFFILIATED RHIZOME
Houston-based collector Seth Stolbun announced today via his Instagram account that he is resigning from the board of directors at Rhizome, an organization affiliated with New York’s New Museum that champions born-digital art and culture through commissions, exhibitions, digital preservation, and software development. Stolbun cited Robin Pogrebin’s October 5 New York Times article “The New Museum Is World Class, but Many Find It a Tough Place to Work” as the catalyst for his departure.
“After multiple phone calls and emails with Rhizome’s executive director and board chair, I cannot in good conscience have any continued relationship with Rhizome because of its relationship with the New Museum,” Stolbun wrote, going on to quote extensively from Pogrebin’s article. Among the passages he included were those describing employees being subjected to sexual comments, required to ride atop an elevator in order to move artworks, asked to lie to US Customs officials, and chastised for presenting dismal financial news at a meeting.
Stolbun, who is the executive director of the nonprofit Edith and Bernard Stolbun Family Foundation, said that after the phone calls and emails, he was left “with no factual information that said that the statements in the Pogrebin article were not true.” He continued, “I hold myself and the organizations that I am a part of to the highest standards and as a result of that I find it untenable to remain a board member and supporter of Rhizome.”
In an email to Artforum, Stolbun acknowledged that he had been drawn to Rhizome because “the work it does is central to my practice of supporting and fostering the work of the artists, writers, and critics that I believe are doing the important work of today. We all live at the intersection of art and technology.” He noted hat he had recommended that Rhizome sever ties with the New Museum, but that Rhizome’s board chair and executive director “did not wish to pursue it. And this led to my decision to resign from the board.”
Artforum has reached out for comment to the New Museum and Rhizome. This article will be updated accordingly.
Correction: This article originally misstated Rhizome’s purpose and the nature of its affiliation with the New Museum.
