Whitney Heads Under Fire For Business Ties
Zachary Small, staff writer at Hyperallergic, discusses their reporting on the backlash that Whitney Museum board members face over their outside business ventures.
Many on the museum's board have made millions through businesses in the defense industry, causing some Whitney staffers and activists to demand greater transparency in the art world.
The controversy comes just ahead of the museum's Biennial show, from which one participating artist has withdrawn in protest. Fifty other artists have added their name to a letter demanding the resignation of the Whitney’s vice chairman, Warren Kanders. Kanders owns and operates a weapons manufacturer, Safariland, whose tear gas has been used in clashes around the world, including Standing Rock, Gaza, Ferguson and recently, along the US-Mexico border.
