We are writing in our capacity as employees at The Museum of Modern Art to express our condemnation of Israel's ongoing actions in Gaza and stand united in solidarity with Palestinians as they confront violence, colonial occupation, and apartheid. Over the last five months, the world has witnessed a devastating escalation of violence in the region that has disrupted the daily lives of Palestinians in unimaginable ways. “Over 100,000 Gazans are either dead, injured or missing and presumed dead” (World Health Organization 1/31/2024) and over 1 million are displaced. We firmly believe that the ongoing crisis there must be recognized as genocide, and addressed with such urgency. Furthermore, we seek to rally our colleagues globally within the cultural field to actively participate in and support this urgent movement.
These attacks have exacerbated the already challenging humanitarian conditions in Gaza, with limited access to essential services such as healthcare, clean water, food, and education. The psychological and emotional toll on the Palestinian people is immeasurable, as they cope with the trauma of witnessing the destruction of their communities and the loss of their loved ones. This continuous cycle of violence has created an environment of fear and uncertainty, impacting the mental health and well-being of entire communities. The gravity of the situation weighs heavily on our hearts, and the absence of a collective acknowledgment or response from our institution adds to the difficulty.
Working amidst the profound silence of our institution in the face of the ongoing crisis in Gaza has become increasingly challenging for us as employees of The Museum of Modern Art. As individuals deeply committed to the values of justice, empathy, and human rights, the silence amplifies the sense of urgency we feel in addressing the unfolding events. The absence of dialogue and acknowledgment within our institution hinders our ability to navigate these challenging times and undermines our mission statement “to connect people from around the world to the art of our time.” The credibility and sincerity of our international purview is incomplete and compromised as we quietly watch Gaza’s invaluable art, culture, and history (15th century BCE), be systematically destroyed, stolen, and erased. We respectfully urge our institution to consider the impact of its silence. We believe that cultural institutions, including ours, have a responsibility to engage in conversations about significant global issues, especially those affecting the lives and well-being of countless individuals.
It is imperative our collective statement clearly outlines that Zionism is neither synonymous with nor representative of Judaism, therefore a critique of the violence enacted in the name of Zionist rhetoric is in no way a suggestion of antisemitism. As museum and cultural workers, we condemn the heightened cases of both Islamophobia and antisemitism that have resulted as direct collateral of Israel’s crimes in Gaza.
As museum and cultural workers, many of whom are members of the United Auto Workers Local 2110, we applaud the International UAW’s call for a ceasefire. Furthermore, we want to amplify the urgent appeal from the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions in Gaza calling on trade unions in relevant industries to stop arming Israel.
To state clearly, here are our demands of The Museum of Modern Art:
• Call for an unconditional ceasefire and an end to Israel’s collective punishment, genocide, and siege of Gaza.
• At least one of two things: 1) Commit to The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) in its entirety and/or 2) Conduct a thorough and transparent review of PACBI to learn from its principled methods and values in order to develop and establish a set of guiding principles for MoMA’s work; to be followed in the Israel/Palestine context and beyond, currently and in the future.
We extend an invitation to everyone within our community, encompassing present and former team members, artists and collaborators who have showcased their work in our galleries and graced our stages, visitors, members, donors, and neighbors, to add their signatures to this letter and unite with us.
*Current Museum of Modern Art employees are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Signed,
Aarati Akkapeddi
Abbey Gilbert
Abby Hermosilla*
Ada M
Adam Katzman
Adesuwa Agbonile
Ala Tannir
Aleck Venegas
Alex Michel
Alex Schlechter
Alexandra Bell
Algae Guzmán
Alice Nguyen
Allie Ruddock
Ally Caple
Alyse James
Alysse Stepanian
Amalle Dublon
Amanda Tobin Ripley
Amara Thomas*
Amber Edmond*
Amber Hunnicutt
aminah Al huqail
Aminah Ibrahim*
Ana Colón-García
Anastasia Ojuah
Andrea Fontenot
Angel Gutierrez
Angela Heisch
Angelina Ruiz
Anika Sabin
Arianne Goodell
Ariel Kline
Arièle Dionne-Krosnick
Armando Pulido
Ásgerður Arnardóttir
Ashley Blumlein (FS)
Bambi Angel
Benjamin Swanson
Bix Archer
Brandon Sward
Brent Bailey
brian matthew hart
Brianna Harlan*
Brianna Nelson
Brianna Wilson
Bryson Rand
Cait Carouge
Cameron Granger
Camilla Wasserman
Camm Harrison
Carla G
Carol Nhan
Carrington Morris
Casey Li*
Catie DeWitt*
Charles de Agustin
Charlie Harmon
Chimaobi Ndukwe
Chloë Bass
Chris Timms
Christina Moushoul*
Ciara Kosior
Ciara LeRoy
Cindy Hwang
Claire Marshall
Claudia Covarrubias
Clifford Allen
Colleen Stonebrook*
Cora Fisher
Corinne Segal
DaeQuan Alexander Collier*
Dalina Perdomo Álvarez
Dani Álvarez
David Toro
Dennis Chan
Desiree Sawyer
diana roig
Diana Yildiz
Dominic Nurre
DonChristian Jones*
Dylan Gamboa
Ébun Nazon-Power*
Edward Frumkin
Elliott Silverstein
Emily Westacott
Emma Jaromin*
Erick Stoll
Erin Chung*
Esme Ponce
Esther Omole*
Eve Alpert
Ezra Goren
Farah Abouzeid
Farah Marie Velten
Francesca Sotomayor
Francheska Bello*
Gabi J
Gabriela Basyuk
Gabrielle Brissett
Gee Wesley*
Geo Wyex
Georgia Wei
Gerard Dalbon
Giancarlo Montes Santangelo
Gonzalo Guerrero
Grace Leigh
Hanan Sharifa
Hannah Black
Hannah Fagin*
Hannah Pierce
Hanson Coleman
Haysie Chung
Helynsia Brown
Holly MS
Horacio Ramos Cerna*
Huanhuan Wang
Ian Moran
Ian Wallace
Ibiayi Briggs
Iman Messado
Isabella Rafky
Isaac Butler
Ivanna Rodríguez-Rojas*
J Grey
Jacinda Tran
Jacqueline Du
Jake Davidson
James Hughes*
Jan Martino*
Janet Sarbanes
Jibade-Khalil Huffman
Jennie Mathewson*
Jennifer Adam
Jess Baker
Jess Ross
Jesse Hess
Jessica Butler
Jessica Fuquay
Jessica Serenity Jordan
Joanna Cortez
Joanna Raczynska
Joelle Martin*
Joey C
Jocelyn Yang*
Johana Cornejo Cisneros
Jona B
Jordan Amirkhani
Jordan Lord
Jordan Zauel
Jordany Genao*
José Camacho*
José Sanchez
Joshua Solondz
Jules Spector
Jupi Bowen
June Kitahara
June Yoon
kara lynch
Kat Benedict
Kat Pongrace
Katayoun Vaziri
Kate Thompson
Kati Nolan
Katya Hall
Katherine Omole
Keavy Handley-Byrne
Kendra Farrell*
Kennedy Jones*
Kira Josefsson
kun liang
Kunal Rajesh
L Watson
Laura Popescu
Laurel Hilliard
Layla Smith
Leaf Quilty
Lena Deutsch
Lena Iacobucci
Leslie Dick
Leslie Hatten
Leslie Lasiter
Lex Brown
Lilia Taboada*
lily gonzales*
Lucia Love
Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo
Lupe Hernandez
made smith
Madeleine Loney
Madison Zalopany
Malanya Graham
Malcolm Peacock
Manar Balh
Marg Maguire
Marian Fragoso
marian martin
Marie Nazon
Marisha Lozada
Mark Yoshizumi
Marlin Ramos*
Mars Verrone
Martin Parsekian*
Maryam Tafakory
Mashinka Firunts Hakopian
Matt Zaccari
Matthew Wagstaffe*
Max F
Max Levin
May Makki*
Maya Jackson
Megan Christiansen
Melanie Trojkovic
Meriem Bennani
Merve Iseri
Michael Rakowitz
Michala Palmer*
Michela Moscufo
Mickael Marman
Miki Chen
Mitchell Herrmann*
Morgan Hutson*
Morgan King
mujero abreu
Nanci Velez
Naomi Amenu-Fesseha*
Nat Lemus
Natalie Hegert
Nate Miller
Nathaniel Mothing
Nawang Kinkar*
Nikomeh Anderson
Nitcha Tothong
Noel Woodford
Nora Akawi
Nora Chellew*
Olivia Bambara
Olivia Crough
Omar Dyette*
Onyekachukwu Onoh
Oriana Gonzales*
Özge Karagöz
Paloma Moreno Jimenez
Pamela Guest
Paul John
Paul Werner
Paz G
Pearla Ponce
Pemberton McGuire*
Penelope Gould
Phia Honey
Pooja Kumari
Presina Mottley*
Priya Blair*
Priya Krawiec
Rachael Schwabe*
Rachel Cox
Rachel L*
Rattanamol Singh Johal*
Rb Erin Poodle Moran
Rebecca Qin
ren rodriguez
River Ramirez
Rob Katz
Ryan Frigillana
S Simon
Saar Shemesh
Sahara Johnson
Saijah Williams
sanjana iyer
Sarah Ann Adams
Sarah Davis
Sarah Malaika*
Sarah Nicholls
Selam Murphy
Seth Garben
Shala Miller
Shannon Lee
Sharsten Plenge
shasta crawford
Sherriah Mason
Simon Ghebreyesus*
Simone Britto*
Sky Hopinka
Sky Maggiore
Sofia Pereda*
Solitaire M.
Spens Hanvik
Starasea Camara*
Stephanie Crawford
Steve Macfarlane*
Stewart Stout*
Stoop Nilsson
Sue Baldwin
Sylvia Gorelick
Syrine Ben Yedder
Taeer Maymon
Tara Ridgedell
Terence Washington
Tessa Richardson
Tiffany Malakooti
Tiffany Sia
Tommy Ramos
Tony McCallum*
Val Karuskevich
Valerie Reding
Violet Bupp-Chickering
Wendi Brunell
Xueli Wang
Yayun Cheng
Yelena Keller
Yeoun-Jin Kim
Yuri Pattison
Yve Laris Cohen
Zachary Cox*
Zachary Hendrickson
Zachary Valdez
Zack Wilks
Zainab F.
Zeina Baltagi
ZH Leonard
