I sent Glenn Lowry my MoMA post of last night, and offered to publish his reponse in CultureGrrl. Today, I e-mailed him again. Here is his BlackBerried reply:
I am in Mexico city on business and have not yet seen the article and am in no position to comment at this time.
Glenn, you may have thought that building the MegaMoma was tough, but this is the crisis of your directorship. Everything that you built and accomplished is at stake. They have Internet in Mexico City: Get online and READ THE ARTICLE!
Here’s what AAMD says in its “Code of Ethics for Art Museum Directors”:
The director will act with integrity and in accordance with the highest ethical principles. The director will avoid any and all activities that could compromise his or her position or the institution….It is unprofessional for a museum director to use his or her influence or position for personal gain.
I can only add that I feel personally devastated by the revelations of the NY Times article. I had absolutely no social contact with Glenn, but a longstanding professional relationship of great mutual (I hope) respect. The potential dimensions of the story—a high-risen man, with many admirable qualities, brought down by a fatal flaw—seem the stuff of modern tragedy.
Now where’s the catharsis?