Ned Rifkin
The Smithsonian Institution’s undersecretary for art, Ned Rifkin, has resigned effective Apr. 11. One can assume that he’s not going to be named to the Smithsonian’s top spot, which was expected to be filled later this month.
The part of Jacqueline Trescott‘s report in the Washington Post that most interested me was this:
Under Rifkin’s leadership, a group of U.S. museum directors analyzed
the Smithsonian’s eight art facilities and last year issued a report
that said they hadn’t lived up to their potential as national
collections….”The review was somewhat controversial because it made certain people
uncomfortable. It was tabled, but it still exists and the new secretary
will have a chance to review it,” Rifkin said.
I for one am glad to hear it was tabled, because it made ME uncomfortable—particularly the part that gave the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s accomplished director, Elizabeth Broun, a bum rap.
The press release says:
The Acting Secretary [Cristián Samper] has announced that he will not replace Rifkin.
Instead, the art museums and organizations that Rifkin oversaw will now
report to the Smithsonian’s Acting Under Secretary for History and
Culture Richard Kurin.
I’m hoping that there WILL eventually be a new art undersecretary, once the top spot gets filled.