The LA Times doubles down on the LA MoCA story with a broader look at the reaction to Helen Molesworth’s departure. The second-day story continues the framing presented by Christopher Knight, who broke the news, that pits Molesworth against director Philippe Vergne in an supposed battle for inclusion:
“I can’t help but feel like there’s something else behind this and that she’s taking the fall for bigger problems in the institution,” Hammer Museum chief curator Connie Butler said. “I don’t think it has only to do with Helen’s curatorial agenda.”
Readers of Christopher Knight’s story also believe there is “something else behind this” but they suggest the problem is located in Molesworth’s behavior. If that is indeed the case, the fault here is in Vergne’s inability to make the dismissal in a manner that would not blow up in his face as it undoubtedly has:
- “she was extremely disliked for good reasons. now she is desperately trying to co-opt the whole “diversity” movement as the reason she was canned. Philippe Vergne is actually the one i have the most compassion for through all of this. he has been the true champion of diversity since his career began. remember, even the director has people to answer to. firing her was something he should have done over a year ago but he was too nice. Christopher Knight is a disgrace to journalism. doing NO investigative reporting, he simply parroted the mouthing of ONE board member sycophant of Molesworth who used the most juvenile, unfounded, baseless accusation of “non-diversity” as the grounds for her termination. are you serious?? how about “non-likability” or “genuinely undermining the vision of the DIRECTOR of the museum?” she is a curator…nothing more.”
- “Christopher Knight SHAME on YOU and everyone else reading this. For believing such one sided garbage and not knowing all of the facts. Three Cheers for Phiippe Vergne for firing someone he should of fired along time ago. Helen Molesworth made peoples lives at the museum a living hell. In the long run MOCA will be a better museum without her. She might of had some good exhibitions but she was true poison to the Museum.”
- “Just getting the chance to sit down and read through all the news about the director of MOCA’s decision to fire it’s chief curator and I couldn’t agree more with his decision. Christopher Knight, if you wanted a real story you should’ve done your research because there’s a long list of former employees that could tell you the REAL reason as to why she was fired. Helen Molesworth was a tyrant who made it her goal to ruin the lives and careers of people at MOCA, some who were employed there for 20+years.”
- “Molesworth is widely known for her torture of employees and controlling behavior. Just a few more phone calls needed to get that scoop. Take a gander at who disengaged from the ranks in the past 3 years, or was fired by her. All approved by the director. Could this be a career pattern? More importantly, we need to talk about toning down righteousness and think about the real legacy they leave behind by their actions with other humans. And the Director Vergne clearly let this go on and on and on. If he felt he was bulllied by the board directors, then why not take a stand himself and step down. But no. Weakness and ego abounds in the contemporary platform on all fronts, and the place still is dead. Third rate events, galleries, and press handling. What a waste of a most wonderful collection.”
Firing of MOCA’s chief curator triggers worry over the future of an artist-centric museum (LA Times)
