Thought the following would be of some interest to people on the list.  It
was originally posted to AMART-L, the American Art List Serve:

----------
> From: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> To: Caterina Y. Pierre <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Fw:      MFA fires Jonathan Fairbanks
> Date: Wednesday, July 14, 1999 7:49 PM
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Patricia Hills <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Thursday, July 15, 1999 12:38 AM
> Subject: MFA fires Jonathan Fairbanks
>
>
> >[Note from the moderator:  This comes to us a bit delayed due to
vacation
> switc
> >h-hitting by your moderators earlier this month. This latest development
at
> the
> > Museum concerns all of us. --AP]
> >
> >To Colleagues in American Art, and especially in American Decorative
Arts
> >and Material Culture:
> >On Friday, June 25, Malcolm Rogers, Director of the Museum of Fine Arts
in
> >Boston, fired Jonathan Fairbanks, who has been the the Katharine Lane
Weems
> >Curator of American Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the MFA for the
last
> 28
> >years.  He had to turn in his badge and keys by the end of the day.  Two
> >other people in AmDecArts were also fired.
> >This was part of a "restructuring" that Rogers was doing for the Museum.
> He
> >also fired Ann Poulet, Curator of Euro Dec Arts.  Rogers merged what was
> >left with American Paintings and European Paintings, respectively.
There
> >were 16 other firings of some top level people.  Ted Stebbins as
stripped
> of
> >his named chair, but will continue as the Acting Director of Am Ptg and
Dec
> >Arts, until the position is filled.
> >The summary firing of Fairbanks is of major concern to scholars and
> >curators.  The treatment of one of the most distinguished curators in
the
> >country was humiliating.  Fairbanks has trained and mentored countless
> >curators and art historians throughout the country.  His department has
> been
> >one of the flagships in American Decorative Arts.
> >What Fairbanks would like is an accommodation with the Museum, so that
he
> >could stay on for the next four years (when he reaches retirement age)
as
> a
> >Research Associate or Curator Emeritus with an office and an assistant
> >within the museum so that he could use the files (which he built up) and
> >have access to the collections (which he also built up).  He would be
happy
> >to write his books.  This has been done for countless scholars when they
> >have early retirement.
> >He is very loyal to the museum and to the collecting and preservation of
> >American decorative arts and sculpture.
> >
> >If you are concerned, please write to:
> >    Mr. Robert P. Henderson
> >    Chairman, Board of Trustees
> >    Museum of Fine Arts
> >    5 Arlington Street, #6
> >    Boston, MA  02116
> >    FAX  617-482-0059
> >
> >and:
> >Ms. Frances H. Colburn
> >President, Board of Trustees
> >Museum of Fine Arts
> >185 Summer Street
> >Manchester, MA  01944
> >FAX 978-526-1148
> >
> >Check out the Boston Globe, Tues, July 26, 1999, p. E3.  There is a long
> >essay there, and the reporter, Christine Temin, quotes me as follows
(using
> >her grammar):
> >"I see two issues here.  One is Malcolm Rogers firing a curator like
> >Jonathan Fairbanks, who built a department and has been collecting
> extremely
> >knowledgeably. [Rogers's] treatment of him has been outrageous.  The
second
> >issue is policy making at the top and proletarianizing your
professionals.
> >The independent voice of the curator disappears.  Museum directors now
are
> >micromanaging, making decisions based on advice from financial officers
and
> >marketing departments.  The trend among directors like Malcolm Rogers is
to
> >be in complete control."
> >
> >I think these are bad times for the profession.  Those of you out there
> >might think about unionizing.
> >
> >Pat Hills

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