The Portland Museum of Art (PMA) in Maine is cutting 13 positions due to the lingering financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, local media reports.
The layoffs will include salaried and part-time employees, as museum management seeks to reduce the nearly 70 percent of its operating budget devoted to salaries.
“The museum has been fortunate to receive ERC credits and PPP loans to sustain staff and programmatic growth for unprecedented times, but the multi-year positive impact of this support will soon expire,” the WFP said in a statement. “As costs remain high and unpredictable, the real and lingering negative effects of this historic moment have necessitated changes in WFP’s operations.”
Related Articles
The announcement follows two years of contentious relations between the museum and its employees over wages and job security. Last month, gallery ambassadors and security workers unionized, marking the second successful union campaign at the museum, following the roughly 70 employees who joined the United Auto Workers Local 2110, the Technical, Clerical and Professional Union in 2021. The employees unionized will not be affected by the layoffs.
The museum reported that attendance numbers have fallen by 35 percent since 2020, raising concerns about the sustainability of its programming.
“We will maintain and care for our aging campus and find ways to unify and leverage our location on Congress Square. And we will ensure that our programs, events and exhibitions support our Art for All mission and values of courage, equity, service , sustainability and trust,” the museum said.
