SFMOMA conducts layoffs as downtown foot traffic stagnates

In a letter published on Friday, SFMOMA director Chris Bedford announced that the museum would lay off seven employees and close thirteen open but unfilled positions. Bedford’s letter listed the layoffs as one of a handful of “strategic decisions” the museum was taking to remain financially sustainable. 

The layoffs, which affected 2% of SFMOMA’s 350-member staff, came without advance notice on the same day the letter was published and were effective immediately, KQED reported. Two union members were among the employees laid off, an SFMOMA spokesperson said.

“The decision to lay off staff is tremendously difficult and one we actively worked to avoid,” Bedford wrote in his letter.

Even as SFMOMA’s attendance has steadily climbed since it reopened in early 2021, it hovers at approximately 65% of 2019’s attendance, Bedford wrote. As costs rise and pandemic relief funds run dry, the museum has had to reassess its budget and seek to boost revenue. That has involved “programmatic changes,” which include adjustments to “the number, type, and length of exhibitions the institution presents.”

According to the letter, programmatic changes are already underway, although Bedford did not go into detail. It’s possible the museum could reorient its programming toward more Instagram-friendly attractions, as exemplified with its enormously popular Yayoi Kusama exhibit. Another avenue could be event-friendly exhibitions, like Sadie Barnette’s re-creation of San Francisco’s first Black-owned gay bar, which was the site of Warriors watch parties, DJ sets and panel discussions.

SFMOMA is not the only San Francisco cultural institution struggling to maintain financial solvency. This week, SF Heritage laid off all but one staff member, leaving the historic Haas-Lilienthal House temporarily closed.