The Metropolitan Museum of Art is examining selling off art to pay bills. ("Facing Deficit, Met Considers Selling Art to Help Pay the Bills," New York Times, Feb. 5, 2021.)

The Met is the most important museum in America. It has arguably the greatest collections in America. The United States is the wealthiest country in the world; New York is our wealthiest city.

The Met's board is responsible for the institution. It is chock-full of billionaires. Billionaire wealth alone increased $1 trillion during the first nine months of the pandemic. ("U.S. Billionaire Wealth Surges Past $1 Trillion Since Beginning of Pandemic — Total Grows to $4 Trillion," Institute for Policy Studies, Dec. 9, 2020.)

We call on the Met's board to do the job they signed up for: to give, to support the institution. 

We call upon the Met's senior staff leadership to resist any attempts to sell off the art the Met holds in the public trust. It is inappropriate for senior staff to consider selling off the Met's art.