Met Museum's Galliano Show Drawor Ire

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is facing criticism from major donors over its forthcoming John Galliano exhibition, with some threatening to withdraw promised gifts. The controversy stems from the show's scheduled opening on Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Galliano's 2011 conviction in France for antisemitic hate speech, as reported by the New York Times on Friday.

Arne Glimcher, the founder of the global Pace Gallery, is among those expressing dissatisfaction. According to the Times, Glimcher emailed Met curator David Breslin to voice his concerns. "I don't think you have considered the cost of this action and its reverberations to come," Glimcher wrote. He and his wife Milly are reportedly "seriously reconsidering other works that have been earmarked from our collection to the Met in our wills."

The Galliano show is set to be the Costume Institute's major May 2025 exhibition. The associated Met Gala is famously held on the first Monday of May, which next year coincides with Holocaust Remembrance Day. This timing has amplified the debate.

Donor Reactions and Past Support

Glimcher has a history of donating significant works to the museum. His gifts include pieces by artists represented by his gallery, such as Agnes Martin, Lucas Samaras, Robert Mangold, and Mark Rothko. He, along with his son Marc and former daughter-in-law Fairfax Dorn, also donated a 1981 Julian Schnabel painting for the Met's 150th anniversary. His current reconsideration of future bequests signals a profound rift.

Other public figures have joined the criticism. Elisha Wiesel, daughter of writer Elie Wiesel, called the show a "pretty bad idea." New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin reportedly wrote a letter to Met director Max Hollein, Costume Institute head Andrew Bolton, and Vogue editorial director Anna Wintour, describing the exhibition as "a serious mistake."

Institutional Response and Internal Debate

The reported pressure has prompted further discussion among the Met's board members. Board member Andrew Solomon told the Times that "confronting cancel culture is a healthier way to go forward than bowing to it." This indicates an internal debate over how the institution should respond to the controversy.

In a statement to the Times this week, Met director Max Hollein addressed the concerns. "The Met has no tolerance for antisemitism, racism or prejudice of any kind," Hollein said. "We are in close consultation with Jewish leaders and other stakeholders, and we take the concerns we've heard very seriously." The museum had previously conferred with representatives of Jewish groups regarding the exhibition.

John Galliano, the designer at the center of the storm, was convicted for antisemitic comments in 2011. He later apologized and entered rehabilitation. He returned to the fashion industry as the creative director of Maison Margiela, a position he held from 2014 until 2024. The Met has not yet publicly commented to ARTnews on the latest donor criticisms.