Museum dispute in San Francisco - Front Page - Daniel Libeskind's Judah L. Magnes Museum design

Added to the list of museum projects being put on hold, or canceled, is Daniel Libeskind's design for the Magnes Museum in San Francisco [see A.i.A., Nov. '02]. While the weak economy is a factor, an internal rift over the museum's identity and the resulting resignation of the board's chair, Warren Hellman, and co-chair, Daniel Offit, is proving more critical. The news of the resignations came one day after the city's Board of Supervisors approved the issuance of $43.1 million in bonds for the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency plan, which includes foundations for the Magnes and the Mexican Museum, as well a parking garage and plaza.

The Magnes Museum is a recently formed partnership between the Jewish Museum in San Francisco and the Judah L. Magnes Museum in Berkeley. The former institution has a contemporary focus, while the latter is more historical. The two merged in January 2002, when both had expansion plans in the works and decided to combine forces and to avoid competing for the same funds in their capital campaigns (though the board decided to proceed with both new building plans). It was also thought that one would complement the other's programming. But trouble began soon after the merger, when board members clashed over the Libeskind design and the direction the new institution should take. The facility was to be built across from the Yerba Buena Gardens, near SFMOMA and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; the city's Mexican Museum is also moving to the area. Both the Libeskind project and the new facility planned for Berkeley have been put on hold.

Making matters worse, in November, eight employees were laid off, including two of the three curators from the Berkeley museum and the deputy director for programs of the San Francisco venue. In January, Hellman, who became chair in October 2002, and Offit issued a joint letter of resignation stating that "it is our considered opinion that the two institutions would be better suited to continue if they were to de-merge." According to the San Francisco Chronicle, supporters of the Judah L. Magnes Museum have described the situation as a "hostile takeover," and say that a "vicious battle for the soul of the institution" is under way.

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