The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s director Thomas H Campbell has resigned amid mounting pressure over the institution’s finances.
The New York Times reported that the decision came after trustees and colleagues had become disillusioned with Campbell’s leadership after an eight year tenure in charge of one of the most prestigious museums in the world.
“I have decided to step down from my role as Director and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in order to pursue the next phase of my career,” Mr Campbell wrote in a letter on Tuesday.
Campbell will stay on at the museum until the end of June, with the Met’s president and chief operating officer Daniel H Weiss working as an interim chief executive and coming up with a transition plan.
Daniel Brodsky, the museum’s chairman, issued a separate letter, which said: “We are not looking to appoint a new director immediately but instead will take some time to consider the leadership needs of the museum in a thoughtful and deliberative way.”
During Campbell’s stewardship the museum registered record attendance numbers, but last April, Weiss announced that the museum would have to deal with a $40m deficit if it didn’t get its finances under control.
Campbell’s plan to build a $600m wing for modern and contemporary art, never transpired and former curators criticised his leadership publicly. The museum also had to deal with a class-action lawsuit that challenged the New York museum’s $25 “recommended” admission price, last year.
