Still surrounded by the ghosts of the last racism scandal, the Indianapolis Museum of Art has chosen Le Monte Booker Sr. as its new head.
Le Monte G. Booker Sr. currently serves as the chief financial officer at the Field Museum in Chicago. Speaking about his selection, Booker Sr. said: “I am thrilled to start my next chapter as the CEO of Newfields, which is an outstanding example of a cornerstone cultural institution… [I look] forward to working with the Board, staff and Central Indiana community to continue to meet the mission of enriching lives through exceptional experiences with art and nature at this special institution.” He will be assuming his new role as both president and CEO in late October of this year.
Booker Sr. would certainly be inheriting a controversial legacy. He will be the third person to lead the Newfields-based museum in barely 4 years. In 2021, the Indianapolis Museum of Art published a job vacancy, whose description specified they wanted someone who could maintain their “traditional, core, white art audience.” The ad soon went viral and prompted a severe backlash against the museum. This led to the resignation of CEO Charles Venable after a long stint. A few weeks later, a former employee came forward with claims of a toxic and discriminatory environment at the museum, as well as a “racist rant” from a board member.
To damage control, the Indianapolis Museum of Art announced Colette Pierce Burnette as its next leader. Burnette was the first Black woman to lead the museum in its history. But her tenure was also marked by an emphasis on money-making strategies, prompting criticism from many. In November – less than 15 months into her tenure – she resigned without citing reasons.
