Art
Brooklyn Museum Waives Tradition to Auction Its Treasures
- Pandemic has led to relaxation of rules on deaccession
- The museum is raising $40 million to care for its collection
The venerable Brooklyn Museum for decades struggled with a structural deficit, as well as a relatively small endowment and staff to take care of its 150,000-object art collection.
Then came the global pandemic, forcing the 197-year-old institution to shut its doors for months along with the rest of the country’s museums. Furloughs followed as revenue plunged.