A Message to Staff from Director Erik H. Neil

June 2, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

This is a moment of sadness and loss in our country as we witness inexcusable violence against African Americans. As an institution of culture and memory, the Chrysler Museum of Art stands in opposition to these appalling acts. We express our sympathy to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and the many others who have fallen victim to racial injustice.

No doubt, many of you are outraged by these senseless deaths and other recent events and may be moved to protest the evident injustice. That is not an unreasonable response, and there is a great heritage in America of non-violent protest. If you are moved to protest, I fervently urge you to remain peaceful. You may also wish to join in conversation and reflection, and I encourage you to do that with your family, friends, and colleagues.

We recognize too that some of you may have witnessed or experienced injustice yourself. At the Chrysler Museum of Art, we reaffirm our commitment to equality and empathy. As a museum, we will always treat each other and all our visitors with respect and kindness. We will continue to examine our past and present and shed light on inequality and injustice through exhibitions and educational programs. We have much to do if we are going to build a better community and a better country. I will look to all of you to share ideas about how we might work toward that ideal in our Museum.

Erik H. Neil, Director