Cleveland Museum Of Art Cuts Positions, Forecasts $6.2M Shortfall

The global pandemic continues to send shudders through Northeast Ohio's cultural community, most recently in the form of layoffs at the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

The museum is using a combination of furloughs, layoffs and voluntary exit agreements ahead of a projected $6.2 million deficit for this fiscal year, which ends next summer.

"The net staff reduction is approximately 10 percent of our 500-member staff in place at the beginning of the year," according to CMA Director William Griswold. "The number of workers who have voluntarily left in exchange for continued benefits and enhanced severance is approximately 40."

In addition, the century-old institution is fundraising to offset revenue losses. The museum has also applied previous sales of art to its operating costs.

"We are not even contemplating the sale of art specifically for this purpose. These are funds we had on hand, which ordinarily we’d use to buy art," Griswold said via email. 

After closing its doors in March at the beginning of the pandemic, the museum reopened in June with limited hours and a cap on attendance. The museum also has lost key revenue this year from concessions, the gift shop and parking.