ICYMI: How Should Arts Institutions Address Donations from Russian Oligarchs?
“American philanthropies, museums and universities have accepted millions of dollars from tycoons aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including several who are the targets of Western sanctions, according to an analysis by anti-corruption researchers,” reported Peter Whoriskey in The Washington Post.
Whoriskey continues, “Among the many beneficiaries are such storied institutions as New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Mayo Clinic and the Guggenheim Museum, the research shows — a reflection of how deeply money from Russian oligarchs has penetrated American society.” As seen in past activism against cultural institutions' acceptance of controversial donations, "The findings are likely to amplify demands that U.S. cultural organizations disavow donors believed to have profited from the Putin regime. It was produced by the Anti-Corruption Data Collective, a group of academics, data analysts, and policy advocates working to expose transnational corruption.”