The Portland Museum of Art is eliminating 13 positions due to the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The museum said salaried managers, salaried employees and hourly employees are all part of the cuts.
The art museum said nearly 70 percent of its operating budget covers wages and benefits, and it needs to reduce personnel expenses.
“Like many museums, municipal, and cultural organizations, we continue to be adversely impacted by the instability of the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum was fortunate to receive ERC credits and PPP loans to maintain staffing and programmatic growth during unprecedented times, but the multi-year positive impact of this support will soon expire. As expenses continue to remain high and unpredictable, the real and persisting negative effects of this historic moment have necessitated changes in the PMA’s operations,” the museum said in a statement.
Since 2020, the museum has seen a 35 percent decrease in attendance because fewer visitors and workers are coming back to Congress Square and its spaces for programmatic growth are limited.
“We will maintain and care for our aging campus and find ways to unify and leverage our Congress Square location. And we will ensure our programs, events, and exhibitions support our mission of Art for All and values of courage, equity, service, sustainability, and trust,” the museum said.
Gallery ambassadors and security associates who recently unionized are not affected by the layoffs.
