Trustees Bolt From Palm Springs Art Museum After Contested Director Hire

"Trustee Patsy Marino would resign just a week after Vendredi's hire, claiming in a resignation letter that the committee "did not interview a single outside candidate" even though two "exceptional" candidates were under consideration, the Times reports. She further cited "inappropriate interference and attempts to influence the process" by the museum's executive committee as well as by individual trustees and other museum staff and donors. She told the board that "PSAM's already poor reputation" would suffer further as a result of the selection. The Times notes that two more board members have left the 22-member body."

"Founded in 1938 as the Palm Springs Desert Museum, the institution narrowed its focus to art and changed its name in 2005. A member of the American Alliance of Museums, it also owns two historic buildings and operates a sculpture garden in Palm Desert. It holds about 5,000 sculptures, paintings, prints, and photographs, including works by Marina Abramović, Louise Bourgeois, Mark Bradford, Alexander Calder, John Chamberlain, Anto"

Trustee Patsy Marino resigned a week after Christine Vendredi's appointment, asserting that the search committee did not interview any outside candidates despite two exceptional candidates being under consideration. Marino cited inappropriate interference and attempts to influence the process by the museum's executive committee, individual trustees, museum staff, and donors. Marino warned that PSAM's already poor reputation would suffer further due to the selection. Two additional board members have left the 22-member body amid the controversy. The museum has experienced frequent leadership turnover since Steven Nash's 2014 retirement, including Adam Lerner's sudden resignation after assuming the post in 2021. PSAM was founded in 1938, refocused on art in 2005, and holds about 5,000 works.

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