Climate activists gathered outside the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City during its annual “Party in the Garden” fundraiser tonight, June 6, to protest the board chair’s ties to administration, Marie-Josée Kravis, with the fossil fuel industry. Her husband, Henry Kravis, co-founded the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), which has invested billions of dollars in oil and gas companies.
A group of about fifteen activists called for the immediate withdrawal of Marie-Josée Kravis, chanting “Hey MoMA, drop Kravis!” and “Hey MoMA, get loose; people over profit! Kravis has been a MoMA trustee since 1994 and became chairman of the board in 2021, when she replaced beleaguered former president Leon Black. Tonight’s protesters represented advocacy organizations including Climate Organization Center, New York Communities for Change, Reclaiming our tomorroww, A strong economy for allAnd Stop the Money Pipeline.
Activists noted that KKR also has a the majority wins in the Canadian Coastal GasLink pipeline which has stimulated human rights concerns: At the start of the project, the company was accused of contempt the sovereignty of the Wet’suwet’en Indigenous Nation. (A spokesperson said Hyperallergic that Coastal GasLink “has entered into agreements with all 20 elected Indigenous communities along the Project corridor, including Wet’suwet’en communities” and that 17 nations have signed a 10% equity agreement.)
Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis donated tens of millions of dollars to MoMA, and in 2019 the museum named its new performance space THE “Studio Marie-Josee and Henry Kravis.” The billionaire couple have also donated millions to conservative political causes. Henry Kravis gave $300,000 to the Republican National Committee (RNC) in 2016 and he and Marie-Josée both donated $1 million at Trump’s inaugural committee in 2017. (Henry Kravis would have did not donate to the RNC or Trump in 2020.) Marie-Josée Kravis was vice president of the conservative think tank Hudson Institute, where she worked as executive director from 1976 to 1994.
The air was charged with smoke wildfires currently raging in Canada. As well-heeled guests entered the museum’s gates, activists held up a banner that read “MoMA, Drop Kravis” in front of a scaled-down oil rig with a picture of Ed Ruscha”Burning gas station(1968), a depiction of Standard Oil pumps going up in flames. Ruscha is one of four winners at this year’s gala. (The museum also honors artist Barbara Chase-Riboud, current MoMA vice president and former banking executive Marlene Hess, and Ford Foundation president Darren Walker.)
“Henry Kravis, shame on you, we deserve a future too,” the group chanted at tonight’s protest. “We need clean air, not another billionaire.”
Pete Sikora, climate campaign director for New York Communities for Change, handed out flyers to arriving guests. A QR code on the flyer led to a open letter and a petition titled “MoMA: Drop Climate Criminal Kravis.”
“MoMA cannot claim to take the money and have no responsibility for what it allows,” Sikora said. Hyperallergic.
After about an hour at the museum’s main entrance, activists moved to the back of the museum, where guests had gathered in the courtyard. They continued their chants through the slatted doors. Museum staff placed a screen on the other side of the door, obstructing the protesters’ view of the guests. A group of about 12 police officers gathered near the activists, who raised their Makeshift “oil rig” above the height of the fence for guests to see.
In addition to its Coastal GasLink investment, KKR is also deeply connected to fossil fuel projects on the Gulf Coast. The private equity giant has injected billions of dollars into Sempra, a company building a $13 billion facility for liquefied natural gas (KKR will own a 25-49% stake in the project) and also owns billions of dollars in other fossil fuel companies.
Activists accuse the company of pretending to accept a promise to sustainability while continue to invest in fossil fuels.
“They said a lot about trying to be sustainable,” said Climate Organizing Hub director Jonathan Westin. “But the proof is where they put their money.” Activists from the Climate Organizing Hub and New York Communities for Change have also protested outside KKR’s Manhattan headquarters in April.
In response to HyperallergicWhen asked for comment by KKR, a KKR spokesperson said the company stands by the assertions made in its sustainability report. “We are focused on investing in a sustainable energy transition that supports the shift to clean energy while recognizing the continued importance of providing the conventional energy necessary for well-being, security and economic growth,” said the spokesperson. “To achieve these goals, we are investing in a diverse range of energy sources, including renewables and conventional energy.”
Tuesday night was not the first time that activists have attended the Party in the Garden gala. AT last year’s event, union organizers have denounced the museum’s decision to honor Starbucks President Mellody Hobson, whom they have accused of breaking unions. In 2018, MoMA staff members rallied for a fair contract, and in 2015, workers protested museum health cuts.
The scrutiny of MoMA’s board members and funding sources has intensified over the past three years. In 2020, artists and activists launched the 10-week program MoMA Strike protest campaign against unethical financial ties of directors. At the highest level, MoMA Board Chairman Leon Black was linked to both military contractor Blackwater and the convicted sex offender. Jeffrey Epstein. Black gave Epstein $158 million between 2012 and 2017 – after Epstein had to plead guilty for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
“It doesn’t fit — the image of what museums present themselves to and the names of people they put on museum wings,” Westin said. “Museums promote all of these social justice things and promote sustainability. At the same time, [MoMA’s] the board chair and her husband’s company are investing millions in liquefied natural gas.
The Museum of Modern Art did not respond to Hyperallergicimmediate request for comments.
