Accusations of mismanagement and discrimination have once again surfaced at the Detroit Institute of the Arts (DIA), marking the latest chapter in a now years-long saga surrounding the museum’s controversial director, Salvador Salort-Pons.
Last month, the legal nonprofit Whistleblower Aid sent a public letter to the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), arguing that DIA does not meet the membership organization’s criteria for accreditation, which is set to lapse this year. A week later, the legal group sent a separate missive to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, claiming that the museum has violated multiple state laws.
Among the allegations deailed in the two documents are that DIA has “violated employment laws,” promoted “race- and gender-based hiring,” and “engaged in self-dealing through art loans.”
Many of these claims date back to 2020, when numerous employees at the museum went public with complaints of ethics violations and nepotism at the top of the institution. Speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation, staffers told Artnet News at the time that Salort-Pons inspired mass resignations, unilaterally filled job openings without posting them publicly, and arranged for the museum to exhibit two paintings owned by his father-in-law.
“The mismanagement here is top to bottom, every aspect of what they’re doing,” said John N. Tye, a lawyer and founder of Whistleblower Aid, who sent last month’s...
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