On August 25, staff at the Wexner Center for the Arts at the Ohio State University sent a letter of no confidence in the leadership of executive director Gaëtane Verne to university officials, according to Columbus media outlet Matter News. The institution came under scrutiny this fall following reports that high attrition, financial struggles, and workplace dysfunction under Verne’s leadership had deteriorated staff morale.
“Over the past three years, it is our opinion that her approach has resulted in high turnover, organizational dysfunction, financial instability, and reputational harm,” reads the letter, as quoted by Matter News.
Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson told the outlet that the university had “received the letter, takes the allegations seriously, and is reviewing through our established processes.” The letter was reportedly signed by 13 employees at the Wexner Center, which Johnson said has a staff of 70 workers.
The 27 museum employees represented by Wex Workers United were not presented with the letter, as the union has its own protocol for bringing grievances to museum leadership. “However, we support our Wexner Center colleagues in working to create a healthy, equitable, and sustainable workplace,” a union representative told Matter News.
Nearly one year to the date the letter was sent, the Columbus Dispatch published a report in which Wexner staff members detailed a “a culture of dysfunction perpetuated by the museum’s executive director” that forced the departure of more than two dozen employees. In an investigation published one month later by Hyperallergic, several former and current staff members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution, accused Verna of perpetuating workplace dysfunction, financial mismanagement, hostility towards the union, and impulsive decision-making. Verna was appointed to her position in November 2022.
In their letter, Wexner Center staff echoed several of these claims and cited new examples of alleged fiscal irresponsibility, such as the university issuing the center a “red card” for financial turmoil and the launch of a major capital project with a reported budget of $1 million said to lack “transparent budgeting, staff consultation, or a completed feasibility study.” The letter also criticized Verna’s decision to direct university funds towards a series of exhibition catalogues, a project that the signatories said will cost more than $200,000 and raised “serious questions about fairness, transparency, and responsible budget use.”
They also reiterated concerns that high attrition has plummeted staff morale. The Columbus Dispatch reported in August that twenty-three employees have left since Verna assumed leadership of the center, citing current and former employees and HR documents. The center’s director of advancement operations and its head of finance and administration both announced their departures that month. In July, two employees were reportedly laid off due to “a lack of funds at the Wexner Center,” Verna wrote in an email announcing the news.
“Since Verna’s arrival, nearly 50% of staff have departed, including experienced department heads and senior professionals,” according to the letter. “Former staff have consistently cited her leadership as a factor in their departures.” The letter also said that seven members of the center’s Foundation Board of Trustees had resigned in the later year, “further destabilizing governance and continuity.”
In an emailed statement sent to Matter News, Verna said: “I strive to create a respectful workplace where everyone feels comfortable sharing thoughts and ideas. This approach has been consistent throughout my leadership, including at the Wexner Center for the Arts and previous institutions.” She added, “I understand the university is reviewing the letter through its established processes, and I cannot comment further at this time.”
ARTnews has contacted the Wexner Center for the Arts for comment.
