Personally, I won’t be supporting Seattle Art Museum anymore. Sad to see they value aesthetics over people. The SAM should publicly apologize to unhoused Seattle residents as well as pledge resources, energy, time, and money to helping unhoused and disadvantaged community members of Seattle. We don’t need more heartlessness and gentrification. We need more humanity.
R
Rebecca Sexton
5 years ago
SAM cannot tout itself as a safe space of culture and vulnerability, while simultaneously treating the most vulnerable part of our community as though they don’t deserve the bare minimum of basic human respect and treatment. If they truly were a place of communal support, they would implement the policies suggested in this petition. Many artists experience homelessness and this move by SAM goes to show that they only care about artists when it serves their performative goals.
R
Rosemary Jones
5 years ago
Featured
As a member of the Seattle Artistic Community, it is disheartening to see this kind of behavior from SAM. SAM cannot display the work of artists who have stood against this nor claim a role in justice through art while behaving this hypocritically. Protect our neighbors.
J
Jordyn R
5 years ago
As a former SAM employee and current Seattle community member, I'm extremely disappointed in the museum. This is unacceptable. You can't pay lip service to social justice, equity, and activism while turning around and making the museum inhospitable to the community.
T
Thomas H
5 years ago
Featured
As a former Visitor Services (Security) Officer at SAM, I support this petition, especially the additional harm reduction-based training for current Security; let them do their job, as they have always done it, effectively and compassionately.
C
Cara Scharf
5 years ago
I am a former museum worker in Philadelphia and this could easily be happening at any of our city’s museums (probably is but kept quiet to avoid resistance). I support unhoused people and the museum staff who are fighting for them to have dignity.
A
Amanda Wilber
5 years ago
I'm a member of the SAM and would withdraw my support if the museum refuses to support our unhoused neighbors.
H
Haley Freedlund
5 years ago
I stand firmly with my friends at SAM who have spoken out against these regressive tactics, and the unhoused community that those tactics will deeply harm if implemented.
A
Ananya
5 years ago
As a former teen volunteer and staff member, I wholeheartedly support this petition.
A
Anonymous
5 years ago
I don’t recognize this SAM. Where is the real leadership? Museums are supposed to be about community and compassion. These acts of anti-homelessness are shameful and reflect how narrow-minded the higher-ups at SAM are. Which, by the way, don’t care about anyone making less than six figures. It shows in how they pay a majority of their staff that are not directors that only got the job through nepotism. This is a chance and opportunity for leadership at SAM to make positive change and be models for other institutions. Instead, they CHOSE to put privileged rich people first. This is so appalling and embarrassing.
S
Sean Dunn
5 years ago
If the SAM goes through with this, it will greatly effect my opinion of it as an institution
A
Anonymous
5 years ago
I believe that implementing hostile architecture targeting our unhoused community continues to showcase that museums are still upholding white supremacist ideology. The narrative that SAM is providing accessible, inclusive, and diverse programming is not true and can be seen by these actions.
H
Hannah Delon
5 years ago
This petition is in place to keep our in-house neighbors safe. The SAM could do a lot more for these disenfranchised folks BESIDES pushing further displacement! Donate money to places that can house these people safely. Do not continue pushing and endangering the lives of our neighbors.
M
Matthew Offenbacher
5 years ago
I love art and have been a partner and friend to SAM for many years, and I’m so disappointed in this situation. Dear SAM: How can I take seriously your stated mission to “help people understand art’s unique power to inspire creative thinking, which is crucial to understanding and solving our world’s complex problems” when, faced with a humanitarian crisis on your doorstep, your problem-solving involves ignoring your employees’ creative suggestions and doubling down on regressive measures to protect your possessions and property? As a civic institution and downtown community leader, you could have been doing so much this past year to help reduce suffering. Instead, you blithely push forward with talk of “empowering social justice and structural change to promote equity in our society” while acting in ways that are exactly contrary to that goal. Please do better.
E
Erica Lee
5 years ago
All people deserve access to public space! Unhoused people are vulnerable and deserving of care. I urge SAM to swap harmful policies to these helpful ones!
A
Anonymous
5 years ago
KD, always will support my lady of life and the well being of those displaced in your city!!
M
Matthew Offenbacher
5 years ago
I love art and have been a partner and friend to SAM for many years, and I’m so disappointed in this situation. SAM: How can I take seriously your stated mission to “help people understand art’s unique power to inspire creative thinking, which is crucial to understanding and solving our world’s complex problems” when, faced with a humanitarian crisis on your doorstep, your problem-solving involves ignoring your employees’ creative suggestions and doubling down on regressive measures to protect your possessions and property? As a civic institution and downtown community leader, you could have been doing so much this past year to help reduce suffering. Instead, you blithely push forward with talk of “empowering social justice and structural change to promote equity in our society” while acting in ways that are exactly contrary to that goal. Please do better.
Art is for everyone.
Give humans homes
Be kind to your neighbors!
Personally, I won’t be supporting Seattle Art Museum anymore. Sad to see they value aesthetics over people. The SAM should publicly apologize to unhoused Seattle residents as well as pledge resources, energy, time, and money to helping unhoused and disadvantaged community members of Seattle. We don’t need more heartlessness and gentrification. We need more humanity.
SAM cannot tout itself as a safe space of culture and vulnerability, while simultaneously treating the most vulnerable part of our community as though they don’t deserve the bare minimum of basic human respect and treatment. If they truly were a place of communal support, they would implement the policies suggested in this petition. Many artists experience homelessness and this move by SAM goes to show that they only care about artists when it serves their performative goals.
As a member of the Seattle Artistic Community, it is disheartening to see this kind of behavior from SAM. SAM cannot display the work of artists who have stood against this nor claim a role in justice through art while behaving this hypocritically. Protect our neighbors.
As a former SAM employee and current Seattle community member, I'm extremely disappointed in the museum. This is unacceptable. You can't pay lip service to social justice, equity, and activism while turning around and making the museum inhospitable to the community.
As a former Visitor Services (Security) Officer at SAM, I support this petition, especially the additional harm reduction-based training for current Security; let them do their job, as they have always done it, effectively and compassionately.
I am a former museum worker in Philadelphia and this could easily be happening at any of our city’s museums (probably is but kept quiet to avoid resistance). I support unhoused people and the museum staff who are fighting for them to have dignity.
I'm a member of the SAM and would withdraw my support if the museum refuses to support our unhoused neighbors.
I stand firmly with my friends at SAM who have spoken out against these regressive tactics, and the unhoused community that those tactics will deeply harm if implemented.
As a former teen volunteer and staff member, I wholeheartedly support this petition.
I don’t recognize this SAM. Where is the real leadership? Museums are supposed to be about community and compassion. These acts of anti-homelessness are shameful and reflect how narrow-minded the higher-ups at SAM are. Which, by the way, don’t care about anyone making less than six figures. It shows in how they pay a majority of their staff that are not directors that only got the job through nepotism. This is a chance and opportunity for leadership at SAM to make positive change and be models for other institutions. Instead, they CHOSE to put privileged rich people first. This is so appalling and embarrassing.
If the SAM goes through with this, it will greatly effect my opinion of it as an institution
I believe that implementing hostile architecture targeting our unhoused community continues to showcase that museums are still upholding white supremacist ideology. The narrative that SAM is providing accessible, inclusive, and diverse programming is not true and can be seen by these actions.
This petition is in place to keep our in-house neighbors safe. The SAM could do a lot more for these disenfranchised folks BESIDES pushing further displacement! Donate money to places that can house these people safely. Do not continue pushing and endangering the lives of our neighbors.
I love art and have been a partner and friend to SAM for many years, and I’m so disappointed in this situation. Dear SAM: How can I take seriously your stated mission to “help people understand art’s unique power to inspire creative thinking, which is crucial to understanding and solving our world’s complex problems” when, faced with a humanitarian crisis on your doorstep, your problem-solving involves ignoring your employees’ creative suggestions and doubling down on regressive measures to protect your possessions and property? As a civic institution and downtown community leader, you could have been doing so much this past year to help reduce suffering. Instead, you blithely push forward with talk of “empowering social justice and structural change to promote equity in our society” while acting in ways that are exactly contrary to that goal. Please do better.
All people deserve access to public space! Unhoused people are vulnerable and deserving of care. I urge SAM to swap harmful policies to these helpful ones!
KD, always will support my lady of life and the well being of those displaced in your city!!
I love art and have been a partner and friend to SAM for many years, and I’m so disappointed in this situation. SAM: How can I take seriously your stated mission to “help people understand art’s unique power to inspire creative thinking, which is crucial to understanding and solving our world’s complex problems” when, faced with a humanitarian crisis on your doorstep, your problem-solving involves ignoring your employees’ creative suggestions and doubling down on regressive measures to protect your possessions and property? As a civic institution and downtown community leader, you could have been doing so much this past year to help reduce suffering. Instead, you blithely push forward with talk of “empowering social justice and structural change to promote equity in our society” while acting in ways that are exactly contrary to that goal. Please do better.