San Diego Museum of Art Lays Off Nearly a Dozen, Citing Budget Crunch

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) laid off eleven employees on August 5 in what it described as an effort to remain sustainable in the wake of rising costs and uncertain funding. The cuts affected multiple departments—including exhibitions, development, and programming—and bring SDMA’s total staff count to 118. “Inflation and rising operational costs are increasing overall business operation costs,” chief operating officer Kari Kovach said in a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “The current landscape and future uncertainties require the Museum to be prudent and proactive as we reengineer for the years ahead.” SDMA is located in Balboa Park, a 1,200-acre greenspace in the middle of the city and home to dozens of museums and cultural attractions. Hyperallergic reports that these institutions saw a drop in attendance on average after the city council voted to implement paid parking in the park, which went into effect on January 5 this year; the program was repealed following objections but remains in effect until January 1, 2027. Adding to SDMA’s woes was mayor Todd Gloria’s proposal in April to slash 85 percent of arts funding in order to fill the city’s budget gap; $10 million was restored in the final budget thanks to the support of grants and art foundations, including the Prebys Foundation. Amid this confusion, SDMA, which celebrated its hundredth anniversary this year, is pursuing a major renovation of its West Wing. The British architectural firm Foster + Partners was selected in 2023 to redesign the wing, doubling its gallery, education, and community spaces and improving accessibility.