Statement From the Office of Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO July 18 — Today the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (the “Fine Arts Museums”) made the difficult decision to implement a staffing reduction as part of ongoing efforts to safeguard the long-term health and sustainability of our institution. This reduction eliminated 12 positions across the organization which represents 5% of our Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums (COFAM) staff and approximately 3.5% of the Museums’ total workforce.

This decision was not made lightly, it follows months of scenario planning, rigorous financial analysis, and extensive deliberation by the Museums’ executive leadership and trustees. After implementing a series of internal measures--budget reductions, resource reallocation, and programmatic shifts--to reduce costs we concluded that a workforce reduction was necessary not only to close a projected budgetary gap but also to ensure our long term financial stability.  

San Francisco has experienced a prolonged period of softening tourism, which has led to reduced attendance at our museums. Our attendance has been down nearly 20% from our pre-pandemic visitor levels. Despite our best efforts — including exemplary programming, aggressive fundraising goals and a record number of Free Saturdays and family programs — we faced a financial gap that could not be closed without this action. 

Today’s decision is incredibly difficult. Like many local and global cultural institutions, we are navigating the compounding pressures of post-pandemic behavior shifts and increased operational costs. We are making this adjustment to responsibly adapt to the reality of the current cultural and financial landscape.

Our staff is the heart of our museums, they are the stewards of our mission. We understand the sensitivity of this situation for all affected, directly and indirectly, and are deeply grateful for the many contributions of our former team members during their time with us.

The Museums remain steadfast in our mission to connect visitors with local and global art. Art has the power to inspire, challenge, and unite communities— particularly during periods of change. We invite you to visit us, support our programs, and join us in building a future for the arts in San Francisco. 

Your ongoing memberships, visits, and support sustain us through both celebratory and challenging moments like these, for which we are incredibly grateful.

Sincerely,

Thomas P. Campbell
Director and CEO
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

About the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Together, the de Young in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park make up the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the largest public arts institution in the city.

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