Newfields museum board comments on leader’s sudden departure
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The board of trustees of the Newfields art and nature museum on Tuesday issued a statement on the sudden departure of its president and chief executive officer earlier this month.
On Nov. 10, Colette Pierce Burnette departed a little over a year after taking the job of president and chief executive officer at Newfields.
The first Black woman to chair the Newfields board of trustees came after the February 2021 resignation of Charles Venable. Venable resigned after a controversial job listing that explained one of the job duties as “maintaining the Museum’s traditional, core, white art audience.”
After Pierce Burnette’s departure, three members of the Newfields Board of trustees also resigned.
Neither the board nor Pierce Burnette have said why she left the position.
The statement that the board issued Tuesday came days after demands and protests from community demanding answers.
The statement says the board cannot provide additional details about the leadership transition, and the board is working hard to earn the community’s trust.
It goes on to say: “We will continue growing the programs which extend our reach to communities statewide. Our focused efforts to recruit and retain diverse talent at every level of our organization will not cease.
“Newfields’ commitment to providing exceptional experiences with art and nature — for generations to come — is steadfast.”