The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has announced that it will remove the Sackler family name from seven exhibit spaces as the consequences of the family’s profiting from the opioid addiction epidemic in the United States continue for the Purdue Pharma investors, the New York Times reports.
In a joint statement with the Met, the Sackler family touted their support for the museum and hinted that the responsibility for funding it might have to be taken up by others, an indication that they are pulling their bequest from the arts institution.
“Our families have always strongly supported the Met, and we believe this to be in the best interest of the museum and the important mission that it serves,” the family said in a statement. “The earliest of these gifts were made almost 50 years ago, and now we are passing the torch to others who might wish to step forward to support the museum.”
While other institutions worldwide have either declined donations from the family or unilaterally removed the family name, as the Louvre in Paris and the Serpentine Gallery in London have done, other places will continue to utilize the Sacklers’ lucre, gained through the promotion and sale of opioids like OxyContin.
“The Met has been built by the philanthropy of generations of donors — and the Sacklers have been among our most generous supporters,” said Dan Weiss, the Met’s president and chief executive officer. “This gracious gesture by the Sacklers aids the museum in continuing to serve this and future generations. We greatly appreciate it.”