The Montgomery City Council agreed on Tuesday to delay voting on a resolution that would change the governance structure of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). A controversy earlier this year revealed a rift between the MMFA leadership and Mayor Steven Reed's office.
Currently, two boards of trustees govern the MMFA: one is appointed by the city council, and the other is made up of those appointed and elected by the MMFA Association. Bill Ford, the president of the board of trustees, sits on both.
Supporters came out in force during Tuesday's meeting, where Ford delivered an impassioned soliloquy, detailing his love for art and the museum stemming from his father's influence.
"So for me, MMFA is my Ebbets Field," Ford said. "It's my Madison Square Garden, my Augusta National, and my Cowboy Stadium because my dad took me there, even as we suffered the slings and arrows of racial prejudice, because this temple of fine art was important and he wanted me to understand it. And I am here to advocate and fight for its continued relevance, viability, evolution and independence as an institution that welcomes every citizen of this city to celebrate the transformative power of fine art."
Next to speak was former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, who called the current situation with MMFA "a crisis." Cobb contends that the law is squarely on the side of the Museum and association boards, while also claiming overreach by Reed's office. She also claimed Reed's actions have put the city "Perilously close" to violating its deed agreement, which would mean the loss of the museum.
"I will tell you that you have entrusted the right people with the governance and operation of the museum, and we need to let them work," Cobb said. "The best way now for the city council to try to, let's go back. Let's start again, and let's really start effectuating the agreements that have been in place, to pass the museum governance and operations agreement."
She continued, "It's not one. It's not two. It's not three. It is multiple issues where there has been interference by city staff and city employees who did not have the legal authority to interfere."
Despite the impassioned pleas from museum supporters, council members, and the resolution's sponsor, Councilman Andrew Szymanski, council president Cornelius "C.C." Calhoun pushed for the matter to be carried over for two weeks.
Szymanski noted that the council and MMFA officials have tried to clear up the governance structure for over a year, initially resisting the motion to delay a vote.
Calhoun contended that the agreement would require Reed's signature, claiming that there would need to be a unilateral agreement.
Reed then chimed in, asking for input from the city attorney, who claimed that the only reason city staff have been involved with museum operations is because the nine-person city board has not been operating, and had been "absorbed" by the association board. She also suggested taking two weeks for further dialogue.
In response, Ford incredulously asked council members how many appointments they had made to the board, to which all responded in the affirmative.
"I'm confused," Ford said. "The city board has been fully staffed ever since I've been associated with the museum. So, I don't know how an assertion can be made that the city board does not exist."
Despite his initial resistance, Szymanski capitulated, agreeing to carry the vote over for two weeks and stating that the council would vote then, come hell or high water.
1819 News' reporting revealed the ongoing rift between MMFA leadership and Reed.
On January 28, 1819 News reported that billboards with the "Make America Great Again" slogan had been spotted in the area. The slogan was over a famous picture of Alabama state troopers confronting civil rights marchers during the Selma to Montgomery march.
Reed swiftly released a statement, claiming he requested the billboards be removed after learning the MMFA had purchased them.
The joint boards responded with a lengthy statement, revealing ongoing tensions between the MMFA boards and the mayor's office for two years.
In the statement, the boards claim to have had no issues with the ongoing public/private partnership, which has worked effectively for decades. However, they state that only recently has "the Mayor's Office effectively exerted control over the operation of the museum without meaningful board consultation."
"Historically, the Museum has been under the administration of a joint board, comprised of the City Board, appointed by the Montgomery City Council, and the private MMFA Association Board," the statement read. "On February 4, the two boards met jointly and concluded that the time has come to acknowledge publicly a conflict between them and the Mayor's Office over the administration of the Museum that has existed for two years now. In February 2023, City officials placed the Director of the Museum on administrative leave, without consulting the boards. Since then, the Mayor's Office has effectively exerted control over the operation of the museum without meaningful board consultation."
The City eventually responded to the boards' claims, which were filled with falsehoods and misrepresentations.
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