Run A Museum, Live Rent-Free In Multi-Million Dollar Apts.

Looks like some of the city's museums might not be struggling as much as we thought. The Times reports that even though the Met is suggesting you pay $20 for admission, museum director Thomas P. Campbell is living in a rent free, $4 million co-op on Fifth Avenue owned by the museum. The Director of the Museum of Modern Art, Glenn D. Lowry, lives in a $6 million condo on top of the museum, and Ellen V. Futter, president of the American Museum of Natural History, lives rent free in a $5 million apartment on the East Side. Oh, and nobody pays income taxes on the properties, because they are required to live on "business premises."

The museum boards say it doesn't matter that the apartments (which we'll just assume are bigger and more beautiful than anywhere we'll ever set foot in) aren't actually on museum grounds, because they get used for business "meetings." But Daniel S. Goldberg, a law professor at the University of Maryland says, "It’s difficult to successfully argue one of these because they seem to stretch the purpose of the ‘business premises’ exclusion in the tax code." By the way, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Carnegie Hall, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Morgan Library & Museum all treat their heads to taxable housing. We'd settle for that if we had to.

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By Jaya Saxena in Arts & Entertainment on August 10, 2010 4:59 PM

Comments [rss]

jimmycracks

the only way to win is not to go

suzannep7

I run a museum, and I do not get a free apartment out of the deal. I'm lucky I can afford my rent at all.

IvoryJive

What does the price of admission have to do with the market value of faculty apartments the museums already own?

John Clavis

Just another example of the richest of the rich living off of our sweat while getting breaks and sweetheart deals from their equally-rich buddies. Welcome to the caste system. Avert your eyes when they pass!

rcltrh

I never pay more that $1 and that's usually for the whole family. Most of the stuff in those museums are stolen treasures from other countries or from dead donators - sometimes stolen from them before they died of from their families shortly afterwards. Guilt free here.

NYC PEOPLE

Shame on you! $1? Where do you think that money goes exactly? How can you look the people who work there in the eye and give them $1 for the whole family?

Being the head of an institution that restores and protects millions or works of art, many of which would have otherwise been lost, destroyed, or sitting in the living room of some Russian oligarch or hedge fund asshole, is a great honor, and a huge responsibility, and I think it is absolutely appropriate that the Met (for one) does this for its director. After all, you're obviously not paying for it, so keep your opinion to yourself.

p.s.

If you're tempted to follow with an argument about how your taxes pay for it, then read the museums' public annual reports.

Bubba

Given the tax breaks the Met receives then yes, we the taxpayers do foot the bill. And why should the Met get a tax exemption for a piece of real estate that is not physically part of the museum?

And NYC PEOPLE, you pay the full $20 every time you go to the Met? I think rcltrh is absolutely entitled to express an opinion.

whitecastlerock

America is in the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression-I can't afford to go to the museum...

Alex S

First, two of the three museums accept whatever you want to give, so they can't be accused of overcharging anyone. And MoMA memberships are pretty reasonable. You can see free movies if you buy one.

Second, all of those institutions are incredible places, as good as any museums in the world. They're talented people at the top of their fields.

So I'm glad that they live well. I hope they have long and happy lives, and that their kids are prosperous as well.

Save the anger and envy for the finance people who capture regulators and take insane risks that cause everyone in the world hardship.

Spirit of 76

I already knew it was just "suggested" admission. Sorry, but I won't feel the least bit guilty going to AMNH or the Met and forking over only $1 after learning about how these guys are living the high life. It's not as if they would cry "poverty" if they didn't have these apartments. They already get paid salaries in the high six to seven figure range.

Såkandulæredet

Not only that, most tourists and even many New Yorkers may not be aware it's suggested donation, they hide that fact fairly well on the sign, most people just see the $20 and that's it. It's actually clever how they do that, although not really honest.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nyer82/4485868842/

ANGRYGOD11

It's insulting to regular taxpayers, who also could be doing a better job at something far more important, to hear tax-free luxury penthouse living is just a perk.

BTW, what about when someone has all this and is doing a bad job? I rember Peter Diamandopoulos, former president of Adelphi University, had a Manhattan penthouse for "fund-raising". He ran that school into the ground and was finally forced out by NY State as they found the board wasn't doing it job of keeping fools out of responsible positions. Don't think Wall Street is the only place that won't throw the bums out.

Sparafucil

"It's insulting to regular taxpayers, who also could be doing a better job at something far more important, to hear tax-free luxury penthouse living is just a perk."

There aren't many jobs that are more important than running one of the world's most prestigious cultural institutions.

ANGRYGOD11

With all due respect, there are many important jobs that not only save lives, but also the employees know they are at risk. Running a museum doesn't reach that level. You might want to think about that if you or anyone you care about are in danger.