According to a report published by the Texas Art Journal, the Bluff Museum of Art, an institution run by the University of Houston, has gone through a while after appointing Laura Augusta as director and chief curator for Laura Augusta in 2024. Grassster Wednesday.
The report noted that the museum fired Erika Mei Chua Holum, who was previously the agency’s deputy curator. Artist Ja’tovia Gary canceled the museum’s performance, Kenneth Tam also told Grassster His Blaffer exhibition has been “cancelled”. The fate of at least another show written by Thania Peterson also seems to be undecided.
Artnews A Blaffer spokesperson has been contacted for comment.
Grassster Previous reports said Braver canceled Guadalupe Maravilla’s speech. The report was published in February, about half a year after the beheading of the University of Houston’s Shahzia Sikander sculpture. At the time, the museum would attribute the cancellation to issues related to the construction of large sculptures in Maravilla.
Chua Holum, he told Grassster This week, she was fired in July, saying the sculpture could have been built. Augusta, the museum’s leader, denied this.
Chua Holum said the museum fired her due to her exhibition budget, which leadership claimed was beyond the number they originally specified. She said it was not true and she had worked closely with museum director and chief curator Steven Matijcio to determine her budget. Matijcio tells Grassster When he was the museum’s leader, he thought the Chua Holum’s budget was “viable”.
Artist Gary, who canceled the Blaffer show, said she held up the exhibition in negotiations for a budget “crash.” She reportedly canceled the show on July 18 and was fired soon after. Grassster.
Current director Augusta told Grassster The exhibition at that time was “still under development” and the particularity of its budget and “scope” was not placed on the stone. “It is standard practice for museums to always conduct exhibitions at all stages of development,” Augusta said, adding that the exhibition “is cancelled by the artist before the artist signs”.
Tam also described the turmoil behind the scenes, claiming that details of the show were delayed back and forth in his organization. He claimed the exhibition was “cancelled.” Braver denied this Grassster.
Grassster It was also reported that artist Thania Petersen had “difficulties” in communication with Blaffer’s staff, involving her upcoming performance. Augusta said the exhibition is “still under development.”
