The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) has announced that Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of the Museum, will step down after eight-year success and accomplishments-his resign will be effective from June 30, 2017.  

Campbell has served as the institution’s Director and CEO since January 1, 2009. He joined The Met in 1996 as curator and expert in the area of tapestries. Daniel Brodsky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Met, announced a transition plan for the Museum.

Even though the Met has not stated a specific reason about Campbell's sudden resign from the museum, a various growing concerns among staff members of the Met and some trustees about the museum's financial troubles and his capacity to lead the largest museum in the country, drew Thomas P. Campbell to leave his position for the MET, reported New York Times in detail.

Until June 30, the Met’s President, Daniel H. Weiss, will serve as interim Chief Executive Officer and to work with Mr. Campbell and curatorial and administrative leadership on a transition plan.

As New York Times reported, The Met has been dealing with some certain problems about his financial decisions and museum's expansion plans, which had been criticized by some trustees, curators and other staff members. 

During the last couple of years, even though the museum gets highest record of attendance, Campbell's strategic agenda for the museum was rolled back because of the museum’s economic difficulties, including a soaring deficit.

''I couldn’t be more proud of The Met’s accomplishments during my tenure as Director and CEO,'' said Mr. Campbell. 

''In close collaboration with the Board, curators, and the entire organization, the Museum has evolved into a beacon of scholarship and understanding, not only for visitors to our New York sites, but globally through digital platforms, leadership exchanges, and more. At a moment when art and culture have an especially profound role to play in fostering mutual understanding, I am especially proud that our visitor base is the largest and most diverse in the Museum’s history. At the same time, we are on track to be financially stable and have a solid strategic path forward,'' he added.

Mr. Brodsky issued the following statement: ''I and the entire Board leadership are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of the Museum during Tom’s tenure: record audience growth; installation of several suites of beautiful new galleries; emergence as a worldwide digital leader; building a curatorial team without parallel; continuing a robust exhibitions and acquisitions program; and, of course, the expansion of The Met’s commitment to its Modern and Contemporary program, most notably in The Met Breuer. Tom has led The Met in precisely the right direction during his tenure, and we look forward to continuing to make progress in the areas he and his team have led in the years ahead.''

Thomas P. Campbell was appointed in 1996 as an assistant curator in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts and supervising curator of the Antonio Ratti Textile Center, Campbell was a curator for 13 years, and organized two highly acclaimed tapestry exhibitions. He was appointed by The Met’s Board of Directors in fall 2008, succeeding Philippe de Montebello. During his tenure, overall museum attendance has grown by 40 percent to a record seven million across The Met’s three sites.

''I began at The Met 22 years ago as a curator and have been here almost my entire career. It was not an easy choice to step away, especially at such a vital and exciting moment. That said, its current vitality is what makes this the right moment to do so. I have worked hard, and I believe my efforts have paid off,'' said Thomas P. Campbell.

''For the next stage of my career I look forward to new challenges beyond the Met, always in service of art, scholarship, and understanding. Finally, Dan Weiss is a further reason this is an opportune moment to step away. I have worked closely with him since 2015, and I am confident his vision, level-headedness, and experience are precisely what the Museum needs to continue on its positive trajectory.''

During his duty in the museum, Campbell raised overall attendance to the Met, and the museum has grown by 40 percent to a record 7 million across The Met’s three sites. The museum was named by Trip Advisor as the #1 museum in the world for two years in a row.

He opened the Met Breuer, completed the rebuilding of the American Wing and opened new galleries for the Islamic Department and Costume Institute. Campbell completed the refurbishment of the European paintings galleries and redesign of the Museum’s plaza.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute' exhibition space was designed by OMA New York last year and presented in the Museum’s Robert Lehman Wing, which explored how designers are reconciling the handmade and the machine-made in the creation of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear.

Campbell created a dedicated Digital Department to reach a new global audience. The Met reaches 30 million users a year and tens of millions more through social media.

''The sudden end to Mr. Campbell’s tenure came in recent days after key board members — including Hamilton E. James, who leads the Met’s finance committee — insisted it was time for him to go, according to people inside the Met who spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal confidential conversations and personnel decisions,'' noted the New York Times.

Top image: Thomas P. Campbell, courtesy of Met

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