Oxy, Art, and Die-ins: An Arts Organization’s Response to Donations of Dirty Money

How should the leader of a premier cultural art institution respond when a prominent donor becomes tainted by scandal? This decision-based case examines the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s strategic communicative responses when called upon by stakeholders to disavow gifts from the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, the marketers of OxyContin. Using Benoit’s theory of image repair, students will identify and recommend strategies the Museum should use to communicate an important decision to multiple stakeholders.