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

How does a premier cultural art institution respond when a prominent donor becomes tainted by scandal? This descriptive 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 evaluate multiple strategies employed by the museum over a four-year period.