Francesca “Frankie” Altamura exists.
She proudly served as an elected Delegate for the New Museum Union—Local 2110 UAW (NewMuU), which formed in January 2019. She has learned that unions are not for coal miners but are for art workers too! She was on the Bargaining Committee, as well as the Organizing Committee for the NewMuU. To stand in solidarity with the NewMuU, follow them on Instagram, Twitter, or via their website.
Here are her favorite press moments from the reckoning, including: July 7, 2020: “Staff cuts: are museums protecting their workers,” Francesca Altamura and Dana Kopel with Margaret Carrigan in Artnewspaper Podcast (dur. 1:14:45 mins); May 13, 2020: “The Museum Does Not Exist: Pay What You Can, See What You Can’t,” by Dana Kopel in SSENSE; April 11, 2020: “SUBSTANCE 100: What is the purpose of art in the 21st Century?” by Collecteurs; February 11, 2020: “No Regrets: Lily Bartle and Dana Kopel of the New Museum Union,” with Ben Beckett in Burnaway; December 2019: “Can institutions care about their workers?,” by Members of the New Museum Union in Arts of the Working Class Magazine (Issue 9, "Everyone is Gay”); November 25, 2019: “Museum Workers Across the Country Are Unionizing. Here’s What’s Driving a Movement That’s Been Years in the Making,” by Catherine Wagley in artnet; October 2019: “New Museum Union on Collective Bargaining,” Francesca Altamura, Gabriel Gordon, and Dana Kopel with Rachel Ichniowski on e-flux Podcast (dur. 33:10 mins); October 25, 2019: “After a Contract Fight with its Workers, the New Museum Opens Hans Haacke’s ‘All Connected’,” by Alyssa Battistoni in Frieze; September 2, 2019: “Art and Labor: You Can’t Eat Prestige,” by Ben Beckett in Burnaway; April 22, 2019: “The New Museum’s Union Resistance Contradicts Its Radical Inception,” by Hazel Cills in Jacobin; April 1, 2019: “Issues & Commentary: Organizing teh Museum,” by Sarah Resnick in Art in America; April 1, 2019: “Issues & Commentary: Fight at the New Museum,” by Sarah Resnick in Art in America; January 24, 2019: “New Museum Union Votes to Join Local 2110,” by Alex Greenberger in artnews; January 23, 2019: “Fight at the New Museum: an Interview with Lily Bartle,” with Meagan Day in Jacobin; January 22, 2019: “Episode 29—New Musuem Union,” Dana Kopel, Lily Bartle, and Alicia Graziano, Art and Labor Podcast (dur. 1:05:26 mins); January 10, 2019: “The New Museum’s Staff is Pushing to Unionize—and Top Leadership is Not at All Happy About It,” by Ben Davis & Sarah Cascone in artnet.
She proudly served as an elected Delegate for the New Museum Union—Local 2110 UAW (NewMuU), which formed in January 2019. She has learned that unions are not for coal miners but are for art workers too! She was on the Bargaining Committee, as well as the Organizing Committee for the NewMuU. To stand in solidarity with the NewMuU, follow them on Instagram, Twitter, or via their website.
Here are her favorite press moments from the reckoning, including: July 7, 2020: “Staff cuts: are museums protecting their workers,” Francesca Altamura and Dana Kopel with Margaret Carrigan in Artnewspaper Podcast (dur. 1:14:45 mins); May 13, 2020: “The Museum Does Not Exist: Pay What You Can, See What You Can’t,” by Dana Kopel in SSENSE; April 11, 2020: “SUBSTANCE 100: What is the purpose of art in the 21st Century?” by Collecteurs; February 11, 2020: “No Regrets: Lily Bartle and Dana Kopel of the New Museum Union,” with Ben Beckett in Burnaway; December 2019: “Can institutions care about their workers?,” by Members of the New Museum Union in Arts of the Working Class Magazine (Issue 9, "Everyone is Gay”); November 25, 2019: “Museum Workers Across the Country Are Unionizing. Here’s What’s Driving a Movement That’s Been Years in the Making,” by Catherine Wagley in artnet; October 2019: “New Museum Union on Collective Bargaining,” Francesca Altamura, Gabriel Gordon, and Dana Kopel with Rachel Ichniowski on e-flux Podcast (dur. 33:10 mins); October 25, 2019: “After a Contract Fight with its Workers, the New Museum Opens Hans Haacke’s ‘All Connected’,” by Alyssa Battistoni in Frieze; September 2, 2019: “Art and Labor: You Can’t Eat Prestige,” by Ben Beckett in Burnaway; April 22, 2019: “The New Museum’s Union Resistance Contradicts Its Radical Inception,” by Hazel Cills in Jacobin; April 1, 2019: “Issues & Commentary: Organizing teh Museum,” by Sarah Resnick in Art in America; April 1, 2019: “Issues & Commentary: Fight at the New Museum,” by Sarah Resnick in Art in America; January 24, 2019: “New Museum Union Votes to Join Local 2110,” by Alex Greenberger in artnews; January 23, 2019: “Fight at the New Museum: an Interview with Lily Bartle,” with Meagan Day in Jacobin; January 22, 2019: “Episode 29—New Musuem Union,” Dana Kopel, Lily Bartle, and Alicia Graziano, Art and Labor Podcast (dur. 1:05:26 mins); January 10, 2019: “The New Museum’s Staff is Pushing to Unionize—and Top Leadership is Not at All Happy About It,” by Ben Davis & Sarah Cascone in artnet.