Who is funding an exhibit at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth that appears to showcase child pornography?
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a tip from a Fort Worth resident informed us that the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is currently showing an exhibit called Diaries of Home. The documentary photography includes pictures of naked children and LGBTQ+ content.
The Dallas Express visited the museum and saw several pictures featuring children. One photo showed a nude girl jumping on top of a table. Another depicted a naked boy with an unknown liquid substance and his genitals exposed.
Fort Worth Museum of Art images, girl jumping on the table; boy with liquid, private parts blocked, image by DX journalist Carlos Turcios.
Of notable concern is that the museum is a 501c3 and has received financial support from several major corporations.
“Support from institutional partnerships draws a connection between the Modern and the community, bridging relationships between the business and civic sectors and the arts,” reads the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth sponsors page.
Corporations that donate to the museum include Bank of America, Baylor Scott & White All Saints, Bloomberg, BNSF Railway Foundation, ExxonMobil Foundation, Fort Worth Child, and GM Financial, to name a few.
In 2023, the Bank of America Art Conservation Project provided a grant to assist with the restoration of a famous oil painting, reported by Fort Worth Magazine.
The Walton Family Foundation has also contributed to the museum, donating $350,000 from 2006 till 2012, per Vipulnaik.
According to ProPublica, under the Fort Worth Art Association, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth reported revenue of $18.5 million and expenses of $16.6 million in 2023.
Key employees and officers at the museum include Museum Director Marla Price, who was paid $738,032; Chief Financial Officer Jo Garwood, with a salary of $298,608; and Chief Curator Andrea Karnes, who earned $191,618 in 2023.
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare has called for a criminal investigation of the museum’s “art” collection which features child pornography.
“There are images on display at this museum that are grossly inappropriate at best. They should be taken down immediately and investigated by law enforcement for any and all potential criminal violations. Children must be protected, and decency must prevail,” Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare told The Dallas Express.
The Dallas Express reached out to the Modern Art Museum’s Manager of Strategic Marketing and Visitor Services, Dustin Van Orne, as well as Director of Communications Kendal Smith Lake, Bank of America, Baylor Scott & White, Bloomberg, Walton Family Foundation and the BNSF Railway Foundation for comment, but did not receive a response.