The announcement follows new revelations about sex offender’s ties to the school in the latest release of Epstein files.
Exterior view of New York Academy of Art (photo courtesy NYAA)
The New York Academy of Art (NYAA) recently informed its students and alumni that it plans to donate $65,900 linked to Jeffrey Epstein to an organization aiding survivors of sex trafficking.
An email reviewed by Hyperallergic reveals that the NYAA board acknowledged “serious failures in judgment and governance” regarding the school’s prolonged association with Epstein after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution. This admission comes amidst new revelations from the latest release of Epstein files.
In a statement to Hyperallergic, the NYAA emphasized their regret over past associations with Epstein, which concluded before his 2019 arrest. The school also announced the formation of an ethics committee to evaluate donor support policies.
Co-founded in 1982 by Andy Warhol and Stuart Pivar, the graduate-level private school stated that the contributions Epstein made in 2012 and 2014 will be diverted to Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), a nonprofit supporting survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking.
Previously, the school donated $30,000 to GEMS in 2020, matching Epstein’s 2014 contribution for scholarships and fellowships, coinciding with an apology to Maria Farmer, an MFA’95 alum and Epstein whistleblower who first reported him in 1996.
Farmer has claimed that Eileen Guggenheim, then the NYAA Dean and now board chair, introduced her to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell during her 1995 thesis show, instructing her to sell Epstein a painting at a discount. Epstein then employed Farmer as an art advisor and property manager for a Manhattan townhouse.
While using Epstein’s Ohio home as a studio in 1996, Farmer alleged that Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted her and stole nude photos of her underage sisters. She later discovered her sister Annie, then 16, also accused Epstein and Maxwell of inappropriate conduct during a visit to Epstein’s New Mexico ranch that same year.
Upon her return to New York, Farmer reported Epstein and Maxwell to the FBI, but the report was ignored for a decade. In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor and was sentenced to 13 months in Florida, benefiting from a work-release program.
The January release of Epstein files revealed he purchased a $25,000 table at the Academy’s 2012 and 2014 Tribeca Ball fundraiser and donated $30,000 to the Portrait Scholarship fund, encouraged by Guggenheim.
The NYAA, in an email to students and alumni, admitted that accepting Epstein’s contributions and allowing his presence at events like Tribeca Ball and Take Home a Nude was a mistake. The board also announced Guggenheim would retire as board chair sooner, leaving in April instead of May.
The release of Epstein files has uncovered his connections within arts and culture institutions. Recently, David A. Ross stepped down as MFA Arts Practice chair at the School of Visual Arts after emails showed his support for Epstein post-conviction. The documents also disclosed allegations of sexual violence against billionaire and Museum of Modern Art trustee Leon Black.
