TL;DR
Get art and craft supplies delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
Forty-one former residents of the Tom of Finland Foundation have issued an open letter criticizing what they describe as a lack of transparency and the abrupt halt of its artist residency program. The foundation’s board has not provided a response in the supplied report, leaving the program’s future and the nonprofit’s plans unclear.
Forty-one former artist residents of the Tom of Finland Foundation have issued an open letter criticizing what they describe as a lack of transparency and the abrupt interruption of programs, particularly the foundation’s Artist-in-Residence program. The letter asks the Los Angeles nonprofit’s board to preserve its support for new generations of queer and erotic artists as a rift between the board and a co-founder raises questions about the organization’s future.
The former residents say the residency program was discontinued without advance notice. Their letter also alleges that nearly all staff at the foundation’s TOM House were laid off in June. Those accounts are claims made by the signatories; the source report does not include a response from the board confirming the program’s status or explaining the staffing changes.
The letter calls on the board to continue the foundation’s work beyond preserving Tom of Finland’s art. It asks for an active commitment to residencies, mentorship, exhibitions, research and archive access for queer and erotic artists. The group says these activities are part of the nonprofit’s broader cultural role.
Carta Monir, a 2022 resident who coordinated the letter, told Hyperallergic that the board was “refusing to answer any questions.” Monir said the letter was intended to bring public scrutiny to the concerns. The report describes an acrimonious rift between the board and a co-founder, but does not provide the board’s account or detailed terms of that dispute.
The Residency at the Center
The dispute concerns more than the preservation of an influential artist’s work. Former residents argue that the foundation’s role has included making space for living queer artists through residencies, exhibitions and access to its archive. If the residency has ended, artists and researchers could lose a source of support tied to the organization’s headquarters and collections.
The disagreement also puts the foundation’s direction under scrutiny. The former residents’ letter frames the issue as whether the nonprofit will continue to connect Tom of Finland’s legacy with current artistic practice. That is the signatories’ interpretation; the available report does not establish the board’s intentions or explain what programs it plans to maintain.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Preservation to Residencies
The Tom of Finland Foundation was established in 1984 to preserve the work and legacy of Tom of Finland, the name used by Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen, who lived from 1920 to 1991. His erotic illustrations of hypermasculine men, including sailors, lumberjacks and bikers, became widely recognized in queer culture.
The foundation later extended its activities to contemporary artists through exhibitions and acquisitions. In 2011, it began an artist residency program at its Echo Park headquarters, a craftsman-style home known as TOM House. The open letter’s concerns arise as former residents say the program was halted and as the organization faces a leadership dispute.
“the lack of transparency and abrupt interruption of several programs by the current administration”
— The 41 former artist residents, in their open letter
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Board Response and Program Status
The supplied report does not include a statement from the foundation’s board, so its explanation for the alleged program interruption and staff layoffs is not available. It is also unclear whether the residency has formally ended, whether another version is planned, or what other programs may have been affected.
The nature of the reported dispute between the board and the co-founder is not detailed, and the source does not establish what changes the board intends to make. The former residents’ claims have not been independently confirmed in the material provided.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Awaiting the Board’s Explanation
The immediate next step is a response from the foundation’s board addressing the open letter’s questions about the residency, staffing and interrupted programs. The former residents are asking the board to guarantee continuing support for queer and erotic artists, but the report does not say whether the board has agreed to respond or set a timeline for doing so.
Until the foundation provides further information, the status of the residency and the organization’s plans for its broader programming remain unresolved.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Who issued the open letter?
Forty-one former artist residents of the Tom of Finland Foundation signed the letter. Carta Monir, a 2022 resident, coordinated it, according to Hyperallergic.
What are the former residents concerned about?
They cite what they describe as a lack of transparency and abrupt program interruptions. In particular, they say the Artist-in-Residence program was halted without prior notice and allege that nearly all TOM House staff were laid off in June.
Has the foundation confirmed that the residency ended?
The supplied report does not include confirmation from the foundation’s board. The claim that the program was discontinued comes from the former residents’ letter, and its current formal status remains unclear.
What are the former residents asking the board to do?
They want the board to preserve the foundation’s mission of supporting new generations of queer and erotic artists, including through residencies, mentorship, exhibitions, research and archive access.
What is known about the board’s position?
The source report does not provide a board statement or its explanation of the changes. Monir told Hyperallergic that the board was “refusing to answer any questions,” but that is Monir’s account of the group’s interactions with it.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
