Montgomery's City Council is gearing up for a Tuesday showdown that could totally revamp how the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) runs. This potential overhaul comes after months of public squabbles between city hall and museum bigwigs over who's really in charge at the city-owned art haven. The proposed changes would pump up the museum's board to 15 members. Six would be chosen from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Association, while the other nine would represent each of the city's council districts. Plus, board member terms would get a boost from four to six years, with a two-term limit. They're even thinking about adding up to five non-voting advisory members for a year at a time. This all started after some serious tension surrounding the museum's leadership. Remember when the museum's director was put on leave by Mayor Steven Reed? Apparently, that decision wasn't even run by the museum boards, sparking a bigger fight over who controls what. The MMFA gets support from two groups: the City Museum Board (the official management crew) and the Association (the private fundraising and curation team). Things got heated when the city started flexing its legal muscle, claiming the Association had overstepped on things like contract approvals and billboard choices. The City of Montgomery came out swinging, clarifying that the Association doesn't have official governing power. They blamed the conflicts for holding up the appointment of a permanent museum director. They even cited an opinion from Alabama's Attorney General, who basically said the City Museum Board, with the City Council's okay, is the ultimate boss. The museum's Joint Board, which includes members from both the City Board and the Association, isn't backing down. They argue that the museum has always been a sweet public-private partnership, where both groups bring something to the table. The Association owns the art collection and plays a huge role in deciding what goes on display. The proposed ordinance and a separate governance agreement are meant to clear up roles, responsibilities, and oversight. The council will take a look at both on Tuesday, after postponing it from a meeting in May. The Montgomery City Council's work session is at 40 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 50 p.m. on Tuesday.Museum Makeover? City Council to Mull MMFA Shake-Up
Boardroom Brawl?
The Backstory
Public vs. Private
City Says...
Museum Responds
What's Next?
