As New Yorkers start wearing masks again and notice yellow skies and the repercussions of global warming. New York’s air has heavy smog coming from the wildfires in Canada. On June 6th at 6 pm; Climate activist “Reclaim Our Tomorrow” gathered in front of the MoMa during one of their biggest celebrations of the year, the Party in the Garden.
Party in the Garden is the MoMa’s annual benefit party & most of those in attendance buy tickets for reserved dinner tables while donating a large amount of funds to the museum. Those donating tend to be those of a wealthier status, so wealthy they could cut their steak with their credit card at the dinner table they purchased to attend the event and wipe their mouths with the same hundred-dollar bill used to donate to the museum. Reclaim Our Tomorrow is directing this protest towards the 1%, specifically Henry Kravis; one man worth $7.7 Billion & co-founder of KKR & CO. Inc.
The activist group Reclaim Our Tomorrow has a mission to stop our major art institutions from accepting donations from billionaires such as Henry Kravis.
Some people ask: “Well, he’s worth 7.7 billion dollars; is that wrong?”
Kravits has funded billions of oil and gas projects that are constantly affecting lands across the nation. KKR’s energy sector of their business funds and delivers returns to investors by producing and selling oil and natural gas “fracking”. In 2022, KKR was part of a joint venture deal that combined its assets with Pembina’s western Canadian natural gas. During this deal, the company also acquired the stake of Energy Transfer Partners in Energy Transfer Canada; for an estimated $9 billion. With this deal, KKR expects to achieve 16% of Western Canada’s natural gas processing. As KKR continues to own dozens of energy companies, a major percentage of their holdings is in the burning of fossil fuels and the extraction of oil and transportation. Aside from Kravits’ business, he is no stranger to “donating” to gain political influence, such as when he donated $1 million dollars to the Inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017. Later, Donald Duck offered Henry the position of Treasury Secretary job.
People may ask: How is the MoMa at fault?
Simple, we understand that one thing every person of wealth enjoys is a tax break or write-off. If they fund the donation through the business of KKR, then they will be provided a tax write-off for the amount donated. This will inevitably cause more destruction in the world, and Henry Kravis, being a part of an “oil family” leads to a continuation of generations on the same path. His investments have granted Henry access to having gallery within the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) named after him. Marie-Josée Kravis, Henry Kravis’ wife, has also become a member of the board of the MoMa. The MoMA is accepting large donations from companies and supporting their families by granting privileges and experiences that they do not deserve. The same people that are upholding values that are causing the world harm and distress.
Activist Reclaim Tomorrow, looks to stop the relationship between art institutions and billionaires that use their money to bring destruction to the world.
Hopefully, soon we can live without the smog and yellow skies and for art institutions to find ethical practices. If Institutions continue to support this behavior, soon the money donated won’t be able to fix what we cannot undo.
What about the art!? How will we save the art? Well only if I knew….
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