(Jewish Group) Academy Museum of Motion Pictures course corrects on Jewish founders
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ recent decision to create a permanent exhibition showcasing Hollywood’s pioneers allayed the concerns of critics, historians, activists and another important museum constituency: donors.
“Cheryl and I firmly believe that the Jewish contributions to the film industry, from its founding to today, must be highlighted,” said museum lead donor Haim Saban in a Jan. 21 statement to the Forward. “The Academy Museum has taken our feedback seriously and we know that the representation of the Jewish founders is important to them.”
Scheduled to open in 2023, a permanent exhibit on Hollywood’s mostly Eastern European-born Jewish pioneers will explore how and why they established the film industry in Los Angeles and how the studio system contributed to the development of one of the most diverse cities in the world.
“We never had any desire to exclude or not represent the Jewish founders,” Bill Kramer, the museum’s director and president, told the Forward, “We long planned on having a temporary exhibit highlighting them but are now going to make it permanent.”
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