SVA Chair's Appalling Epstein Emails
David A. Ross resigns for his ties with the convicted pedophile, shows to see in LA this spring, the role of plastic in contemporary art, and our monthly opportunities listings.
"It is depressing to see how you are once again being dragged through the mud. I’m still proud to call you a friend.”
That's a line from a correspondence between David A. Ross, chair of the MFA art practice program at New York’s School of Visual Arts, and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
It's just a snippet of a sickening chain of emails between the two men, revealed with the last release of Epstein files. The two also discussed the idea of an exhibition about "girls and boys ages 14–25, where they look nothing like their true ages." Epstein suggested titling it "Statutory." Ross sounded thrilled.
The good news is that Ross resigned yesterday from his post at SVA, after pressure from students and alumni. I don't think he'll be missed. Get all the details below.
—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief
David A. Ross, chair of the School of Visual Arts (SVA) MFA Art Practice Department for 17 years and former director of the Whitney Museum of American Art, has resigned from his post following the Department of Justice's release of his extensive email exchanges with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In July 2009, when Epstein was released from prison, Ross told him in an email that "it was an undeserved punishment."
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