INDIANAPOLIS — Dr. Colette Burnette's sudden departure as CEO of Newfields has jolted many in the community, including the Indiana Black Expo.
"Her expertise and leadership was amazing," said Katrina Owens, vice president of IBE. "It was a shock to the Indiana Black Expo. We were contacted to assist in their reengagement of the African American community,"
Owens said the lack of transparency from Newfields has created a negative perception.
"And we were in the process of just recently, in the past few weeks, on the line talking about how do we expand for 2024," said Owens.
IBE and the Indianapolis Urban League issued a joint statement Thursday asking leadership at Newfields to explain the resignation of Burnette, who was hired 15 months ago.
The statement reads in part: "Dr. Burnette opened the Newfields doors to many African American organizations and the entire community, and we have personally witnessed the buzz and excitement around her leadership. We were looking forward to expanding the partnership with Newfields in 2024, which has now come to a complete halt."
"We're putting a pause on the partnership, putting a pause on our plans for next year. Some were coming within 90 days, so again we have to shift because we're uncertain to what this looks like for us as well," said Owens.
The museum is, once again, thrust into the spotlight.
In 2021, Newfields posted a racially insensitive job ad that gained national attention.
That ad listed that a role of the director position would be to find "innovative ways that attract a broader and more diverse audience while maintaining the Museum's traditional, core, white art audience."
"That situation is why Indiana Black Expo was called, again to assist with the reengagement and how do we come alongside to help. But now we're back in the space again. We need to have the same conversations we just had two years ago. So again, we're going backwards and not forward," said Owens.
Newfields has appointed Michael Kubacki as interim CEO.