For four decades, the Tom of Finland House in Los Angeles has served as both a repository of the legacy of the iconic gay Scandinavian erotic artist and as a hub for hundreds of queer erotic artists from around the world who followed in his footsteps. But between June and October, the Tom of Finland Foundation, which maintained the house, abruptly cancelled all of its programming, laid off all of its staff and announced surprise plans to relocate the collection, with some fearing they plan to take it all 2,000 miles away to New York City.
These developments have left artists angered and confused, particularly as the board of the foundation has remained tight-lipped about its decision-making. But it comes following years of controversies over allegations of financial mismanagement, disagreements over Tom’s legacy, a rivalry between art scenes on America’s east and west coasts and a scandal involving Nazi regalia…read more.
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