Black organizations call for transparency after Colette Burnette’s departure from Newfields

Over a dozen organizations criticized the Newfields trustees’ insufficient response regarding the exit of Dr. Colette Burnette, who they said improved the institution’s reputation.

Several Black Indianapolis organizations are demanding answers and criticizing the lack of transparency surrounding Dr. Colette Burnette’s abrupt recent departure as CEO at Newfields, the Indiana capital’s noted museum campus.

According to WTHR 13 News, the African American Coalition of Indianapolis, an alliance of over a dozen community, service and professional organizations, released a statement on Sunday asserting that the response from Newfields’ board of trustees is insufficient in explaining the Nov. 10 exit of a leader who improved the institution’s reputation and formed genuine connections with Indianapolis’ marginalized communities.

At a demonstration Sunday held outside Newfields, a diverse mix of protesters took to the corner to voice their displeasure and ask their questions aloud.

“In her 15-month tenure, Dr. Burnette confronted the institution’s past issues with accusations of a toxic and discriminatory culture that failed to serve audiences of color,” the AACI’s Sunday statement said. “Her appointment, which followed a controversial job posting indicating a preference for maintaining a ‘core white art audience,’ was a beacon of progress, signifying Newfields’ commitment to transformation into an anti-racist and inclusive institution.”

Newfields is a 152-acre site that houses the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which is among the nation’s 10 largest and oldest general art museums.

The coalition’s statement mentioned a noticeable increase in partnerships with community groups and programs that improved the institution’s inclusion following Burnette’s arrival, adding that her participation, leadership and creative collaborations gave the community a sense of belonging.

In the wake of Burnette’s departure, the organizations contend that the lack of transparency has prompted unsettling questions, and with “many rumors and allegations fueled by a press announcement highlighting her exit,” their statement says, “we are left feeling angry, frustrated, confused, and betrayed.”

The situation at Newfields, they assert, also raises concerns regarding whether the outcome would have been the same with different racial dynamics, referencing a discernible pattern in Indianapolis, where Black professionals rarely see long tenures in executive roles, contradicting the mission for a thriving African-American community at every leadership level.

“Did the Board of Trustees give Dr. Burnette the necessary support and grace to navigate such a complex environment?” the organizations asked. “Does this sudden change in leadership reflect a deeper reluctance to authentically pursue the anti-racist and inclusive values professed by the Board? Were complaints, if any, against Dr. Burnette given undue weight, and was the challenging environment she was tasked to reform considered in the Board’s decision?”

The statement suggests that how the board publicized Burnette’s resignation has “created a worse perception” of Newfields among the Black community and encourages it to “re-examine its commitment” to regaining Black community trust.

“It is incumbent upon Newfields’ Board of Trustees to not only reflect on the implications of the decision but to also undertake concrete actions that rebuild trust with the Black community — a trust that currently stands fractured,” the statement read, WTHR reported. “The path forward requires more than symbolic gestures; it necessitates a sincere, ongoing commitment to equity, transparency, and community engagement that transcends mere statements and is embodied in the very fabric of our institutions’ leadership and governance.”

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