Museum Calls Off Kehinde Wiley Show, Citing Assault Allegations

The Minneapolis Institute of Art announced Thursday that it had decided not to move forward with a planned Kehinde Wiley exhibition, citing recent allegations of sexual misconduct against the artist, which he has denied.

The exhibition, called “An Archaeology of Silence,” originated at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and has been traveling around the country.

The Minneapolis museum put plans to stage the exhibition on hold after several men made accusations against Mr. Wiley, all of which he has denied. The first was in May, when an artist accused him of sexual assault in a post on Instagram. Mr. Wiley denied the allegations at the time, saying that “these claims are not true and are an affront to all victims of sexual abuse.”

The Minneapolis Institute of Art said in an email that it “was considering taking the Kehinde Wiley exhibition, but as a result of these unfortunate allegations we will not be proceeding with this presentation.”

It was not the only museum to distance itself from Mr. Wiley, a hugely successful artist who gained fame when he painted the 2018 portrait of President Barack Obama for the National Portrait Gallery in Washington. Shortly after Minneapolis made its announcement, the Pérez Art Museum Miami said that it had “suspended plans” to host the traveling show, but did not offer any reason.

Mr. Wiley once again denied the accusations in a statement on Thursday.

“It is disappointing that this social media-driven fabrication is distracting from the goal of the tour: shedding light on the inequities Black and Brown people face in our society,” he said in an emailed statement. “These allegations are completely false, raising more questions about their credibility and motivation than there are facts supporting their authenticity.”