Aperture Cuts Staff, Publishing List

By Calvin Reid -- Publishers Weekly, 4/24/2009 10:28:00 AM

The Aperture Foundation, the New York City-based nonprofit photography publisher and resource center, is the latest house forced to eliminate staff and reduce book releases due to the impact of the current economic downturn. Beginning May 1, Aperture will cut its workforce by 20%, eliminating seven jobs from the Foundation’s 47 positions. Aperture has also instituted “temporary salary reductions” for selected staffers.

While Aperture executive director Juan García de Oteyza said the Foundation will not eliminate any core programs—among them books, a quarterly magazine, exhibitions, limited edition prints, exhibitions and public programs—it will reduce the number of books it publishes each year. De Oteyza emphasized that all exhibitions and public programs for 2009 will be presented as planned.

“To preserve our financial health we must reduce costs, and restructure our organization to ensure these cuts do not compromise the quality and integrity of our programs,” de Oteyza said. He added that while it has been a “difficult decision to eliminate staff and take other measures to streamline our operations, the Aperture board has underscored its support of and beliefs in the future of the organization by increasing financial commitments, and expanding its roster to include a broader national and international reach.”