Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum has appointed an interim executive director after the former executive director Joël Barraquiel Tan resigned on Friday. According to a press release, Kamahanahokulani Farrar Law will take over while the museum searches for a permanent replacement.
Barraquiel Tan served as executive director at the museum, which focuses on AANHPI culture, since April 2022, The Seattle Times reports.
“It was a difficult decision to make,” Barraquiel Tan said in a statement. “This is the right time for me to explore new directions and opportunities.”
During his time in the role, he dealt with several challenges including pandemic-related difficulties and a hate crime vandalism incident.
Barraquiel Tan’s resignation comes after a staff protest. In May, 20 museum staff members walked out in protest of the “Confronting Hate” exhibit, which was created in partnership with the Washington State Jewish Historical Society and the Black Heritage Society of Washington State.
The staff members said the exhibit conflated anti-Zionism with anti-semitism.
According to The Seattle Times, the museum originally promised to amend the exhibit but later announced it was searching for a new venue.
“The global flashpoint that is the Israel-Palestinian conflict and differing perspectives on language, scope and process fractured us just when we needed to be together,” Barraquiel Tan wrote in an Op-Ed per The Seattle Times.
Farrar Law will take over Barraquiel Tan after having overseen the museum’s Finance, Human Resources, Museum Services, and Technology and Infrastructure departments for over a year.
“I am honored to serve as interim executive director,” Farrar Law said in a press release. “The Museum serves a significant role in our community with essential exhibits and programs. As we launch our national search for our next director, I expect to provide stability and continuity so that we continue serving our community and our mission’s work.”
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