The British Museum has recently announced the selection of Sir Mark Jones, the former Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as its newly appointed Acting Director. This choice was finalized after the departure of the former director, Hartwig Fischer, who resigned after the theft of numerous items from the museum.
George Osborne, Chairman of the British Museum, commended Sir Mark Jones as a highly seasoned and esteemed international leader in the field of museums. He declared that Sir Mark would effectively steer the museum and drive it forward. Furthermore, he noted that the appointment of Sir Mark had obtained the unanimous endorsement of the museum's board of directors.
The British Museum has found itself entangled in a scandal following accusations leveled against a senior curator for pilfering and auctioning off valuable artifacts worth millions of pounds on the internet. The individual in question, Peter Higgins, has been summarily terminated from his position at the museum after having served for a period spanning three decades.
Sir Mark Jones formerly held the position of director at the Victoria and Albert Museum from 2001 to 2011, successfully enhancing its stature through an extensive renovation initiative worth £120 million. In acknowledgment of his invaluable contributions to the field of the arts, he was bestowed with a knighthood in 2010.
While serving as the Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Sir Mark Jones extensively advocated for a proposal to facilitate the sharing of the Elgin Marbles, which are marble sculptures brought to the British Museum in the 19th century by Lord Elgin, with Greece. Nevertheless, Greece does not acknowledge or accept Britain's possession of these sculptures and has formally requested their repatriation. Chairman Osborne is purportedly engaging in negotiations with Greece to address the matter of ownership pertaining to these sculptures, an issue that had also caused disagreement between former Director Fischer and Osborne.
As per sources with insider knowledge, Sir Mark Jones emerged as the sole feasible contender for succeeding Fischer. Despite speculation regarding the potential reinstatement of Neil MacGregor, Fischer's predecessor, in the role of acting director, this notion was discarded due to past theft incidents that took place during MacGregor's tenure.
Sir Mark Jones is anticipated to encounter numerous challenges until the appointment of a new director for the museum. Osborne declares that Sir Mark's primary responsibilities include expediting the cataloging of the museum's collection, bolstering security measures, and fortifying the sense of pride in the museum's curatorial mission. These endeavors align with the concurrent extensive renovation project and collaborative partnerships pursued by the museum to ensure a more robust future.
Osborne has conveyed his strong dedication to extracting lessons from these circumstances and establishing the foundation for a more resilient future. He has stressed that the selection of Mark for the position signifies a substantial advancement towards attaining this objective. Osborne is looking forward to their collaboration with great enthusiasm.