New York Academy of Art Sends $65,900 in Epstein-Linked Donations to GEMS as Board Chair Eileen Guggenheim Steps Down Early
The New York Academy of Art has moved to sever a lingering financial tie to Jeffery Epstein, announcing that it has transferred $65,900 in Epstein-linked donations to Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), a nonprofit that supports sexually exploited and trafficked girls and young women.
In the same disclosure, the Tribeca-based school said its board chair, Eileen Guggenheim, will retire on April 1, a month earlier than previously planned. Guggenheim has been affiliated with the Academy for 44 years, including 19 years as chair, according to a March 12 statement sent to alumni.
The Academy said the newly identified Epstein gift had provided “support for Academy events.” By sending the $65,900 to GEMS, the school said it has now redirected all funds it received from Epstein after his 2008 conviction in Florida, when he pleaded guilty and served jail time for soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution.
The additional donations were first reported by The Telegraph. The Academy, in a statement, said it “apologizes for and regrets its past association with Mr. Epstein,” adding that the relationship ended well before his 2019 arrest. “When the extent of his crimes became public knowledge, we took decisive action to ensure the safety of our students,” the school said.
The $65,900 transfer follows earlier reporting that Epstein funded a portrait scholarship at the Academy around 2014, years after his 2008 guilty plea. The school previously said it would donate those scholarship funds, totaling $30,000, to GEMS as well.
To avoid diverting money from current students, the Academy said members of its board have agreed to match the redirected Epstein-linked funds, so that the payment to GEMS “does not reduce resources that support Academy students.”
Guggenheim, a former dean of students, will remain on the board, a school representative said. Her earlier-than-expected retirement also means she will not speak at the Academy’s commencement ceremony, where she has been a regular presence.
Even as she steps down as chair, Guggenheim is still slated to be honored at the Academy’s annual Tribeca Ball fundraiser in April, according to an invitation viewed by Artnet. Actor Alan Cumming and Guggenheim’s husband, Russell Wilkinson, are also listed as honorees.
The renewed scrutiny also touches on allegations raised by Maria Farmer, a former Academy student, who has said Guggenheim introduced her to Epstein and his associate Ghislane Maxwell. Farmer has alleged that Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted her in 1996 and that, when she reported the incident to Guggenheim, the former dean blamed her. Guggenheim has denied introducing Farmer to Epstein and Maxwell and has said she does not recall the conversation.
Separately, documents in the Epstein files indicate that Guggenheim was interviewed by the FBI in 2007 in connection with “a federal investigation regarding the sexual exploitation of minors,” according to an FBI document.
In its alumni communication, the Academy acknowledged “a claim by a former student relating to events occurring after her graduation and while working for Epstein,” and said it continues to encourage anyone with concerns or information to come forward “so they can be heard and supported.”
The Academy, co-founded by Andy Warhol, has framed the donation to GEMS and the board’s matching commitment as part of a broader effort to address the institution’s past association with Epstein while protecting current student support.
