DETROIT, MICHIGAN.- The Detroit Museum of New Art (MONA) has reported that it has been put out into the street by its landlord. After spending over $50,000 on improvements and maintenance to a previously long empty and half-gutted space (building walls, bringing down a badly damaged ceiling, clearing debris, putting in a functional lighting system and grinding floors), a rival arts group is planning to take advantage of MONA’s labors and rent the space out from under the museum. In little over a year at this location, the museum has not only brought contemporary art and the building itself to the region’s attention, but built a solid international reputation for its innovative ideas and programming.

Valentine’s weekend, after a museum event, organizers routinely cleaned the Book Building’s entire second floor on which MONA is housed as well as the two latrines, sweeping and mopping as they went. The following day the owner of the Book Building telephoned MONA’s director traveling in Berlin, telling him the museum had to vacate the building allegedly because a cigarette butt and tampon had been discovered on the floor of one of the latrines.

The landlord, who had only recently promised "I will never evict you," had first sent an invoice of $300 to cover the cost for the removal of the offending articles. The bill was promptly paid. This was quickly followed by the notice to vacate the premises immediately.

Meanwhile, the prospective tenant is anxiously waiting in the wings for that day to arrive.