New Yorker Cuts Ties With Critic Jackson Arn After Complaints About Behavior

The New Yorker has parted ways with its art critic after the magazine received complaints about his behavior at its 100th anniversary party in February, according to two people with knowledge of the decision.

The critic, Jackson Arn, who joined the magazine in 2023, was accused of making inappropriate overtures to some of the attendees and appeared intoxicated at the celebration, according to the two people, one of whom witnessed his actions.

Mr. Arn declined to comment when reached by phone. A spokeswoman for Condé Nast, the publisher of The New Yorker, said the company could not comment on confidential personnel matters.

The party last month was a high point of The New Yorker’s centennial celebration, which included podcasts, a special anniversary issue and collections of poetry and fiction. The publication’s longtime editor, David Remnick, took note of the milestone in a column for the magazine, calling The New Yorker a “great gamble” that had evolved to include audio, video and digital ventures.

The party, held at a NoHo night spot called Jean’s, was a who’s who of the distinguished writers, editors and artists who have contributed to The New Yorker. Art Spiegelman, the graphic novelist behind “Maus,” was in attendance, along with Jelani Cobb, the dean of Columbia Journalism School, and Tina Brown, a former editor of the magazine.

Mr. Arn joined The New Yorker in August 2023, succeeding the magazine’s longtime art critic Peter Schjeldahl, who died at 80 in 2022. Mr. Arn previously wrote for a variety of publications, including Artforum, The Nation and The New Statesman. He had a broad remit at The New Yorker, writing about established masters like Claude Monet and meditations on the color red.

Mr. Arn’s online author page was updated this month to note that he had “served as The New Yorker’s art critic.” His last article was published on March 10.