On December 12th, Asian American artist Mi Soo publicly posted about the toxic work experience she endured over 3-years as assistant manager at Frog Hollow Gallery on Church St. Frog Hollow is a nonprofit organization that sells local Vermont artists works. Mi Soo highlighted the offensive anti-Asian sentiments and discriminatory abuse the gallery manager, Rachel Teachout, expressed to her over the last 3-years.

As a result of this toxic situation at Frog Hollow, Mi Soo left her position to pursue her art and to work for another organization. Though she left, Mi Soo wanted to ensure the Board took action on the gallery manager's discriminatory behavior and implemented policies and trainings to mitigate racial and gender discrimination in the workplace. Over 8-months of reaching out to Frog Hollow board members, she received tacit and non-committal "promises" to implement change in private communications. Frustrated after seeing no actions taken, she posted about the racial abuse she suffered under the gallery manager.

The lack of action by Frog Hollow's board is unacceptable. Actions need to be taken for racial justice, especially in a time when anti-Asian hate crimes occur in many communities throughout the country. We demand that the Frog Hollow board:

1. terminate the gallery manager's employment;
2. implement workplace policies and trainings on racial discrimination and inclusivity for their organization.

Many people in Vermont deny racially abusive behaviors towards Asians exist. They are wrong; Mi Soo's story (see below) demonstrates that it happens here. Please help make Mi Soo’s voice heard by signing the petition to demand the board to take actions.  

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ORIGINAL POST from Mi Soo on December 12, 2021:

It has been very frustrating eight months since I left Assistant Manager position at Frog Hollow Gallery in downtown Burlington, due to multiple incidents of discrimination. Despite the many attempts to let board members of the Frog Hollow know about the manager's discrimination towards minorities (towards Asian, and sexual minorities), I have been dismissed for this long. I decided not to talk with them anymore and let people know about what has been happening in Frog Hollow under the name of " a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the tradition of fine craftsmanship in Vermont."

During the three years of working at Frog Hollow, the manager of the gallery abused her power and spat out racial slurs occasionally.

Here are some of the examples:
-Chinese Dress with pregnant belly
the manager once told me, that she was dressed as a Chinese slut with sexy Chinese dress and a pregnant belly and her boyfriend was a US soldier

-Go join your people
There was a parade one day on Church Street and we could see them from our display Window. It was a group of Asian people, wearing traditional clothes and dancing. the manager told me to Go join your people!

-exotic look
The manager mentioned one day,
'When Misoo is working, the sales go up. It is because of your exotic look.

-Bat meat
When I mention that I was going to the Asian market, the manager asked
'What do you buy there, Bat meats?'
This was during the Covid and some people were saying Covid came from China because Chinese people eat bats. It started Asian Hate crimes around the US and Asian people were getting attacked.

-deleting sentences on Artist statement if the manager does not agree.
She asked one of the staffs at Frog Hollow to delete a sentence from an artist statement. It was a sentence that the artist started making her work to support LGBTQ community.

-not hiring someone because of their sexual orientations
During the interview, one person expressed that they like to wear dresses and high hills. The manager did not hire that person because of that reason. She explained that Frog Hollow is a very traditional art gallery and customers would not like to see a man in a dress.

I do not understand why this manager is still in control of Frog Hollow Art Gallery and working as a gallery manager. I want to let people know that people of color, and sexual minorities goes through discrimination in everyday unlike the pople believe that Burlington is liberal and inclusive.