Resources
Art museums have a long history of excluding BIPOC individuals from participating in these spaces, and hopefully the information in this website has provided some insight into this. It is upsetting and frustrating that art museums are this way, but we can work to dismantle these white sanctuaries and turn them into the neighborhood spaces they are supposed to be.
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So, what now? Where do we go from here? What can we do?
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The most important thing is to keep these museums accountable for incidents of racism, prejudice, and discrimination they are involved in, in addition to making sure they continue to uphold the ideals stated in their mission statements and values. We are all agents of change that can influence how these institutions operate. By educating ourselves, using our voices, and advocating for the ideals we want to see art museums reflect, barriers can be broken down to allow for collaboration between communities and museums– as this is the way it should be. So, read credible articles, have these conversations with the people around you, and stay persistent! Let us use our voices to make these spaces open and welcoming to anyone and everyone.
Helpful Tools
Below are links to websites, articles, and a social media account that are helpful tools in learning more about this and what we can do!
American Alliance of Museums
Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Webpage
The AAM is a nonprofit organization that looks to help museums develop standard practices and behaviors, share knowledge and information, and helps museums stay connected to their community. The AAM has a page on their website dedicated to diversity and inclusion in museums, their policies, and what they are doing to keep these policies in practice.
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Change the Museum
Change the Museum is an Instagram account that started in June 2020 that allows for museum employees to anonymously submit their experiences of racial discrimination, prejudice, and harassment that occur in art museums and cultural institutions across the country. The Instagram account looks to hold these institutions publicly accountable for their actions and calls for actual change– not just a statement condemning behavior.
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Decolonize This Place
Decolonize This Place (DTP) is an organization consisting of members and collaborators from grassroots groups, art collectives, and everything in between who actively challenge and resist New York City museums' exclusionary policies and actions. From sit-ins to protests, DTP and its members are not afraid to stand their ground and make museums face their actions.
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“Diversity of Artists in Major U.S. Museums”
Public Library of Science study
In the General Impressions section, I mention the Public Library of Science study that looked at the diversity of artists in art museums across the United States. Here, I have linked the study in case you are interested in reading it!
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“Incorporating Diversity and Inclusion into Young Adult Programs”
One of the best ways to increase the number of BIPOC directors, curators, and educators in museums is to show children and teens that these are possible career paths. Youth, young adult, and outreach programs are the best way to achieve this. This article discusses the role of young adult programs in museums and how these programs help to increase diversity and make these spaces more inclusive.
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Look at Art. Get Paid.
Look at Art. Get Paid. was a project started in 2015 by two young artists who were also interested in how art museums approach diversity and inclusion. The project paid everyday people to enter museums and critique the exhibitions, as well as the staff, visitors, policies, and more. The two artists then used these critiques to work with the museum in question on how they can improve their institution. The project is no longer active, but definitely worth looking at! This could be how we get museums to institute lasting change.
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Museums Are Not Neutral
Museums Are Not Neutral began as an online initiative by La Tanya S. Autry and Mike Murawski in August 2017. The movement aims to dispel the myth that museums are neutral spaces and demands "equity-based transformation across institutions." Museums Are Not Neutral calls upon everyone to get involved in this conversation and believes in the idea that museums can be sites of social change, but that it is up to us to help this transformation happen.
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Uffizi Gallery
"How the Uffizi Gallery Is Highlighting Black Figures in Renaissance Art"
The Uffizi Gallery is a prominent art museum in Florence, Italy most known for its collection of Renaissance art. BIPOC artists and representation of BIPOC individuals during this time period is not often discussed, so in response to BLM and worldwide protests, the Uffizi Gallery began producing videos discussing the influence of BIPOC figures during the Renaissance. This shows how any and all art museums can (and should) highlight and support BIPOC artists, no matter the era of art they focus on.