Art museums allow us to learn about other perspectives by seeing visual representations of different experiences. However, this is only feasible if our art museums show a wide range of perspectives and cultures, and in a way that is ethical and accessible. In order for museums to decolonize their exhibits and provide more inclusive environments for marginalized communities they must work to implement anti-racist policies and diversify their staff and boards.
Art museums are traditionally “the bastions of high culture” (Booth 2), and are most often inherently elitist institutions made to cater to middle class white people. Today, most art museums in America are directed by boards of mainly white women with under 25% of important positions being filled by people of color in 2022. This presents a problem in how the space of the museum is perceived by marginalized communities.
A job posting for the Indianapolis Museum of Art said that they were looking to maintain their “traditional, core, white art audience”, a sentiment that led to the hire of their new director, Belinda Tate, a Black woman. This hire came after a petition made by Indianapolis community members and signed by 2,219 people, which called for substantial changes to the Museum such as: a more diverse faculty, the creation of more accessible policy for underserved communities and students, the participation of antiracist programming and training, and engaging programs for marginalized communities.
It is clear that there is a problem with the lack of inclusivity within American art museums, and that there are people asking for changes to be made. But there is nuance to how museums must handle these changes. For Indigenous art/culture, inclusivity is not enough for fair representation in art museums. Inclusion does not account for the decolonization of Native American art that must happen in order to show a more accurate view of Indigenous culture. Museums must at least consult Indigenous communities and preferably have Indigenous directors to plan and create exhibitions for Native American art. Exhibiting Indigenous art/artifacts is in and of itself often a harmful depiction of the culture. Many objects express intangible values (like heredity) that can’t be translated through Euro-centric aesthetics. So, when museums show these objects as if they are meant to be seen for their aesthetic value only, it is a misrepresentation of the culture and serves to stereotype and fetishize instead of offering appreciation and education.
An Indigenous art exhibit showing decolonization (taking away Euro-centric influences) is the 1987 performance by James Luna at the Museum of Man in San Diego, where Luna himself is in a glass case. This forces the audience to confront a live presence of an Indigenous person instead of a passive display.
According to Arizona State University professor Johanna K. Taylor, the main role of an art museum today is to serve its communities in engaging ways. She states that art museums must do in depth research on their communities, its demographics, and its struggles. This will allow the museums to incorporate and reflect the identities that make up the communities they serve.
In order for art museums to deliver their full value we must rethink the purpose of them altogether. Instead of playing a passive role in how art is viewed from other cultures museums must find ways of displaying art without doing cultures a disservice. Museums must also work towards providing more inclusive spaces, because art is a universal human experience and should be for everyone.
Works Cited
Bahr, Sarah. “Years After Racism Outcry, Indianapolis Museum Gets a Director.” The New York Times, 21 Sept. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/09/20/arts/design/indianapolis-museum-belinda-tate.html.
Booth, Kate. “The Democratization of Art: A Contextual Approach.” Visitor Studies, vol. 17, no. 2, July 2014, pp. 207–21. Advanced Placement Source, https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2014.945353.
Caldwell, Ellen C. “How Luiseno Indian Artist James Luna Resists Cultural Appropriation – .” JSTOR Daily, daily.jstor.org/native-disruptions-with-artist-james-luna/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Calling Artists, Cultural Leaders, Advocates and Allies Against Racism – Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yL1oStV2qc5Kj_V8ldego89SwQ_kBC-NEe27EX2jwpQ/edit?fbclid=IwAR1WX5opfaWJR7fnMW90icgnb0F3nbZKT34W57SbOcRqLDNvfXHjur16fyc. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
Green, Christopher. “BEYOND INCLUSION.” Art in America, vol. 107, no. 2, Feb. 2019, pp. 72–77. Advanced Placement Source, research.ebsco.com/c/5cvfut/viewer/pdf/xzn7uqfzw5.
Quinn, Mairead. “The Art Museum Redefined: Power, Opportunity, and Community Engagement: The Art Museum Redefined: Power, Opportunity, and Community Engagement, by Johanna K. Taylor, Tempe, AZ: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020, 214 Pp., £44.99, ISBN 9783030210236.” Journal of Arts Management, Law & Society, vol. 52, no. 5, Sept. 2022, pp. 342–44. Advanced Placement Source, https://doi.org/10.1080/10632921.2022.2052780.
S+R, Ithaka, and American Alliance of Museums. “Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey 2022.” American Alliance of Museums, 22 Nov. 2022, www.aam-us.org/2022/11/22/art-museum-staff-demographic-survey-2022/.