As the US’s racial and ethnic make-up becomes more diverse, a report by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation indicates that museums and arts organizations do not reflect the country’s changing demographic.
Mona Chalabi, a data-journalist and artist whose own work examines diversity in the arts, interprets a report from the National Endowment for the Arts, like this: In one year, “white Americans were almost twice as likely as black or Hispanic Americans to have done at least one arts activity…” As such, the current closures mostly affect white museum-goers.
Whether encouraging an “ever-deeper understanding and enjoyment of modern and contemporary art” (like the Museum of Modern Art), or committing to show Americans “how their stories, their histories, and their cultures are shaped and informed by global influences” (like the National Museum of African American History and Culture), or connecting people “to creativity, knowledge, and ideas” (like the Met), every arts organization has — or should have — a road-map to success, shaped by their mission statement.
With new attention turned to virtual art-offerings, these curated experiences make virtual art-goers more susceptible to one-sided interpretations — which could have a long-lasting negative impact on how we all appreciate art and culture.
