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SUMMER 2020
LEADERSHIP
AUDIENCES
STAFF +
COLLECTIONS
BRIDG
G
ES
I L DIN
U
B
A message to our museum family
DURING THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES,
WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF COMMUNIT Y.
As our nation confronts this period of uncer tainty, we want to assure you that one thing has not
changed, our suppor t for museums and cultural sites across this countr y and the world. 10-31 is
a family company and we stand with our museum family par tners as we weather these historic
times. We understand that capital purchases are not a par t of your near-term goals, but we will
be here for you when this world star ts spinning again. We’re a business of relationships, not C
transactions. If there is anything we can help with, let us know and we will be there for you. M
Y
CM
MY
Your Family at 10-31 and Ar t Display Essentials CY
CMY
K
SIGNS
10-31.COM 800.862.9869
SUMMER
2020
ISSUE
CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS
5 rom the
F
President
and CEO
6 By the Numbers
8 First Look
14 Point of View
Redefining
Museums
44 Alliance in Action
FEATURES
47 Tributes and
18 Fear Factor Transitions
In a contentious cultural climate,
museums are wise to recognize the 48 Reflection
pressures to self-censor.
By Janet Marstine
22 Going Off-Script
How can museums use their galleries to
create more inclusive communities? What’s Trending
By Jason Porter, Theresa Sotto, Catch up on some of the
and Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell most popular posts on the
Alliance blog:
26 Is That Hung White? •L
essons from History:
A conversation on the state of museum Museums and Pandemics
exhibitions and race. •S
trategies for Short-term
Cover:
Little Planet, pedestrian By Joanne Jones-Rizzi and Stacey Mann Financial Survival
bridge over Rems River,
Waiblingen Floodplain,
• 1 5 Tips for Working
Rems-Murr-Kreis (district), 32 Of Law and Ethics Remotely
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2 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org
FROM THE
PRESIDENT AND CEO
twitter.com/aamers
A BENEFIT OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS
facebook.com/americanmuseums
Global
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Dean Phelus
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Team of Creatives, LLC
linkedin.com/groups/American-
Alliance-Museums-2965314 Thinking
MANAGING EDITOR ADVERTISING
Gayle Bennett Carol Nettles
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
aamad@adboomadvertising.com
404-347-1755
If anyone had any doubts about the our blog, magazine, and
Megan Lantz, Cecelia Walls, Ember importance of “global thinking,” the last few months Annual Meeting.
Farber, Shelagh Grimshaw ALLIANCE PRESIDENT AND CEO
Laura L. Lott
Thanks to our Member have reminded us just how closely connected we are. Four years ago, AAM signed
Discount Providers Whether you work in a museum in a major metro- a partnership agreement with
politan area with large numbers of international visi- the International Council of
tors or a small, local museum that functions more like Museums (ICOM), which set
ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
a community center, all of us have felt the effects of the the stage for new sharing of
OFFICERS TERM OF OFFICE 2018-2021
coronavirus and global efforts to prevent its spread. research and best practices.
Chair (2018-2020) Susana Smith Bautista, Museum
Kippen de Alba Chu, Fort Worth Consultant A global pandemic is an extreme example of how Through our work with the
Museum of Science and History
Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, Illinois State our individual local actions and reactions often have Getty Foundation, we welcome
Vice Chair (2019-2020) Museum greater global impact—and how much we can learn several dozen art museum
Chevy Humphrey, Arizona Science Nathan Richie, Golden History Museum
Center and Park
from the experiences, challenges, and successes of mu- professionals from developing countries to the AAM
Treasurer (2019-2020) Ruth Shelly, Portland Children’s seums around the world. A global perspective creates Annual Meeting. Every two years, we work in partner-
Berit N. Durler, San Diego Zoo Global Museum fresh vantage points from which to see the world. It ship with Argentina-based Fundación TyPA and local
Immediate Past Chair (2018-2020) Stephanie Stebich, Smithsonian is critical to tackle the issues of our time as a global hosts for Reimagining the Museum, a pan-national
Douglas S. Jones, Florida Museum of American Art Museum
Natural History, University of Florida Karol Wight, The Corning Museum of
community rather than isolate within our borders. conference to connect with and learn from museum
Glass As International Museum Day approaches on May professionals across the Americas.
TERM OF OFFICE 2017-2020
TERM OF OFFICE 2019-2022
18, we are reminded that the American Alliance of This global reach and collaboration has shown a
Devon Akmon, Science Gallery Detroit
Robert M. Davis, America’s Black Museums is part of a global museum community. positive reciprocal interest in membership and best
Eduardo Díaz, Smithsonian Latino Holocaust Museum Representing the Alliance and the museum field, I practices in US museums. In recent years, our accred-
Center
Christine A. Donovan, Northern Trust
Marcia DeWitt, Hillwood Estate, have the distinct privilege of meeting museum profes- itation programs have expanded to Central America,
Museum and Garden
Corp. sionals throughout the world. We speak different lan- Asia, and the Middle East, and our membership now
Kelly McKinley, Bay Area Discovery
Lisa Yun Lee, National Public Housing Museum guages and have different backgrounds and traditions, includes museums and museum professionals from 55
Museum
James Pepper Henry, First Americans but we share many of the same passions about the countries.
Andrés Roldán, Parque Explora Museum
power of museums to change the world. If your museum is small, or has a specific regional
Julie Stein, Burke Museum of Natural
History and Culture “Global Thinking” is one of AAM’s most import- or local focus, you may be wondering how thinking
Jorge Zamanillo, HistoryMiami Museum ant, but perhaps least talked about, strategic plan globally is relevant to what you do every day. When
goals. The AAM team has been hard at work in recent we identify issues we think of as uniquely our own, it
years to “connect US museums to the international is easy to find examples across the globe that demon-
MUSEUM (ISSN 0027-4089)
community and foster a global exchange of ideas strate they are more universal than we had imagined.
SUMMER 2020, VOLUME 99, NO. 3 to broaden US museum perspectives on museum Museums are laboratories in which we can exam-
PUBLISHED BIMONTHLY (J/F, M/A, M/J, J/A, S/O, N/D)
BY THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS practice.” ine any issue to improve our understanding and devel-
2451 CRYSTAL DRIVE, SUITE 1005, ARLINGTON, VA 22202; 202-289-1818; FAX 202-289-6578; WWW.
AAM-US.ORG.
Since 2015, AAM has been featuring international op solutions. The conversations and collaboration the
Annual subscription rate is $38. Copies are mailed to all members. Single copy is $7. Overseas airmail
perspectives on issues related to digital literacy, health Alliance started will continue to reverberate beyond
is an additional $45. Membership in the Alliance includes $22 from annual membership dues applicable
to a subscription to MUSEUM, except for students and retirees. (This notice is required by the US Postal
and well-being, conflict resolution, truth and recon- our borders.
Service.) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MUSEUM, 2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 1005, Arlington, VA ciliation, and environmental sustainability throughout —March 30, 2020
22202. Copyright 2018, American Alliance of Museums. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine or
its cover may be reproduced without written consent of the copyright proprietor. MUSEUM is indexed in
The Art Index, which is published quarterly and available in public libraries. The magazine is available from
ProQuest in the following formats: microform, electronic and paper. Opinions expressed by contributors
are not necessarily those of the Alliance. Preferred Periodical postage paid at Arlington, VA, and additional
mailing offices. Printed in the US by Lane Press, Burlington, VT. Laura L. Lott is the Alliance’s president and CEO. Follow Laura on Twitter at @LottLaura.
4 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org 5
BY THE
NUMBERS
Flush Right
AS HANGING DISPLAY
SYSTEMS
Bridge to
the Future
AS HANGING DISPLAY
SYSTEMS
2014
The year
non-white
students became
the majority AS HANGING DISPLAY
in US public SYSTEMS
schools.
Global
average
lifespan in
2019, up from
46 in 1950 and AS HANGING DISPLAY
29 in 1800. SYSTEMS
1 in 2
Proportion of
Americans who see
made-up news/info as
a “very big problem” AS HANGING DISPLAY
Andriy Bezuglov / Alamy Stock Photo
today.
SYSTEMS
Sources: From top to bottom: Pew Research Center, OurWorldinData.org, Pew Research Center
By the Numbers was compiled by Susie Wilkening, principal of Wilkening Consulting, wilkeningconsulting.com. Reach Susie at Susie@wilkeningconsulting.com.
6 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org
FIRST
LOOK
Boston Children’s Museum Arab American National
Boston Children’s Museum Museum
has opened a reimagined and The Andrew W. Mellon
redesigned PlaySpace. This Foundation has awarded
permanent exhibit is designed to
Karin Hansen; courtesy of the Arab American National Museum
$750,000 over two years to the
provide young children and their Arab American National Museum
caregivers with a safe, comfortable for its Artists + Residents program.
environment for the play and Funds from the grant will be used
exploration that supports children to support a variety of residencies
in developing and practicing and will include everything from
essential cognitive, physical, social, artist talks and workshops to
and emotional skills. Unique in large-scale productions and
size, scope, and vision, the new exhibitions. Resident fellows will
PlaySpace has been shaped by stay in Dearborn for an average of
40 years of experience and child four weeks.
development expertise.
Location: Dearborn, MI
Location: Boston, MA
Learn more:
Learn more: bostonchildrens- arabamericanmuseum.org/
museum.org/exhibits-programs/ artists-residents
exhibits/playspace
Courtesy of the artist and Karma, New York; Roger Shimomura, American vs. Japanese #3, 2011, collection of Jordan
Dallas Museum of Art Jordan Schnitzer Museum Denver Art Museum
Inspired by philosopher Gaston of Art at the University of “Natural Forces: Winslow Homer
Bachelard’s concept of the Oregon and Frederic Remington,”
Assess Your Assets
psychological significance featuring 60 artworks, reveals
“Roger Shimomura: By Looking
of homes, “For a Dreamer of the connections between artistic
Back, We Look Forward” reviews
Houses” explores the importance themes and techniques used
the artist’s long and prolific career
D. Schnitzer; Frederic Remington, The Fall of the Cowboy, 1895, Amon G. Carter Collection
of the spaces we inhabit and by the two acclaimed American
in which he uses a brightly colored
how they represent ourselves, artists. Born a generation
pop-art style to depict a dizzying
our values, and our desires. apart, both artists succeeded
combination of traditional Japanese
Featuring more than 35 artists in capturing the quintessential
imagery and exaggerated cultural NOW AVAILABLE!
in the museum’s collection, the American spirit through works
stereotypes. With an ironic touch
exhibition debuts new immersive of art at the turn of the late-
and large-scale acquisitions that
use forms derived from dwellings
and acerbic wit, Shimomura creates
powerful works that interrogate
19th and early-20th centuries,
an era known for growing
The General Facility Report
or furnishings to investigate ideas
American and Asian pop-cultural
icons, notions of race, self-
industrialization and notions of the (Updated Edition)
including belonging, alienation, closing of the American Western
portraiture, and current political Document the latest information about your institution’s
fantasy, gender, and the body. frontier.
affairs, interpreting them through physical specifications and staff practices through this
the prism of his family’s World War II
updated standard report form.
Location: Dallas, TX internment experience. Location: Denver, CO
Dates: through Jan. 31, 2021 Dates: through June 7 An indispensable resource for your lenders, insurers,
Learn more: dma.org/art/ Location: Eugene, OR Partners: Amon Carter Museum of
architects, designers and other pertinent partners.
exhibitions/dreamer-houses Dates: through July 19 American Art, Portland Museum of COST: $19.95 FOR NON-MEMBERS
Art (ME)
Learn more: jsma.uoregon.edu/ $9.95 FOR MEMBERS
shimomura Learn more: denverartmuseum.
org/exhibitions/natural-forces
To purchase the report, visit
Check for Updates https://bit.ly/generalfacilityreport
Due to the coronavirus, please visit museum websites as
exhibition schedules are subject to change.
8 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org 9
FIRST
LOOK
The Mob Museum Taft Museum of Art
The Mob Museum, the National The Taft Museum of Art (TMA) has
Museum of Organized Crime and been awarded the competitive
Law Enforcement, has released a Infrastructure and Capacity
new mobile app that provides a Building Challenge Grant from
visitors guide, in-depth education the National Endowment for
on the history of the Mob and law the Humanities in the maximum
enforcement, and an interactive look- amount: $750,000. The grant
alike feature called Doppelgangster. will directly support the TMA’s
Using cutting-edge facial recognition bicentennial infrastructure
technology, the app compares a project that will kick off later
The Mob Museum; Taft Museum of Art
user’s facial features with a database this year, which will preserve
of more than 800 images spanning and reconstruct the museum’s
notable heroes, villains, singers, 200-year-old historic house.
comedians, and entertainers—as
well as many others from the Mob
world—to identify the user’s closest Location: Cincinnati, OH
Doppelgangster. Learn more: taftmuseum.org
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Learn more: themobmuseum.org/
app/index.html
The Noguchi Museum Princeton University Art Adler Planetarium
The Noguchi Museum delves Museum Ninety years in the making, the
into two forgotten projects by “Cézanne: The Rock and Quarry Adler Planetarium is unveiling
Isamu Noguchi, conceived at the
height of American modernism.
Paintings” features approximately
15 of Paul Cézanne’s most
a new brand. Developed and
designed by branding partners A MEMBERSHIP CARD
Paul Cézanne, L’Estaque, 1879–83, The Museum of Modern Art, The William S. Paley Collection;
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That will be perfect for
Isamu Noguchi, Ashtray Prototypes, 1945–48, The Noguchi Museum Archives ©INFGM/ARS;
important paintings that take
explores Noguchi’s efforts to rock formations as their principal Change Project, the new Adler
design the perfect ashtray (a
near-universal tabletop accessory
subjects, as well as selected identity is the culmination of a
multi-year transformation aiming
your museum and your members!
watercolors and related
in that era), and “Composition for to make science more accessible Brooke Business Forms has provided membership cards to
documentary material. The
Idlewild Airport” traces the story exhibition reveals the artist’s to all citizens of the world. The museums for over 15 years. With a large variety of card types,
of Noguchi’s unrealized design fascination with geology, which new logo took cues from the sky we can meet every need, from a very small to a large museum.
for a monumental sculpture for began when he was a schoolboy and now incorporates a warm Introducing Our ELITECARD®
the new International Arrivals in Aix-en-Provence, France, and yellow color—bright, cheerful, and Our newest patented product in over 10 years. This unique
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International Airport). These practice.
side-by-side exhibitions testify to Location: Chicago, IL into the letter offering very high print quality. And, because
his interest in making sculpture Learn more: adlerplanetarium.org/ of new technology, less expensive than our similar card
everywhere out of everything. Location: Princeton, NJ blog/new-brand/ products. Available with 1, 2 or 3 cards per sheet.
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Pause for Thought
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10 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org 11
FIRST
LOOK
TrendsWa
tc
The Future
of Financia
l Sustainab
h
ility
SBMM
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
Sailing Into Our
2 0 t h Ye a r
Strengthen your
museum’s financial
future with TrendsWatch
This year, the Alliance’s forecasting report provides a framework for
Hampton Roads Naval Missouri History Museum Santa Barbara Maritime examining any museum’s financial performance and thinking about
Museum To commemorate the upcoming Museum long-term strategies for fiscal success.
In “The Ten Thousand-Day War at 100th anniversary of the 19th As the Santa Barbara Maritime
Sea: The U.S. Navy in Vietnam,” Amendment, “Beyond the Ballot: Museum (SBMM) turns 20, it is
visitors share in the experiences St. Louis and Suffrage” showcases expanding and improving its TrendsWatch: The Future of Financial Sustainability dives into:
women who made an impact in
Clay Farrington/US Navy photo; Missouri Historical Society Collections; courtesy of the Santa
of Hampton Roads’ Navy Vietnam exhibits and educational activities
veterans who endured combat at St. Louis before gaining the vote for visitors of all ages. Reflecting
● Earned revenue
in 1920. Unique color illustration
sea, on land, on the rivers, and in
by a local artist tells the stories
its dedication to the community ● Charitable contributions
the skies over Vietnam. Sailors and education, SBMM has been
also built and staffed hospitals, of 32 women who lived between named one of the top 10 maritime ● Government funding
ferried thousands of refugees to 1764 and 1918. Featuring about museums in the United States
safety, transported supplies, and 80 artifacts, the exhibition traces by Marinalife magazine and is ● Financial capital
endured years of imprisonment the long history of the fight for the Santa Barbara Chamber of
women’s suffrage in St. Louis.
in North Vietnam. More than 130 Commerce’s Nonprofit of the Year Exploring the disruptions in museums’ traditional business models and sharing emerging
artifacts, most on exhibit for the for 2020. To celebrate its 20th
first time, “open the hatches” to anniversary, SBMM has planned practices for fiscal health, the report supports honest discussion—and swift action—to
their often-overlooked service. Location: St. Louis, MO a busy year, beginning with the
submission of its self-study for
secure museums’ financial futures.
Dates: through Aug. 15, 2021
AAM accreditation.
Learn more: mohistory.org/ PDF download available from the AAM website, and in print from the AAM Bookstore.
Location: Norfolk, VA museum
Dates: through 2022
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Learn more: history.navy.mil/
content/history/museums/hrnm. Learn more: sbmm.
Barbara Maritime Museum
html org/20thanniversary
is an initiative of the American Alliance of Museums
12 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org
POINT
OF VIEW
“Museums no longer have the luxury of avoiding the
socioeconomic and the political; if we care about the
Redefining Museums challenges all museums are facing and if we revere
After a rocky start, the International Council of the object, the living specimen, and ultimately the
Museums begins anew on defining “museum.” knowledge we find and disseminate, then we must
By Kathy Dwyer Southern and William Underwood Eiland answer who we are and what we are to become.”
Museums Definition, Prospects by continuous and rapid change. It to guide the creation of a new
In this treacherous Museums of whatever stripe luxury of avoiding the socioeco- and Potentials Committee falls short in adequately articulat- definition:
age of foreboding and pes- find themselves coping with the nomic and the political; if we care (MDPP), the ICOM committee ing the current responsibilities and • The definition should be clear
simism—wars and rumors of degradation of our natural world, about the challenges all museums responsible for overseeing this commitments of museums and in on the purpose and value base
wars, as the Good Book tells the destruction of such hallowed are facing and if we revere the work, argues that the current defi- guiding and supporting museums of museums and should retain
us—refashioning a definition for monuments as Palmyra or the object, the living specimen, and nition “fails to reflect and address in their manifold and complex the unique, defining, and
the word “museum” seems a silly Buddhas of Bamyan, gender ultimately the knowledge we find the profoundly dissimilar condi- visions for the future.” essential unity in museums
undertaking. After all, we know suppression in most of the world, and disseminate, then we must tions under which museums work The MDPP laid out a multi- of the function of collecting,
what a museum is, don’t we? and, among other issues, persistent answer who we are and what we across the world, as part of diverse year process for this work and de- preserving, documenting,
However, the International racism. Without clear guidance, are to become. societies marked by conflicts and veloped the following parameters researching, exhibiting, and in
Council of Museums’ (ICOM) cur- ironically, we risk recolonizing (by Given all this, ICOM under-
rent definition no longer expresses losing freedom of speech, privacy, took a multi-year quest to newly
the essential nature of museums and conscience, for example) even define “museum,” culminating in
that now represent different as we decolonize. the presentation of the new defi-
locales, regions, and nations and Once upon a time, “museum” nition in 2019. Unfortunately, the
embrace disciplines as varied as meant truth, conviction, and trust. process began badly.
art and history, natural history and We search again for that meaning
science, and zoos and arboreta. even as we grapple with political The Parameters and
Beliefs about the very purpose of falsehood, desultory commitment, Process Museum-quality? Indeed, we are.
museums are stridently argued, and incredulity if not uncertainty. Involving 44,000 colleagues in the
especially internationally. Museums no longer have the redefinition of “museum” is per- We provide museums with frames, framing supplies and
haps an impossible and pointless fine-art printing, and have since 1973. Today, as a Nielsen
task. Equally difficult is achieving
consensus from this robust, liter-
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li
And yet that is what ICOM Enter for a chance to win a $500 donation to your
set out to do: to create a process museum at AmericanFrame.com/museum
in which the world of museum
professionals would create a new
definition that reflects a consensus
of what museums are, what they
aspire to be, and what the future
An audience member asks a question at the
holds for them.
© ICOM
Plenary on Museum Definition at ICOM Kyoto
2019. Jette Sandahl, chair of the
14 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org 15
• The process for achieving has set a three-year term, from that gives us the means to save our
consensus in Kyoto appeared 2020 to 2022, for the next stages planet, serve our fellow humans,
THE EVOLVING Members of the Museums Definition, Prospects and
rushed and poorly planned, of work. The three-year milestone and safeguard their legacy. Equally
DEFINITION OF Potentials Committee speak at ICOM Kyoto 2019. which did little to assure buy-in chart will serve as a reference point important, we hope we retain the
and success. for all members on the process, poetry of our endeavors as we
‘MUSEUM’ other ways communicating the proposal. There were many reasons In December 2019, the ICOM timetable, and progress toward a forge the prose.
collections. for this; some felt strongly the defi- Executive Board outlined a time- new definition.
ICOM Museum Definition 2007 • It should acknowledge the nition needed to be changed, while table and next steps for the MDPP It may be naive to think we can
The museum is a non-profit, urgency of the crisis in nature. others were equally passionate to help alleviate these concerns and construct a definition that pleases
permanent institution in the • It should acknowledge vastly that the current definition should build on the work already accom- all, but we believe this work will Kathy Dwyer Southern is
service of society and its different world views, con- remain. In the end, it was clear that plished. Specifically, the MDPP’s spur deeper thinking about what president of the Biggs Museum of
development, open to the public, ditions, and traditions and the new definition did not have the membership now includes repre- museums do and are. American Art Board of Trustees
which acquires, conserves, should recognize the deep necessary support, and the majori- sentatives from ICOM’s member To paraphrase Philippe de and faculty in museum studies
researches, communicates, societal inequalities and asym- ty of the membership needed more groups, and an open, transparent, Montebello, the museum is the at the Corcoran School of the
and exhibits the tangible and metries of power and wealth time for reflection and discussion. and consultative process will be de- memory of mankind. Over the Arts and Design, The George
intangible heritage of humanity across the globe. veloped to work with the National next several years, as we groan Washington University. William
and its environment for the • It should recognize the expert Learning from the Process and International Committees over wordsmithing and bristle at Underwood Eiland is director
purposes of education, study, role of museums in relation to The Triennial delegates’ strong over the next two years. To provide differences of opinion, we hope we of the Georgia Museum of Art,
and enjoyment. their communities and should opposition surprised ICOM’s more time for discussion, ICOM can agree on a global definition University of Georgia.
express the commitment to be leadership. Clearly, ICOM needed
ICOM Proposed Museum meeting places and open to to take a hard look at the process
Definition 2019 diverse platforms of exchange. and its aftermath. Following
Museums are democratising, • It should express the account- are the key points of this
inclusive, and polyphonic ability and transparency under self-interrogation:
spaces for critical dialogue which museums will use their • A strong grassroots process was
about the pasts and the futures. resources. in place from the beginning,
Acknowledging and addressing MDPP’s core coordinating but without the concurrence
the conflicts and challenges of committee included represen- and notification of ICOM’s
the present, they hold artefacts tatives from all continents who international committees
and specimens in trust for soci- served in a series of thematic structure.
ety, safeguard diverse memories working groups, which met for • The overall project’s progress
for future generations, and guar- two years. In addition, during that and raison d’être needed to
antee equal rights and equal time, roundtables and conferences be shared continuously with
access to heritage for all people. reached approximately 2,000 the membership so that it was
individuals who were solicited to clear, understood, and trusted.
Museums are not for profit. help with MDPP’s work. ICOM • The language of the definition’s
They are participatory and received several hundred sugges- English and Spanish versions
transparent, and work in active tions, which the MDPP and the needed editing and was not
partnership with and for diverse ICOM Executive Board reviewed clearly articulated. PRECISION LIGHTING. CONTACT US!
communities to collect, preserve, and edited to create a reformulated • A project of this scale needed
research, interpret, exhibit, and definition for final presentation additional staff and funding
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SCAN HERE
© ICOM
global equality, and planetary discussion, delegates in Kyoto decision-making to committee
wellbeing. overwhelmingly voted to table the structure.
16 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.orgThe National
Archives altered this
photo of the 2017
Women’s March
on Washington,
DC, that was used
in promotion of its
exhibition on US
women’s suffrage.
In January 2020, it came to light that the exercised internally. In museums and archives,
National Archives had altered a photograph that self-censorship can best be understood as the sup-
introduced the exhibition “Rightfully Hers: American pression of ideas, including artistic expression, by
Women and the Vote” celebrating the centenary an individual practitioner—an artist, a curator, or an
of women’s suffrage in the US. The work, by Getty educator—or by the institution itself in the develop-
Images photographer Mario Tama, captured dem- ment and presentation of content.
onstrators at the January 21, 2017, Women’s March Self-censorship is often challenging to recognize
on Washington, DC, which became a rallying cry for because the boundaries between it and the routine
those concerned about the threat to women’s rights processes of responsible editing are often blurred.
represented by President Donald Trump, inaugurated Self-censorship can be distinguished, however, by the
the day before. impetus that motivates it—fear.
The modified image obscured several of the Acts of self-censorship can usually be traced to
protesters’ signs, including some with Trump’s name fears about possible retribution from the state or pri-
and others with terms representing women’s genitalia. vate funders, or potential lost visitorship. The growing
This altered photo had been shown at the archives for impetus to become a safe space for exploring difficult
some eight months—since the exhibition opened. On issues, given the complex dynamics of diversity poli-
the cusp of the 2020 Women’s March on Washington, tics, has created a museum environment increasingly
a Washington Post article called out the revision, and a characterized by the fear of offense. Such fears are
National Archives spokesperson initially justified the bolstered by risk aversion—the drive to lower uncer-
institution’s actions as an attempt to remain apolitical tainty—even when risk assumption will more likely
and family friendly. She also argued that it was defen- lead to successful outcomes.
sible to alter the photo because the work was promo- Though some amount of risk-averse thinking is
tional material rather than part of the exhibition. fundamental to responsible practice, it becomes det-
But within a day of the Post’s report, facing a bar- rimental when it clouds decision-making. In the case
rage of criticism from practitioners, scholars, and the of the National Archives’s self-censorship of Tama’s
wider public, Archivist of the United States David S. photograph, the alteration was undoubtedly motivated
Ferriero issued a public apology and, soon afterwards, by fears of repercussions from the Trump administra-
the altered image was replaced with the original tion, the political right, and conservative audiences. Its
photograph. In his apology, Ferriero acknowledged risk-averse course of action created huge reputational
the National Archives’s responsibility to truth and to damage when a more confident stance was essential to
the stories of women. He also framed the incident as achieving the exhibition’s goal of recognizing women’s
a crisis of credibility that could only be repaired by empowerment.
greater transparency and scrutiny of internal policies In the fervor to avoid offense, institutional
Mario Tama/Getty Images News via Getty Images
and practices, none of which, however, he identified. self-censorship often functions as a kind of “othering”
He was careful to stress that the photograph was that reinforces the marginalized status of disenfran-
not censored by an outside party; “the decision was chised groups. Such was the case in the altered Tama
made without any external direction whatsoever,” he photograph; obscuring signs critical of President
declared. Yet, Ferriero did not admit that the alteration Trump and those that proclaimed the rights women
was an act of institutional self-censorship. have over their own bodies was a disempowering
In a contentious cultural climate, museums are act. Celebratory frameworks championing diversity
wise to recognize the pressures to self-censor. Defining Self-Censorship
In contrast to censorship, in which a party outside
and inclusion in the name of social cohesion, such as
the “Rightfully Hers” exhibition, too often exculpate
By Janet Marstine an organization exerts authority to suppress ideas, contentious issues and analysis that might have been
including artistic expression, self-censorship is deployed to transformative effect.
18 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org 19The Ubiquity of Self-Censorship
The fact that Ferriero did not say that the institution
Acknowledging the illusory nature of neutrality is
particularly challenging terrain for federal institutions SELF-CENSORSHIP:
had engaged in self-censorship in his apology is not such as the National Archives. In his apology, Ferriero QUESTIONS TO
CONSIDER
surprising, given that the phenomenon is widely insists that the archives must maintain “a commitment
denied and misunderstood. In Western democracies, to impartiality” despite the fact that this commitment
publicly exercising institutional self-censorship is fre- and its underlying assumptions undercut the equality • Who am I concerned this project might
quently viewed as a violation of principle. Denial of agenda of the exhibition. provoke and why?
institutional self-censorship also stems, in part, from While it may be comforting to maintain the illusion • What might the reprisal be?
the myth that museums are neutral spaces. Sharon that self-censorship occurs “over there” and “not here,” it • How realistic are these fears? As part of a project by artist Sonia Boyce, Manchester Art Gallery
visitors left sticky notes when John William Waterhouse’s Hylas
Heal, UK Museums Association director, explains occurs in all kinds of museums in all parts of the world, • What risk does the potential self-censorship itself and the Nymphs was temporarily removed.
this phenomenon: not just in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes. For entail?
The very low level of awareness of self-censorship instance, at the UK Museums Association’s 2016 annual • What are the real ethical costs of resisting versus
is partly rooted in the complete misconception that conference, a poll of 63 delegates attending a session on enacting self-censorship? Of course, in authoritarian states, where censorship
museums are neutral spaces. In this misconception, institutional self-censorship revealed that 51 percent had • Have I put proactive strategies and tactics in is ubiquitous, self-censorship is a necessary part of
there is no curatorial voice, no authorship, just a consciously withheld information from audiences due place (as identified in the Resources on p. 20) everyday work. Practitioners must remove potential
neutral narrative—and thus no censorship. I think to its controversial nature. Moreover, the limitlessness of to fully appreciate and confidently navigate the triggers in order to protect artists, staff, and the muse-
that message really persists. If you don’t tackle the self-censorship makes it more dangerous than censor- potentially contentious nature of the project? um itself from potentially grave repercussions.
idea that museums are not neutral spaces, you can’t ship, which, in its dependence on external apparatus, is • Have I collaborated both within my organization But because self-censorship is often enacted in the
and with partner organizations for knowledge
then talk about what you do and don’t display, what necessarily limited. name of protection, it is vital to consider who is being
exchange, mutual support, and joint advocacy?
stories you tell, and which voices you exclude. Today, unlike during the US “culture wars” of the late protected and for what reasons. Museum professionals
• How should I weigh my pursuit of professional
1980s and early 1990s, pressures to self-censor come not must decide if and how to resist the pressures to
integrity with my respect for diverse cultural
only from politically conservative camps but, equally, contexts, which might be at odds with my vision? self-censor by weighing the ethical costs. This is fun-
from the left. Even the most progressive institutions find damental to museum work today.
that a certain level of self-censorship is endemic to their In fact, museum practitioners do have agency when
work. For example, museum staff writing interpretive Only after the self-censorship occurred did the cu- confronted with the pressures to self-censor. The bina-
RES Julia Farrington, “Taking the Offensive: Defending Artistic Freedom texts need to follow the protocols of institutional termi- rators acknowledge the culture clash between contem- ry construction of censor as perpetrator and censored
OUR of Expression in the UK,” Index on Censorship, May 2013 nology documents. porary Chinese artists working in the aftermath of the as victim that has dominated censorship discourse in
CES indexoncensorship.org/takingtheoffensive And while social media has introduced empowering 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and animal rights the arts is no longer productive. The goal is not always
Janet Marstine and Svetlana Mintcheva (eds.), Curating Under platforms that allow audiences to shape museum activists speaking from a privileged position today. to eradicate self-censorship but to accept that develop-
Pressure: International Perspectives on Negotiating Conflict and discourse and action, when weaponized with a mob ing and presenting museum content is often a delicate
Upholding Integrity (in press), summer 2020 mentality, these platforms can readily induce museums The Ethics of Self-Censorship dance between resisting and exercising self-censorship.
to attempt damage control by self-censoring exhibitions Self-censorship does not, however, implicitly In some parts of the world, practitioners do not
Farida Shaheed, “Report of the Special Rapporteur in the Field
of Cultural Rights: The Right to Freedom of Expression and and programs. Such was the case when the Guggenheim and inevitably represent an ethical wrong. In fact, have the freedom to speak openly about their experi-
Creativity,” Human Rights Council 23rd Session, United Nations Museum in New York pulled two videos and one instal- self-censorship is sometimes an ethical good. ences of self-censorship. But where we do, we owe it
General Assembly, March 2013 lation piece featuring animals from its 2017 exhibition Sometimes it is performed as a means of unsettling to ourselves and others to be transparent about these
digitallibrary.un.org/record/755488?ln=en#record “Art and China After 1989: Theater of the World.” sexist, racist, or classist assumptions and practice. issues, or the phenomenon will remain needlessly
-files-collapse-header An online petition signed by more than 700,000 peo- For example, in 2018, the Manchester Art Gallery in opaque. Only with robust self-reflective dialogue can
National Coalition Against Censorship, Guidelines for State ple gave the false impression that the most transgressive England removed John William Waterhouse’s 1896 museums make ethically informed, deliberative deci-
Arts Agencies, Museums, University Galleries and Performance of the video pieces, Peng Yu and Sun Yuan’s 2003 Dogs Hylas and the Nymphs from the gallery walls for one sions when faced with self-censorship.
Spaces, 2019 That Cannot Touch Each Other, was being performed Photograph by Michael Pollard week as part of a project by artist Sonia Boyce. The
ncac.org/resource/guidelines-for-state-arts-agencies- live at the museum. Nonetheless, the Guggenheim artist was interrogating the display and interpretation
museums-university-galleries-and-performance-spaces/ self-censored the pieces, citing threats of violence. of historical works that are increasingly seen to ob- Janet Marstine recently retired as associate
What Next?, Meeting Ethical and Reputational Challenges: Museum leadership did this despite the fact that the jectify their subjects. This act provoked constructive professor from the School of Museum Studies,
Guidance curators had conceived the installation piece, Huang discourse, as evidenced by the comments on sticky University of Leicester. She is now an independent
whatnextculture.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ Yong Ping’s 1993 Theater of the World, to be a linchpin notes Boyce invited visitors to leave in the space where researcher and consultant in the US focusing on
Meeting-Ethical-and-Reputational-Challenges-Guidance.pdf of the project, as reflected in the exhibition’s title. the painting had hung. museum ethics, including self-censorship.
20 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org 21A little over a year ago, the Museum of Museums of all types the world over are respond-
Pop Culture began planning some in-gallery presenta- ing to the changing needs of their audiences, a para-
tions for the museum’s celebration of the 75th birthday digm shift in visitor demographics, and conversations
of Jimi Hendrix, the subject of one of the museum’s about the purpose and definition of museums. As
core galleries and one of Seattle’s favorite sons. a result, educators, programmers, and interpreters
I began with research, diving deep into the content are thinking differently about museum experiences,
of the exhibition, looking through as much material as upending long-held norms with new practices in
our curatorial staff could share with me, and reading dialogue, community engagement, and other informal
a recent and well-regarded biography of the rock icon. learning strategies. These new approaches often re-
The exhibition tells the story of the four most active quire educators to go “off-script,” pivoting away from
years of Hendrix’s career and his relentless travel the stories addressed in exhibitions and broadening
around the world in the late 1960s as the most popular the history, points of view, and interactions to respond
and well-paid musician at the time. to and engage with visitors.
One of the resources I encountered examined Following are two example strategies—one work-
Going
Hendrix’s life and career from a black perspective, a ing with museum staff and with physicians to address
point of view that, in all honesty, I hadn’t previously bias and the other working with teens to foster civic
thought much about. Throughout his career, Jimi engagement. — Jason Porter
Hendrix faced a fair amount of discrimination, espe-
cially in the late 1950s and early 1960s. At that time, as
he played backup for other performers and in his own
early bands, he was required to enter night clubs in
the Jim Crow South through a back door. Later, when
Off-Script
he had established his own innovative rock and blues
musical style, he encountered white “gatekeepers” in
the music business who tried to box him into musical
styles they felt would sell more records.
These examples of Hendrix’s experience with race
are not overtly addressed in our exhibition, which
focuses on Hendrix’s travel and creative process on the
road, though the first-person accounts in journals and
song lyrics nod to his lived experience. But his life as
a black man is part of the story that today’s visitors—
especially younger ones—are interested in. We often
iStock.com/wildpixel; Jim Bennett bring students and young artists into this gallery and
How can museums use their galleries to create their questions about Hendrix’s identity have inspired
more inclusive communities? us to bring his blackness into the conversation via
additional photographs and materials, discussion
By Jason Porter, Theresa Sotto, and Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell questions, and closely looking at objects such as
Hendrix’s personal journal, drawings, and draft song Visitors to the Museum of Pop Culture examine Jimi
lyrics. Hendrix’s iconic Woodstock Strat guitar.
22 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org 23Museum Teaching to Mitigate Bias Civics-Inspired Approaches
By Theresa Sotto to Working with Teens
By Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell
Museum educators are experts in facilitating con- The purpose of this training is not to gain a
versations about art that are grounded in visitors’ deeper understanding about art, but to learn more When we experiment with unconventional ap- Communal flower wreath from the Teen
interpretations. While sharing multiple perspectives about ourselves and our biases. Although some proaches in museum programming, such as methods Arts Workshop with Shizu Salamando at the
is usually a positive experience, conversations can biases are helpful—such as a preference for healthy inspired by civic engagement and social justice, we Smithsonian American Art Museum.
become uncomfortable if a visitor makes a biased food—many biases are rooted in stereotypes that can share authority with our communities. When
or offensive statement. Luckily, many educators are skew perspectives, cause microaggressions, and fos- I came to the Smithsonian American Art Museum Instead of guiding teens through the exhibition
experienced in steering such conversations into ter discriminatory behavior. Studies reveal that the (SAAM) from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of with called-out works and accompanying ques-
productive terrain. first step in mitigating our biases is to become aware African American History and Culture, I began to ask tions as we did with the Levinthal exhibition, we
of them. Participants in this training, which have questions about both the inclusion of communities in encouraged them to explore the artwork on their
included UCLA medical students as well as museum program development and how the format of these own, using the “see, think, wonder” model. We also
staff, walk away with new insights into how aspects programs could incorporate social justice. developed a hands-on art-making activity related to
“ The purpose of of their identities and lived experiences influence
their decisions and give rise to biases.
Were we providing programming opportunities
for communities to take the lead? Were our offerings
the experience of Japanese incarceration in America.
Shizu Salamando, teaching artist and descendant of
this training is not One activity that I lead helps participants uncov- considering a spectrum of engagement strategies? As incarceration survivors, found through researching
to gain a deeper
er their unconscious biases through associations. I museums adapt to new expectations of 21st century her family heritage and Japanese-American history,
invite participants to match a descriptive word to a visitors, we must consider the ways in which we per- archival footage, and artifacts that incarcerated
understanding about
work of art, and then we compare and contrast our mit or barricade visitor experiences. Japanese-Americans crafted paper flower wreaths to
choices and the reasons behind those choices. If In the fall of 2019, SAAM developed its first-ever, use in celebrations and funerals at the camps.
art, but to learn more
someone is given the word “powerful,” for example, free Teen Arts Workshop series. The goal was to create After visiting the gallery, the teens created their
and selects a towering sculpture over a painting that a more audience-centered program to encourage more own flowers, and upon completion, put their cre-
about ourselves and depicts an act of protest, the individual may uncon-
sciously associate height or physical dominance with
“in the moment” discovery and informal interaction
with civically engaged ideas and concerns.
ations together into their own unique depiction of a
community wreath. Salamando made the experience
our biases.” power, even if, intellectually, they believe that using
one’s voice is more powerful.
In conjunction with our “American Myth &
Memory: David Levinthal Photographs” exhibition,
even more relevant when she discussed with the par-
ticipants the act of wreath-laying that happens today
Museum educators have been using some which featured enlarged Polaroids of staged miniature along the Mexican border.
variation of word association activities with school dioramas depicting the American West, Barbies, and As we developed a self-driven space for teens
groups for years; however, going deeper into why we sports figures, we created a program in which youth in SAAM’s public programming, we intentionally
associate certain words with artworks can foster a explored the idea of “being American.” employed civics-inspired strategies. As our public
This is a skill set that museum educators can new level of engagement—one that encourages deep The program brought 10 teen participants from programming priorities are increasingly driven by out-
use to help others in our sector and those outside self-reflection and, ultimately, responds to an urgent different backgrounds and schools into dialogue reach and audience cultivation, I am particularly curi-
it to mitigate bias. The need is clearly there. A 2019 societal need. about the exhibition, their experiences of the media, ous if civics-inspired programming can be used to shift
Glassdoor survey found that jobs related to diversity For museum staff, this training can help em- and their own backgrounds. The group led their own our internal museum cultures toward less authoritative
and inclusion initiatives have increased by 30 per- ployees double-check their impulses: Do I think discussion about American beauty standards and the and more inclusive practice—as well as shift public
cent year over year in the US workforce, revealing this visitor might touch the art because I witnessed a idolization of sports figures with limited guidance perception of what a museum experience can be.
a growing desire among companies across a range specific behavior or because I have a bias that clouds from our educators.
Photo by Wei Wei Chen for SAAM
of sectors to proactively address discrimination and my judgement? Building on that success, we planned a second
bias in workplace culture. In the medical field, my hope is that doctors workshop with our “Chiura Obata: American Modern” Jason Porter is the director of education and
At the Hammer Museum at UCLA, I have been will become more self-reflective about their diag- exhibition that featured works the artist completed programs at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle,
leading trainings to mitigate bias for staff and stu- noses. A multitude of studies over the years have while imprisoned in a Japanese incarceration camp Washington. Theresa Sotto is assistant director of
dents and for external groups. Trainings take place shown that non-white patients get less optimal during World War II. We partnered with Andrea Kim academic programs at the Hammer Museum in Los
in the galleries, where I use works of art to facilitate care. If doctors better understood their biases, Neighbors, a colleague at Smithsonian Asian Pacific Angeles, California. Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell
conversations about an individual’s subjective re- obviously it wouldn’t undo systemic racism, but it American Center, to co-create a civics-inspired space is the head of public programs at the Smithsonian
sponse to that art. would be a start. where meaning-making could take root. American Art Museum in Washington, DC.
24 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org 25Is That
Hung
White? In 2016, a group of 24 museum Our aim here is to answer some common questions
By Joanne Jones-Rizzi and Stacey Mann
professionals came together in Chicago for a three- we see from colleagues and to frame the dialogue we
day convening on race and racism in museums. The want to continue in the museum field.
idea for the convening—called Museums & Race:
Transformation and Justice—grew out of a conver- What is the origin of “Is That Hung White?”
sation about museum response to civil unrest in the Joanne Jones-Rizzi (JJR): When I first entered the
wake of a fatal shooting of an African American man museum field in 1985, I was struck by the number of
by a white police officer that occurred in Ferguson, conversations we were having at the Boston Children’s
Missouri. That conversation was hosted by some mem- Museum about attracting and being relevant to “new”
bers of The Museum Group during the AAM Annual audiences and marginalized communities. We had
Meeting in April 2015. invited a group of community advisors who represent-
Since then, the Museums & Race movement has ed a number of groups we wanted to attract, and one of
expanded with an intentional mission of shining a light the advisors who was African descended commented
on the role that race and racism play in the museum that an exhibition in the museum was “hung white.”
industry—in both the obvious, visible ways and the The phrase has stayed with me and remains relevant
smaller but sometimes more insidious, invisible in light of how painfully slow change has been in the
ways. It also provides a space within a predominantly design and exhibition development sectors of our field.
white field for those of us in the industry who don’t
A conversation on the state of identify as white. Since that original gathering, Stacey Mann (SM): One of the consistent observa-
museum exhibitions and race.
Museums & Race has remained a progressive voice tions made by individuals engaged in these dialogues
for change in the industry, hosting the Museums & about museums and race is the absence of exhibit
Race Unconference at the 2016 AAM Annual Meeting teams. Much of the work up until now has been led by
and the Museums & Race Transformation and Justice education departments and visitor services staff—the
Lounge at the AAM Annual Meeting since then. individuals who see firsthand the impact of our design
26 MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org MUSEUM / Summer 2020 / aam-us.org 27You can also read
