“Isn’t the museum and its collection inherently diverse?”—a visitor to the museum may ask.
Krannert Art Museum founded the museum-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Working Group in January 2020. While we had long pursued diversity work, this concentrated effort focused on addressing our values and eventually became a core part of our new strategic plan.
We began by drafting a DEIA statement as a guidepost for our intentions and policy. The process prompted discussion of current activities and goals, showing areas requiring action and improvement.
Staff members recognize museums are not neutral; each action or inaction is influential. Our working group challenges the entire staff to examine museum practice, policy, and priorities, proactively identifying areas for repair and growth.
Why? A distinguishing factor of the modern museum is the systematic collection and organization of objects in ways that privilege a white, western, colonialist worldview. Creators of collections and descriptions have centered their own identities and experiences, often presenting personal views of culture. This has led to a historical art canon that prioritizes a primarily Eurocentric culture over many others. Because museums position themselves as institutional authorities, this narrow view creates real harm.
One way we address this power imbalance is to listen directly to the people and cultures we describe. Names are important, so we now use Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo instead of San Juan, using self-determined names over colonial labels. In a recent Pueblo pottery exhibition, we changed the display after the opening, listening and responding to feedback from Pueblo artists. And the recent Decorative Arts reinstallation centered Latinx and Black artists who embrace their history and identity through art, like Roberto Lugo in his work Yo Soy Boricua: A DNA Study.
Acquisition practices also make the collection more diverse and inclusive. Exhibitions and programming open doors to a broader range of visitors. Museum staff members continue to pursue DEIA training and reflection. We are implementing an accessibility-first approach to our physical spaces and carry that work over into digital resources.
In my work as collection manager, small changes on our digital platform can have great impact. Because our online collection portfolios are highly visible, I am intentional about the artworks used to represent an entire group. At collection.kam.illinois.edu, we purposefully display works by artists with underrepresented identities as lead images and create groupings based on theme or identity, not always historical categories. I hope this creates a digital environment where a visitor can discover more as they explore the collection.
In the galleries, curators choose more diverse subjects, stories, and creators. Art on view represents up to only 5% of our holdings, so a few years ago I started tracking demographic metrics. This permits us to see our progress in creating more inclusive displays.
Going forward, the DEIA Working Group will collectively imagine what an art museum can be, challenge existing systems, and advocate for change, with a goal to create belonging for everyone through the art collection.
Author: Kim Sissons, Collection Manager
