Action!
Some museums are taking immediate action to help change the narratives told at their institutions from selling art to hiring new staff…
Art museums can help increase diversity is by selling some of their pieces, which is better known as “deaccessioning”. Some art museums have been deaccessioning to allow space for minority artists that aren’t represented as well. This concept was done in the Baltimore Museum where they sold seven blue-chip paintings, including Brice Marden, Clyfford Still, and Andy Warhol to “bring into the collection new works by lesser-known artists of color, better reflecting the city’s majority Black population.” (Sheets) The Baltimore Museum “intends to use its $65 million windfall to help advance salary increases across the board, invest in diversity and inclusion programs, offer evening hours and eliminate admission fees for special exhibitions.” (Sheets)
Included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s extensive 13 step plan on how to change systemic racism within their institution, is a “hiring a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) within four months”. The Chief Diversity Officer will help oversee the institutions progress and future exhibits, making sure the MET follows through with their plan.