Essay Museum Sterotypes - 697 Words

Historically, museums have excluded too many people. I want to eradicate the pervasive mind-set that â€Å"certain people just don’t visit museums.† Today, in an era of public discourse characterized by instantaneous updating and dynamic participation, a savvy public shares knowledge and gains understanding about the experiences of others at the click of a mouse. The Internet, digital media, video games, content sharing, and social networking enhance and create new methods of learning. Regrettably, museums – the giants of knowledge – have fallen behind in regard to inclusiveness, technological innovation, and representation of diverse experiences. Museums hold great power in shaping educational curriculum and public dialogue nationwide.†¦show more content†¦Exhibitions or educational curriculum on the gay civil rights struggles seemed nonexistent. I want my experiences and education to give to a more complete understanding and affirming repr esentation of diverse groups in the halls of America’s museums. To that end, I interned with the Associate Director for Operations at the National Portrait Gallery. Trained as a visual artist, I never imagined myself contributing dialogue on the transformation of a national museum like the National Portrait Gallery, facing a remarkable (and uncertain) era of hyper-accelerated change. This year, I worked to develop content for the museum’s five year Strategic Plan, in accordance with the 2010-2015 Smithsonian Institution Plan. I’ve led focus groups with cross-sections of staff at all levels to aid in forming a consensus on the new direction of the museum, as well as to stimulate conversation across all departments. The staff’s enthusiasm for technological innovation, inclusiveness, and far-reaching access to underserved audiences is encouraging. Furthermore, last month I contacted and met with the CEO of the Velvet Foundation, an organization committed to establishing a National Museum of American LGBT History Culture in Washington, DC. We discussed the plans for the museum; I was invited to take part in a two-day focus group to envision what such a museum will be like, from the exhibitions and programming, to the tone and guiding philosophy. I wouldShow MoreRelatedHow American History Is Constantly Challenged By African American Artist Kara Walker Essay1590 Words   |  7 Pagesmistress, often over-sexualised and portrayed as a sex toy. Walker believes Western culture has created this specific representation of what it means to be black. Her work as a solo artist has been displayed in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and internationally the Tate Liverpool in Merseyside, England. The contemporary artist is celebrated for her forms of installation art, focusing on the transformation of site specific spaces. Walkers most recognisableRead More Discuss the Minority Presence in Contemporary British Art Essay3148 Words   |  13 Pagesracial images to sell his work and bring it to the attention of the media, he can not escape having to play into sterotype to maintain success. So although Ofili believes he controls the black image, he must play into a preconcieved one and never advance past the stereotype artistically. Ofili has been accepted by the white art world, but will have to continue to play with sterotypes and use elephant dung to fulfill his token status. Ofilis work then seems very artifical and lacks profundityRead MoreAfrican-American Women: Understanding The Problems of Gender and Race2082 Words   |  9 Pages Why? One reason was that their race defined who they were more than their gender. Another reason was that to support their race also meant that they were supporting their men. â€Å"Six decades ago sociologist Helen Mayer Hacker (1951) noted how sterotypes of blacks and women helped rationalize the inferior status of each: Many people thought both groups were mentally slow, emotional and primitive, and â€Å"contented† with their subordinate role. Blacks were â€Å"inferior†; women were â€Å"weak.† Blacks were