Defining Museum “Community”

Yesterday I had an internet video call with ten people. Three of the people on the call were Black; the rest were white. During the call, I noticed that the white participants tended to direct questions about “community” toward the Black people as if they were using language to mean “Black community” without using the word “Black.” I understand the desire to hear the perspective of a Black person on issues facing the Black community, but the phone call did not sit well with me.

This morning, I had another typical interaction with a museum. This time, all of the participants were white. Afterward, thinking about both calls, I realized that colonization and imperialism are embedded in the culture of the United States. They are in my culture. They are within me. It is not possible to change anything before recognizing and acknowledging that fact.

In thinking about the call I remembered a blog post by Art Museum Teaching;

Museums are perceived as separate from communities; they are seen as buildings with collections, objects, exhibitions, and experts that are made available to communities on a limited basis. … By default, museums then exist as disconnected, disengaged, and distanced from this idea of community. (1)

Mike Murawski