The other day I received an email from an acquaintance inviting me to participate in the Museum of Fine Arts (new?) diversity initiative. According to my contact, the MFA is beginning a "series of events aimed at increasing the engagement of communities of color." He attached a flyer to the email with information on the first event taking place at the end of September. Basically, a corporate executive and MFA board member will be speaking about her insights on collecting. Other than the fact that the speaker is a Black woman, I can't say that's particularly engaging. However, in a follow up email, I was informed that the series - which isn't fully developed yet - will also include art overviews of different ethnic populations, events which connect the overviews back to what is available at the Museum, and smaller events with local collectors and local artists not associated with the MFA.
I was initially excited when I heard that the MFA would be taking steps to engage communities of color. Despite being a stone's throw from Chinatown, the South End, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain, there seems to be little interaction between the museum and the people living in those neighborhoods. In general, I hear more people talk about going to the ICA and the Gardner Museum than the MFA. The more I thought about the program, however, the more I wondered whether the MFA gets it. This series of events seems like it's out to prove that any cultural disconnect between the MFA and communities of color is perceptual rather than actual. It's an academic exercise, and I feel like it misses the mark.
If the MFA truly wants to engage communities of color, there should be a little more effort for the museum to conduct more of its programming in those communities and not always expect people from those communities to approach the museum. They have a great series of programs for kids, but where is the programming that engages young professionals or adults of color? Where's their support for any of the Boston Open Studios? If they want to engage people of color who are interested in the arts, why not support or have some connection to Roxbury, Dorchester, or JP Open Studios at least? Additionally, they missed a golden opportunity during Roxbury Film Festival. Hundreds of people of color, including myself, came to the museum to view some of the films being screened there. Not once was I asked to become a member nor did anyone suggest that I explore some of the collections or even the bookstore. Was the marketing department asleep for the entire year prior to the film festival? The festival is an annual event which the museum prides itself on hosting. But where was the strategic engagement? A combo pass to the film festival and the museum would've been a good start. For all I know, my ticket may have included entrance to the galleries, but there was nothing obvious explaining so.
Ultimately, what the MFA and other Boston-area institutions need to realize is that today's professionals of color don't hold them with the same reverence and esteem that our parents did. For our parents, going to the MFA was a sign of being well-rounded. Many of our parents took us to the MFA as kids, but we haven't really seen it change much since then. Not only that, but thanks to the internet, the younger generation knows about and is attracted to more dynamic museums and art scenes in Brooklyn and Chicago. The Brooklyn Museum's interaction with the local artist community and it's stated commitment to diversity definitely have me interested in checking it out the next time I'm in NYC.
This isn't to say there the MFA isn't a valuable resource. On the contrary, I think it's a great institution. However, the MFA's approach to building audience feels very clinical and corporately driven. Perhaps that will change as the museum continues it's growth and begins receiving feedback from attendees to the series being planned.
Dude, you're complaining because the MFA *didn't* try to push you into its bookstore?
Posted by: Joelle | Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 01:35 PM