Giving Compass' Take:
- Lisa M. Strong discusses how reimagining museum philanthropy by directing funds toward higher wages for staff can improve diversity in the field.
- How can donors prioritize equity in museums by shifting their contributions from building projects to a living wage for diverse staff?
- Learn more about best practices in philanthropy.
- Search our Guide to Good for nonprofits in your area.
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Retired financier Oscar Tang, along with his wife, Agnes Hsu-Tang, are giving the Metropolitan Museum of Art $125 million. Their gift, announced in November 2021, will help pay for a long-planned renovation of the New York City museum’s Modern and Contemporary Art wing, reimagining museum philanthropy.
The gift was the largest donation the museum has ever received and led the couple to rank No. 22 among the top 50 U.S. donors of 2021, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The donors placed no official requirements on how the money should be used but expressed support for the Met’s plan to spend it on a new space that will exhibit work by artists from a wide range of countries and backgrounds.
As a scholar of museum studies, I would welcome a more inclusive vision for the Met’s collection in a state-of-the-art gallery. However, I believe that the institution would better enhance its inclusiveness by taking steps to increase the diversity of its staff from top to bottom, particularly at the entry level, reimagining museum philanthropy.
30 Years of Reimagining Museum Philanthropy for Equity in Art Museums
Calls for greater social justice in museums began to pick up three decades ago.
The American Alliance of Museums, the largest professional museum organization, published a report in 1992 that highlighted this problem and called for museums to “become more inclusive places that welcome diverse audiences” and to “reflect our society’s pluralism in every aspect of their operations and programs.”
Since then, museums have acknowledged their need to increase the diversity of their collections and exhibitions by reducing the over-representation of straight, white male artists.
Eventually, this effort broadened to include a wide range of equity issues, as well as access for people with disabilities and various kinds of inclusion. In 2020, with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, this movement gained momentum at the Met and other museums.
Read the full article about reimagining museum philanthropy by Lisa M. Strong at Fast Company.