NathanY Museum Ethics

  Racism and sexism are things we've been told are bad since we were children. Yet, did this solve the problem of racism and sexism? No, of course not. Everyone whether they realize it or not, grows up with a bias know as, well, implicit bias. This is why it is important to listen to minority staff members when they express concern over their treatment in the museum and recognize how they treat people who they may have biases towards. Yet how does one recognize this bias? In the article by Jennifer Edgoose, Michelle Quiogue, and Kartik Sidhar, they describe removing implicit bias as "[...] discovering your blind spots and then actively working to dismiss stereotypes and attitudes that affect your interactions" (Sidhar, 2019). Educating or exposing yourself voluntarily yourself on one particular group can remove bias. One thing that they do not bring up that would be a crucial step to finding bias is to think of the area you grew up in and how they treated out...

Racism and sexism are things we've been told are bad since we were children. Yet, did this solve the problem of racism and sexism? No, of course not. Everyone whether they realize it or not, grows up with a bias know as, well, implicit bias. This is why it is important to listen to minority staff members when they express concern over their treatment in the museum and recognize how they treat people who they may have biases towards. Yet how does one recognize this bias? In the article by Jennifer Edgoose, Michelle Quiogue, and Kartik Sidhar, they describe removing implicit bias as "[...] discovering your blind spots and then actively working to dismiss stereotypes and attitudes that affect your interactions" (Sidhar, 2019). Educating or exposing yourself voluntarily yourself on one particular group can remove bias. One thing that they do not bring up that would be a crucial step to finding bias is to think of the area you grew up in and how they treated outsiders. After t...

 This week, I read A Team of Curators Designs a System for Indigenous Artists to Thrive In by Thea Tagle and He Left a Museum After Women Complained; His Next Job Was Bigger by Robin Pogrebin and Zachary Small. In the article by Thea Tagle, she reviews a new "de-colonized" exhibit called yəhaw̓. She further explains that this exhibit is not decolonization per say, but rather a way to support indigenous artists with the community. "Together the curators aimed to challenge notions about who creates Indigenous art, what that art can or should look like, and how Indigenous art is presented to the world." (Tagle, 2019) This is interesting in how exhibits for indigenous cultures typically function. Usually, it's art from long past artists, which isn't encouraging. Showing future artists and encouraging them through programs within the community is a great way to help these creators grow in a positive way. Adam Sings In The Timbers, “Indigenizing Colonized Spaces...

 This week I read Reinventing Museums: Pandemic Disruption as an Opportunity for Change and Workers at Philadelphia Museum of Art Vote to Join Union . The first article discusses reinventing museums after the effects of the pandemic. The main example used is are museums in Venice, where they seek to create a digital artist creative class, that would lead to "converting empty B&Bs to student housing; offering incentives to arts organizations to open local outposts; creating coworking spaces to support start-ups and individual entrepreneurs; drafting regulations that discourage day-trippers and cruise-ship tourism while encouraging long-term stays." (Merrit, E Reinventing Museums ) The second article discusses the 181-22 vote to establish a museum union in Philadelphia, another result of the corona virus pandemic. The Philadelphia Museum was close to closing and had to create a union to secure the benefits for their workers in the uncertain future. This will allow the work...