INTRODUCTION

Conversations regarding the realities and consequences of exclusion and marginalization are happening globally. Topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging (DEIAB) within the arts have been a focal point for decades, with the lack of diversity across all areas of the visual arts highlighted as an unfortunate—yet inevitable—result of the system in which the arts operate. These conversations accelerated in 2020, with numerous panels, statements, and reflections throughout the industry (see examples in the Resources sidebar).

Striving to become more equitable organizations, arts institutions, nonprofit and for-profit alike, are undertaking investigations of DEIAB practices in staffing, fundraising, leadership, governance, and management to address the systemic bias and inequities embedded within all aspects of the industry. With these investigations happening, nonprofit arts organizations are also working to adjust collection and exhibition practices to seek more inclusive representations within their holdings and exhibitions. Institutions are also seeking new visions for installation and interpretation policies to present an inclusive and expansive narrative within their historical and contemporary collections, special exhibitions, and through other platforms.

Tied to these institutional efforts, curators are also responsible for examining how their practices can contribute to equitable representation within the institutions they serve. These efforts may incorporate documenting their collection practices, facilitating discussions, and working to correct historical injustices in their sphere of influence. Curators can and should advocate for equitable hiring practices; culturally responsive programming; and exhibitions that welcome community voices, diverse artist representation, and fair interpretation and presentation of diverse histories and ideas; providing platforms for stories that have been overlooked or silenced; and looking critically at histories that have become broadly accepted.

Resources

General

“Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey.” Mellon Foundation.

“Code of Conduct for Curators.” Association of Art Museum Curators.

Topaz Chad M., et al. (2019).

“Diversity of Artists in Major U.S. Museums.” PLOS ONE 14(3): e0212852.

“Inclusive Demographic Data Collection.” Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Compliance (ORARC), Harvard University.

Professional Practices for Art Curators in Nonprofits. Association of Art Museum Curators Foundation.

Institutions have the responsibility to support them in these endeavors.

As stated in the AAMC Foundation’s Professional Practices Guide for Nonprofit Curators : “The goals of any exhibition should include increasing public understanding of a given subject; forging new narratives that expand the art historical canon; and enhancing visitor experience. The principles of diversity and inclusion must guide exhibition planning at all stages. Additionally, curators must tailor their programming to serve the needs of their audiences, being consciously aware of differing perspectives. Curators need to gather together community voices in developing programming, texts, and other materials around an exhibition.” For acquisitions, the guide states, “Acquisition policies need to demonstrate the organization’s commitment to telling the most complete, inclusive, and multivalent narrative possible. New acquisitions should not only add depth to the collection but seek to fill and correct gaps within it, such as a lack of holdings by artists from underrepresented communities and cultures, and to adjust linear and traditional histories.”

Demographic data, or information related to identity such as race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, can be a compelling instrument for addressing inequitable harms if used properly. Often collected by government agencies as well as by private entities, demographic information can provide a plethora of insights into surveyed populations. However, data is only reliable and usable when its collection, interpretation, and implementation are ethically and equitably obtained and used.

Pressure is mounting toward rectifying gaps and lack of holdings from underrepresented communities and cultures. As such, institutions and their leadership are seeking to quantify and be transparent about the diversity of their collections and exhibitions by moving swiftly to secure demographic data identifying artists. Specifically for living artists, this process should be done through firsthand engagement with artists and not through secondhand research or conjecture. The development of questionnaires and data-gathering tools needs to engage curators, registrars, and conservators, and data and collection management, diversity, and digital teams, as well as other key members of internal staff, and it should also involve artists, external data experts, and additional outside consultants such as foundations. This type of information is about an artist’s identity more broadly and is not meant to be tied to a particular work or body of work, and demographic data should therefore not be linked to object data.

When possible, arts organizations should work together to gather this information to avoid repetitive efforts and to secure consistency and

Resources

DEIAB and the Arts accuracy. However, working collaboratively across institutions isn’t always feasible due to privacy concerns, differing data management systems and policies, and capacity. If in the future there is a centralized and accurate database with information collected with the highest ethics in place, and not utilizing secondhand research, this would help solve the issue of duplicative work and better facilitate public access to accurate artist data without overburdening both artists and staff across an already stretched sector.

“Association of Art Museum Curators Statement on Systemic Violence and Racism.” Association of Art Museum Curators, June 2, 2020.

“Beyond Statements: Living It Out” webinar. Association of Art Museum Curators.

“Beyond Statements: People Power ” webinar. Association of Art Museum Curators.

“Beyond Statements: Taking Action” webinar. Association of Art Museum Curators.

“Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion.” American Alliance of Museums.

“Excellence in DEAI.” American Alliance of Museums.

“DEAI Practices.” Association of Art Museum Curators. Disrupting Whiteness in Libraries resource list.

Overall it is highly recommended that curators be vocal contributors in the process and reinforce open discourse, internally and externally, about how collected data is secured, stored, and used. In addition, curators should make certain that the goals of artist demographic data collection projects are clear and shared, and that institutions establish and publish action plans based on their findings—for instance, changing acquisition and display policies and practices—to ensure organizations will be held accountable.

It is vital that the initiative to gather artist demographic data is not viewed as a project that has a beginning and an end, but rather as a continuous and evolving effort with modifications and adaptations welcomed. In no way can an artist demographic data collection project ever be deemed complete or considered set in stone. Artists may opt to change their responses, new terminology and ways of structuring identity may impact fields in the questionnaire, goals may change internally, and the capacity to maintain a project may shift (see Feedback and Updates). Both the questionnaires and the processes for creating, maintaining, and using them should be considered organic, living projects.

The act of accumulating demographic data about people should center the critical voices of the people. Many artist constituents in an institution’s collection or exhibition program may not be alive to undergo this process of self-identification, which poses numerous issues and concerns. This guide centers on the capacity to collect information from living artists, which enables the voice of the artist to be part of the project in a way that is not possible for nonliving artists. However, while this guide does center on living artists, the stages, processes, and questions to raise are applicable for projects regarding deceased artists as well.

When using this guide, it is important to keep in mind that it largely employs U.S.-specific language and terminology. The general guidelines and information are, however, relevant across the nonprofit arts sector globally. In addition, this document offers a path forward for all team members working on artist demographic data projects.