DATA USE, MANAGEMENT, AND MAINTENANCE

Recording and standardizing fluid and inherently unique information can be a challenge. This section provides ethical and practical guidance around expectations, governance, and literacy related to artist demographic information, as expressed through data use, management, and maintenance. The decisions around how an organization collects and uses data are a critical part of its organizational memory and mindset; therefore, it is a best practice to document, disseminate, and share why and how decisions are made regarding data.

While this stage represents the culmination of all the efforts to develop a thoughtful and ethical approach to documenting artist demographics, this work must be considered during the conceptual and implementation phases of the project. It is the institution’s responsibility to honor each artist’s intentions and apply your defined values and agreed-upon policies and procedures to manage, maintain, and share that data with others.

How the information is recorded, the structures imposed on the data, and the systems employed to manage and access it determine meaning as well as how the information can be interpreted and presented. The records can enable you to understand the demographics in the aggregate (where you’ve captured structured, controlled data) and also support the contextualization of an artist’s identity in your storytelling.

Managing the data set must be an ongoing commitment, like tending a garden that grows and changes over time. An institution that collects artist demographic data must equip staff with the knowledge and skills to be custodians of that data. Keep in mind the fluidity of language and identity and respond as appropriate; your data set is not static. Plan for regular reviews of the data and your artist data collection processes, as well as the necessary labor and commitment to preservation.

As you share the data with your staff, colleagues, and audiences, be aware of the impact and consequences. Consider how well the intended use of the data aligns with your organization’s values and use this as a guide. Center values on open data (data that is publicly open for access and use, as well as technically open for linking and repurposing) and transparent processes. Remember that harm can be unintentional.

These guidelines are scalable and can be universally applied by any institution committed to both respecting an artist’s agency in self-identification and to employing effective and efficient data management. While they pertain to living artists’ information, the same care and ethics should be applied to demographic information about nonliving artists. Reputable sources for demographic information for nonliving artists should be cited alongside data and data provenance should be preserved.