Black Artists Matter and should have more prominence in our museums

Last week the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) came under fire for a job posting calling for a director who would maintain its “traditional, core, white audience.” The museum head has since resigned following the public outcry, but the question remains: what does a call like this mean in the context of the contemporary art world?

Through my formal art-history training I studied the high-contrast used by Baroque artist Caravaggio and the pyramidal compositions of Renaissance Master DaVinci. Non-western (read: non-white) art was often relegated to a unit lasting a few weeks, maybe, where we would try our hand at Chinese calligraphy on rice paper or examine the bright lapis lazuli used throughout Ancient Egypt. For many, myself included, the selection of Kehinde Wiley, a Black contemporary artist, to paint President Barack Obama’s official portrait was revolutionary—and opened me up to a world of robust Black art whose artists were making names for themselves in a world that has, and in many cases continues, to exclude them and their work.

This juxtaposition of how art history students like myself were taught, and what is happening real-time in the art world has prompted many museums and galleries to consider their own narratives. For many of these institutions, where there should be conversations around opportunities to support a more inclusive and equitable art world, reflective of the real-world happenings outside their heavy doors, there is instead, this job posting. Countless examples like this, force me to ask questions like: What does that say about the larger fragility of the art world and, if the promotion and inclusion of non-white art really would alienate “core white bases,” are these the audiences we want? Even when some institutions highlight art by non-white artists, the mood is still often of a problematic nature. The idea that they have made a “brave” decision—centering a non-white artist despite what some of those core audiences might think. This allows institutions to subtly maintain their existing racial hierarchy, while also creating a kind of martyrdom for them and the visitors who attend.

When will the conversation shift to the more realistic interpretation of such inclusions: That we are incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to host, view, and learn from talent the likes of Simone Leigh, Kehinde Wiley, and Kara Walker (among others); artists who push us out of our comfort zones, challenge hierarchies, and invite us to reflect on our most problematic histories? History has a lesson for us here: When Impressionists like Monet were excluded from the formal Paris Salon in 1863, they were relegated to their own “Salon de Refuses” (directly translated: exhibition of rejects). This exhibit ended up hosting over 1,000 visitors a day. These artists’ push to resist the bounds of the traditional art world ultimately brought us the foundation for the Avant Garde as we know it.

It has been 158 years since that time and yet so many institutions are still insisting on conformity. With our world of social media, the art world is moving on with or without the consent of institutions. Where institutions used to determine popularity and credibility for audiences, the reverse is now happening. Audiences are pulled to artwork that is displayed on the ground, in the streets, and digitally through social media often leaving institutions scrambling. It is important to note here, that the Indianapolis head Charles Venable, (formerly the director of the Speed Museum in Louisville), inherited the IMA with a policy of free admittance to attendees — a policy that he quickly reversed, reinstating admission fees for non-members. Even without the recent job posting, this move speaks volumes about the audiences he is prioritizing. The academy would do well to formally recognize and pursue the acquisition of talent that has been relegated to the background for too long, “core white audiences” be damned.

Chelsea Brislin earned her PhD in Literature from the University of Kentucky where she currently serves as the Associate Director for the Gaines Center for the Humanities and an affiliate faculty for the Appalachian Studies Program.