A new model for achieving museum diversity
The Phillips Collection, America's first museum of modern art, has hired its first Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). Will having an executive level diversity officer make a difference? The short answer is no, not in isolation. The Phillips, however, is taking a holistic approach that could set the standard for other museums.
Increasing racial and ethnic diversity in museum leadership should make institutions more inclusive, but the Phillips thinks that more can be done. In addition to hiring a CDO, their strategy includes courting Millennials and Gen Zers with free admission this summer for visitors under 30. Will this strategy work to bring in younger patrons, or will it just be temporary competition for the Smithsonian (which always offers free admission at its museums in Washington)? The challenge for the Phillips will be collecting information from these non-paying visitors (a problem the Smithsonian has long suffered with), but, beyond that, engaging and keeping them will require more time and attention after the initial visit. The Phillips will need to evaluate and address the motivations of these potential patrons and experiment with ways to satisfy those needs.
As one of my local museums, it is encouraging to see the Phillips take on a pioneer role in diversifying the art world. Their strategy, the result of an intensive diversity task force, seems to go far beyond one person and a title. For them, being inclusive means promoting diversity among all levels of staff, the board, the artists, and the collection.
As the director, Dorothy Kosinski, puts it in a recent Washington Post op-ed on diversity, she is looking to "ultimately strengthen our artistic ecosystem." To that end, she challenges "other art institutions to commit to opening up the doors to all and encouraging the next generation to pursue the arts." I think they have a promising approach that has the potential to serve as a model for other institutions in the nation's capitol and elsewhere. I'm a patron of the Phillips, and I look forward to seeing how this transformation--both inside and outside its doors--unfolds.
