The Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative: An Inside View

As the coordinating curators of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative (AWHI), we act as the architects of content for the overall project, working with curators across the Smithsonian. For this panel, we will present the transformative work that the Smithsonian is taking on, in order to make systemic changes to the Institution. Our objective is to achieve a more equitable workplace culture as well as make visible American women’s history and current experiences across all disciplines. A leader in the cultural realm, the Smithsonian is positioned to offer a roadmap for other cultural institutions. We are working in alignment with groups such as TIMESUP Museums to: strengthen our galleries; broaden our knowledge of art, history, and science; and attract larger and more committed audiences for culture at large. Our paper will provide an overview of the Initiative, focusing on two path-breaking exhibitions including the initiative’s milestone, “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence” and “Hung Liu: Portraits of Promised Lands,” a major retrospective on the Chinese-American artist Hung Liu. We will also discuss organizing the self-reflective symposium, “Working Women at the Smithsonian: A Case Study.” Finally, we briefly will touch upon upcoming exhibitions, publications, symposia, scholarly programs, and conservation and acquisitions highlights. By sharing our experiences as the organizers of this Initiative, we hope to stimulate conversation with the audience about how to organize an institution to pursue change.