Expanding the Canon: Curatorial and Art Historical Activism

This panel addresses how museums and art historians are working to improve and increase the representation of artists and stories that have been relegated to art history’s margins. As recent studies report that 85% of artists in U.S. museum collections are white, and 87% are male, what are museums doing to diversify? Is the notion of the canon worth engaging or do we create parallel, alternative canons? How does expanding the canon affect teaching? What forms of research (exhibition, publications, public programs) allow us to create new knowledge that changes the canon? How can artists serve as collaborators and constructive critics while American museums catch up with national demographics and respond to their communities? What are some examples and case studies that deserve to be recognized, and what pitfalls should be avoided? Presenters will share examples that highlight creative solutions, outline common challenges, or underscore problems that still need to be addressed, in an effort to broaden the critical discourse around museum practices, equity, and inclusion.

DePaul Art Museum Director and Chief Curator Julie Rodrigues Widholm and Assistant Curator Mia Lopez are panel co-chairs, and will touch on their institutional efforts in this area.