Preserving the Cultural Patrimony of Communities of Color

Session designers: Claudine Brown, the Nathan Cummings Foundation and Rebecca Lowry, Native Cultures Fund, the Humboldt Area Foundation
Presenters: Fath Ruffins, National Museum of American History; Carlos Tortelerro, Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum; Gloria Lomahaftewa, Native American relations, The Heard Museum; and Ron Chew, Wing Luke Asian Museum

While the stock market plummeted, foundations' funds declined, and individual donors found it hard to make their pledges, communities of color have continued in their attempts to play catch-up. Ethnic-specific museums across the country are collecting and preserving historical and artistic materials that have long been neglected by mainstream institutions. What are the challenges that these institutions face as they seek to acquire collections? What are the culturally-specific strategies that have been most effective? What stories may go undocumented if there are not immediate efforts to collect the related art and artifacts? This session will examine challenges of representing the stories of all Americans in our nation's museums.

Download:

Preserving the Cultural Patrimony of Communities of Color (1.47Mb)