Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In its 80 year history, Guggenheim Museum has named Ashley James as its first black curator to work at the museum full-time, ArtNews reported.

I am honored to have this opportunity to interview Gary Steuer, president and CEO of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. Gary is a respected colleague, a member of Grantmakers in the Arts’ board of directors, and co-chair of the GIA Denver Conference Planning Committee for the upcoming annual conference. I am pleased to note that Bonfils-Stanton has been embracing equity in their support of Denver’s nonprofit community, including its arts organizations.

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For the past decade, landmark research has begun proving what many creatives have long known: the arts have an equity problem. And it is widespread. Despite cultural phenomena like the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, asymmetries are ubiquitous in the production and consumption of the arts.

To expand its contemporary art department, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) has hired Jessica Bell Brown and Leila Grothe as associate curators. They are joining a growing team of female curators at BMA led by chief curator Asma Naeem and fortified by senior research and programming curator Katy Siegel, reported Culture Type.

Two foundations, Kresge and the Oregon Community Foundation, that are testing equitable evaluation shared some of their experiences in a recent webinar on advancing equitable evaluation offered by the Associations Advancing Equitable Evaluation Practices.

The Open Society Foundations announced recently the launch of its Culture and Art program, which "seeks to advance diverse artistic practices and strengthen locally-led cultural spaces around the world through grantmaking, capacity building, and convening power."

Philanthropy New York is piloting a new leadership program for experienced program officers and directors tailored for those who have chosen to work in philanthropy to help bring about change and want to push themselves to be effective champions within their roles, as the initiative's webpage explains.

Many leaders support their organization’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, details an article in Harvard Business Review, "but are stumped when it comes to having constructive conversations with colleagues about police brutality, sexual harassment, or LGBTQ+ issues."

Giving circles, as Ms. Magazine reported, are usually created by women and/or members of ethnic minority, LGBTQ or other marginalized groups—those who typically hold a lesser share of power and money in the U.S.—though many open their doors to anyone with common values. And, according to the magazine, women make up most of their members.