HOT TAKES
The world we find ourselves in seems to be getting more hostile by the minute. In such a world, community institutions need to let their publics know that they are supported by these organizations. As professionals, individuals part of a larger construct, we want you to know where we stand.
Hey Folx,
We hate that we have to write this post. We shouldn't really have to tell people to act like human beings. Yet, with the recent violence against people of Asian descent, here we are.
Don't attack people. Their race, ethnicity, national origin, or any other demographic is not an excuse to harm or kill. Hurting people is shitty. Just don't.
All types of people contribute to museums, the arts, business, and our society. Embrace them for what they add. Don't attack them because of the common sense and decency you lack.
Thanks,
The Gallery Talk Editors
We at Gallery Talk acknowledge the racist foundation of museums as colonial institutions. There is no way that we could ever move forward with museum work if we don't sit in that history and in that truth. We strive to create an anti-racist environment and to promote marginalized stories and voices. We equally strive to use this platform and our privilege as white women to lift others up and let them be the authority on their individual stories. Please contact us if at anytime we say something that perpetuates racism in any way. We're also learning.
If the things we say make you uncomfortable or angry, check yourself; we're happy to have an open-minded discussion with you. If, in the end, you still don't like us, find another blog.
The Gallery Talk team met at the University of Kansas. The land that makes up what is now Kansas are the ancestral lands of the Kaw, the Osage, and the Shawnee, and we recognize the sovereignty of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and the Ne Me Ha Ha Ki who reside there today.
After graduation, some of us have moved. The lands that make up what is now Pennsylvania are the ancestral homelands of the Susquehannock, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Lenni Lenape, the Munsee Lenape, the Osage, the Massawomeck, and the Erie Nations.
We recognize that we are not the original inhabitants, thinkers, and innovators on these lands and that we are forever guests. It is our sincerest hope that the work we do here can help celebrate Indigenous cultures and futures.