What We’re Reading: The Advantages of Museum Philanthropy that Builds Staff Diversity
“Due to historical inequalities, young people of color embarking on an art museum career are less likely to have families that can fund their unpaid internships or volunteer work. Done right, these types of early training opportunities help ensure that candidates of color will join the pipeline of museum professionals,” proposes Lisa M. Strong, director of the Art and Museum Studies MA Program and professor of the Practice, Georgetown University in the newsletter, The Conversation.
Strong challenges, “conventional wisdom holds that major philanthropists prefer to make gifts that are used to build new spaces,” and highlights the significant gift by Adrienne Arsht, a banker and arts philanthropist who previously shored up the finances of the Miami Center for the Performing Arts, (having) pledged $5 million for the Met to fully fund paid internships for 120 graduate and undergraduate students per year,” as a “possible model for other wealthy donors who wish to make long-term contributions to museum diversity, equity and inclusion.”