by millennial pink feminist
Museums are vessels of the past. They interpret and present relics from throughout the ages to the people. They are the beacons of our heritage. They showcase the pinnacle of our culture. Just like history is written by the victor, these relics are presented through the lens of the elite class (so basically, white people). In the case of museums, this doesn’t simply mean white; it means white and rich.
After completing my undergraduate degree and working in the corporate world, I decided I had had enough of dumb dudes holding the reins (I was so naive I didn’t realize this is the case everywhere you go….) and feeling like my hard work just led to those dumb dudes having more money. So I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Museum Studies, the field where no one makes money (well, except the–often male–director at the top)! Yay!
Throughout the course of my program, we learned the importance of expanding the audience bases of museums. This is because, as it stands, museum audiences tend to be pretty homogenous. It is obvious to anyone who visits a museum that the majority of visitors are white, “educated,” and, if they can afford to buy a ticket (come on, Guggenheim, $25???), probably independently wealthy. As in life, the rich get richer and also remain an elite group who feel welcome and comfortable at museums.
Lecturers from across the UK came to my graduate school in London to speak about expanding museum audience bases through exhibiting more diverse shows, advertising in different areas, and providing late-night events that daytime and weekend workers might actually be able to attend.
This is great, but who is really behind creating these “diverse” exhibitions? People who can afford to work for nothing and live in the most expensive cities. This means predominantly white and affluent. Doesn’t scream diversity. With a homogenous workforce, creating messaging and varied viewpoints that are accessible, appropriate, and understood by the masses is incredibly challenging. I actually went to a slavery exhibition in London where a Black perspective was not shared. The director of the exhibition explained in an audio guide that this was because, as a white team or curators, they did not feel they could adequately convey the black experience. Sure, but maybe hire more people of color??
Museum workers in the UK (hold executives) usually make around £20k-£40 a year. If you made this in London, you could, like, do nothing. Actually nothing. Same in New York, LA, and any other metropolitan city with a museum. Cool. So who can afford to pay for a master’s degree and Ph.D. in art history or whatever when the payout is nil???? Rich white people? Yeah, could be.
The UK prides itself on having free national museums, as they view their stolen national treasures as public goods. While this all sounds wonderfully altruistic, who is presenting these public goods? Do they represent the general public? Do their views coincide and welcome the vast majority of England’s population? Fuck no.
After grad school, I moved back to the States to find work in New York. Lol! Lol. Lol. Crying face. Lots of Xanax. Entering the museum workforce in New York felt like a sick joke. A) I didn’t even get an interview for most entry-level jobs. B) If I did, I couldn’t afford to live off the 30-40k salary they offered, which is actually within the poverty threshold of New York.
I’m white, educated, and have parents who can provide sustenance if I fail. So I have more privileges than a lot of people. And yet I can’t afford to work in a museum. Hence, I am no longer seeking museum work or work in the arts, for that matter.
We will see how I fare. Stay tuned…..
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