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Grantmakers in the Arts 2003 Conference THE EDGE Proceedings from the Conference October 19-22, 2003 W Hotel Seattle, Washington THE EDGE BETWEEN CULTURES PRESERVING THE CULTURAL PATRIMONY OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR Off site: 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-specifi c 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-specifi c 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. Moderators: Claudine Brown Nathan Cummings Foundation Rebecca Lowry Humboldt Area Foundation Panelists: Fath Ruffi ns National Museum of American History Carlos Tortolero Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum Gloria Lomahaftewa Heard Museum Ron Chew Wing Luke Asian Museum October 20, 2003, 3:00 p.m. © 2003 Grantmakers in the Arts THE EDGE BETWEEN CULTURES Preserving the Cultural Patrimony of Commlunities of Color BROWN: Thank you for coming. for the Smithsonian and for other institutions. She has also done a lot of writing about the collecting In conversations that I’ve had with some of my of African American material and is working on a own grantees, as well as others, about collecting book that will deal with community museums. and culturally specifi c museums, the fi rst issue that comes to the table is that there are not Next to Fath is Ron Chew, who is our host today, adequate resources. I became acutely aware of this and he is the director of the Wing Luke Asian during my tenure at the Smithsonian Institution Museum, where we are currently located. He has a when the Alex Haley estate became available. I background as a journalist. He has also sat on the started getting calls from people who were saying advisory board of the Museum Loan Network. that there are chapters from the Autobiography of Malcolm X that were not published that will be in Then last, but certainly not least, is Gloria this auction, and we don’t know anyone who has Lomahaftewa; and that last name, Lomahaftewa, the money to purchase them. And a number of means looking for a good life. She is the assistant things could happen. to the director for Native American Relations at the Heard Museum. She is Hopi and Choctaw, One is they could be purchased by someone who and she is a graduate of Northern Arizona would choose not to allow the public access. Two University. She is also an educator. they could be purchased by someone who might choose to purchase them and then destroy them I would also like to introduce you to Rebecca because they don’t want that piece of history Lowry, who is the Program Offi cer at the made available to the larger public. Humboldt Area Foundation, who helped us put together this session. As it turned out, an African American collector, who was an entertainment attorney, was able to The format for the session is that I’ve asked buy those particular chapters of that manuscript. each person to take fi ve minutes to tell you a But it made it clear to a number of us who have little bit about what they do and how it relates worked in museums that culturally specifi c to collecting in these institutions. After that, I’m museums simply did not have the assets to going to ask a few questions. Then we’re going to acquire great collections when they came have a broad discussion, because we really want available. If you cannot buy the collections, then your input in what we’re doing. This is not going sometimes you just cannot tell the stories. And to be talking heads, nor is it going to be passive. the collections are often at risk. We expect your full engagement in what we’re about to undertake. What we have done today is ask a number of individuals to come forward and talk about the So, Carlos is going fi rst. I’m going to ask him to issues that their institutions face and some of the slow down; Carlos speaks really rapidly. solutions that they have considered. There are no real solutions being applied at this particular TORTOLERO: God has a sense of humor is all I can moment in a very global way; but this is a say. Okay, let me tell you about the museum. We moment where the fi eld is having a discussion, are the largest Latino arts organization in the and your participation in the discussion is very country. We are also the only Latino museum much welcome. that is accredited by the American Association of Museums. We also have, as Claudine mentioned, Let me tell you who is here with us today. On an all-youth museum. We have a radio station my far right is Carlos Tortolero, and Carlos that is operated all by young people, and it’s is the founding director of the Mexican Fine about eight years old. It’s been doing very well for Arts Center Museum in Chicago. His museum us. We also have a great performing arts program includes not only a large and beautiful museum, and educational projects. but also a children’s museum and a radio station. It is an integral part of the community in which Our collection consists of 3,800 objects, and each it resides. Carlos has a background as an item is digitally shot and computer catalogued. educator, a counselor, and a teacher in the As part of our most recent expansion, we created Chicago Public School System. He also serves on a state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled vault the board for the Smithsonian Institution Center for the artwork in our collection. for Latino Initiatives. It is very interesting to note that one of the Sitting next to Carlos is Fath Davis Ruffi ns. Fath things most asked of us over and over again at has been a curator at the Smithsonian Institution conferences is, do we have a collection? I have since 1981, and she has assisted other museums attended AM conferences, I have attended AMD in acquiring collections and created exhibitions conferences, in which participants know that we Grantmakers in the Arts 2003 Conference: The Edge 2 THE EDGE BETWEEN CULTURES Preserving the Cultural Patrimony of Commlunities of Color are an accredited museum; and yet they still ask Museums. We preserve and collect to ensure that us, “Do you have a permanent collection?” Think our cultural history will continue. about it. Would one ever think to ask the Met, the Getty, SAM, here in Seattle, if they have a It is more than a fi duciary responsibility. In fact, collection? Despite that, they always ask us if we it is a kind of spiritual responsibility. Please note, do. So my standard response to these questions I’m not saying it in a religious way here. What I has been, yes, we do. Do you have one? am saying is a kind of spiritual obligation that we owe to the past, present, and future members of Being a museum of color, one has to face a variety our community. of attitudes. Most major museums still don’t understand or value the important role that First I think that it’s fantastic that we are hosting this Voice institutions play in the cultural arena. session in the Wing Luke Museum. I think that this institution very eloquently illustrates what The biggest problem that major museums have collections means to museums of color. Please, is acknowledging the fact that museums of color please don’t leave it to the Washington Museum! It are also cultural gatekeepers. The United States is truly a cultural treasure. The method in which cannot afford to have only a Euro-centric view they present and use the collection is superb. of the world. Culturally, politically, and socially we need to have different voices in our society. Museums of color have collections that range Despite all the talk, all the attention to diversity, from pieces that are very expensive to pieces in all the money that has been spent on diversity, which there is no monetary value. Unlike much quite frankly our society has not changed much of the art world, you will fi nd that institutions of in the last twenty years. color are not driven by the marketing aspects of collecting. We collect so many things that might Let’s face it. Museums and the arts have historically not be valuable to Christie’s or Sotheby’s, but are been very elite. This is not a criticism. It is not a valuable to us in a very different way. complaint. It is just acknowledging a reality. Let me tell you a quick story. We had this person Museums of color have been seen by many major come to see me about diversity of the museum museums as a threat because we bring to the fi eld. He spent an hour with me, and everything table something that they never could. That is a I said went in one ear and out the other. He had a First Voice perspective. That does not imply that grant to do this, he was just writing down things, major museums should not present or should not but wasn’t paying a bit of attention to me.

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