The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture has launched ‘Talking About Race‘, an online portal designed to help individuals, families, and communities talk about racism, racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture.

The bronze statue of Theodore Roosevelt, on horseback and flanked by a Native American man and an African man, which has presided over the entrance to the American Museum of Natural History in New York since 1940, is coming down.

June 19^th, also known as Juneteenth, is a day of remembrance to commemorate the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved people in the Confederacy two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Here is a presentation on the history and importance of this day and on the ongoing fight for equality and inclusion.

As cultural institutions scramble to declare their support for Black Lives Matter, their gestures have felt both self-aggrandizing and too little too late.

Museums and galleries have been shut to the public during this period even though some are planning to open up within the coming weeks and months. Despite this, the museum sector has continued to operate in a virtual sense, at least. Therefore, how institutions have responded to the demonstrations has continued to be of interest to protestors and the general public at large. Many public institutions have come under even greater scrutiny over issues like racial diversity and representation since Mr. Floyd died. How have museums gone about reacting to the mass protests around the world and the wider issues they throw up?

The following statement is the result of dialogue involving all members of the Queens Museum team as well as our Board of Trustees. By taking time to work collectively, we have made a commitment together to fight racial injustice through concrete, measurable actions.

The Brooklyn Museum in New York City has become one of the first major public institutions in the city to open its lobby space up to protestors during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations taking place there.

Museums and other cultural institutions (including historic sites, cultural centers, etc.) in the United States created by and centering Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian, and other communities of color broaden public knowledge of history and culture. They counter historical omissions, misconceptions, and problematic depictions of their communities by showcasing cultural contributions, achievements, and racial inequities often absent from predominantly White museum narratives. Moreover, through a culturally responsive pedagogy, which places people and community care at the center of their practice, they make meaningful connections between their constituencies' experiences and their offerings (exhibitions, programs, and social services) within the space. These museums, often referred to as culturally specific, are the vanguards of community-centered rather than collection-centered approaches.

As protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd by policemen in Minneapolis have continued to rock the United States, many in the art world have gotten involved. Earlier this week, artists, curators, and dealers began unveiling initiatives intended to garner financial resources for Black Lives Matter–focused efforts through the sales of artworks and promises to match donations.

In the midst of a pandemic that has brought an incredible amount of pain and suffering to so many of us, I know there’s a lot on your plate as a leader, and you are being pulled in multiple directions. However, it is critical that you realize we are witnessing, in real time, the tale of two Americas.

The Museums Association (MA) is among a number of stakeholders to call for "real change" in how the museum and heritage sector addresses racism, as Black Lives Matter protests grow in the US following the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by a police officer in Minneapolis. In a statement, the association said: “The MA stands with all people of colour in the fight against racial injustice and inequality. The recent killing of George Floyd highlights the need for real change in how we address racism and diversity as a society and in our museums...” 

For a city with a population of only 23,000, Kingston has considerable arts and cultural resources. It has a large performing arts center, which brings in top acts; several galleries and small museums, one of which is the only one in the world to specialize in the maritime history of the Hudson River; two industrial loft complexes that house and provide work space to dozens of artists; numerous businesses that hire people in the arts, including several nationally known arts-related manufacturers and fabricators; and the Midtown Arts District (MAD), which sponsors an annual expo of the arts, has hosted artist talks and performances as well as exhibitions, and includes two organizations, D.R.A.W. and P.U.G.G., which respectively offer visual arts workshops for adults and youth and a paid youth internship program in the arts.

Wanting to further leverage these assets for economic growth as well as more social equity, educational opportunities and better quality of life, the city obtained funding for a master arts plan from a private foundation and has commissioned a New York-based consultancy, Lord Cultural Resources, to develop what’s officially referred to as the Kingston Arts & Culture Master Plan.

Some provincial museum sites will reopen on Wednesday, July 1, with new measures in place to ensure people can safely enjoy their visits. Visitors to museums will be required to practise physical distancing and follow the site-specific guidelines to ensure a safe environment for all.

Lord Cultural Resources worked with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and Museum of Natural History to develop a relocation and integration facility and business planning study.

A new cultural nonprofit, Compound, will open in Long Beach, California in September 2020 to provide free public programming on art and wellness. The 15,000-square-foot complex, spanning two renovated buildings, an outdoor courtyard, and a sculpture garden, will host rotating exhibitions curated by Lauri Firstenberg, the founder of LAXART. Its programmes will include yoga, meditation, art classes, performances, gardening, bilingual readings, and a “decolonize the palate” dinner series.

Lord Cultural Resources has been privileged to work on several recent projects in Long Beach: for the City, we produced a preliminary feasibility study for the new African American Cultural Center in Long Beach, facility planning and visible storage strategy for the Museum of Latin American Art, and a strategic plan for Rancho Los Alamitos in Bixby Hills. We are proud to call our Long Beach office our “second home” in the US, in partnership with Studioneleven at 245 E. 3rd Street downtown.

After a yearlong search, the Vancouver Art Gallery has finally announced Anthony Kiendl as its new CEO and director. Kiendl comes here from Regina's Mackenzie Art Gallery, where he's executive director and CEO. He begins his tenure in mid-August. Born in New York and raised in Winnipeg, Kiendl has more than 25 years experience across arts administration, curation, writing, and education. He studied at Concordia University and the School of Visual Arts in New York.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government has appointed the acting chief executive officer of The Rooms as the organization's permanent head, awarding Anne Chafe the job nearly 12 months after the province terminated her predecessor with no explanation. Chafe took over the CEO role in July 2019 as an interim measure, moving up within the organization from her previous role as its executive director of museums and galleries. Her move to the permanent position was recommended by the Independent Appointments Commission, an independent body of the provincial government, and made effective Tuesday.

Bader Philanthropies Inc. is donating $40 million USD ($54 million CAD) to Queen's University for the revitalization and expansion of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, and to build a home for the Bader Art Collection, which holds almost 500 European paintings. The investment, which is the largest gift Queen's University has ever received, made by the Bader family, has the potential to create one of the largest university art museums in Canada and hopes to help Queen's researchers and students play a role in enabling societies to better understand, protect, and experience the world's artistic and cultural treasures, according to a press release made by Queen's.

Lord Cultural Resources (along with Moriyama & Teshima Architects) are currently working with the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen's University to complete a re-visioning, implementation plan, and functional program for the collocation of the Agnes Etherington Art Museum and the Faculty of Art History and Art Conservation.

As of May 7, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is officially reopened to visitors. The BBCW is a massive AAM-accredited facility located in rural Wyoming in the Yellowstone National Park gateway community of Cody, with a budget of around twelve million dollars. We employ around eighty year-round staff, with an upswell in the three months of summer season when 80 percent of our 170,000 annual guests typically make a visit to us.

Knowing that many other museums have yet to reach this milestone, and may be wondering what reopening is like, I wanted to share what the experience has been like. While I am not a diarist, a diary format is the best way I can think to do that. Before I go on, I should say that we are all different both in the nature of our museums and our communities. My suggestions and timing reflect only my experiences and would need to be modified for anyone who might want to use them.

California museums have joined the reopening of the state: Despite rising coronavirus case counts in the region, the Petersen Automotive Museum in L.A. and the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana began welcoming visitors again Friday, and more museums have set reopening dates for July.

'It's not a race. We're in it for the long run,' says director and CEO of National Gallery. "It is all about the ability to pivot right now and to change, as the world around us is changing. And still be able to deliver an experience that is exciting for the public to encounter."

Fredericton, New Brunswick, June 19, 2020 – The Beaverbrook Art Gallery announced today that it will be starting the planned construction of the Harrison McCain Pavilion this summer on an accelerated schedule, remaining closed to the public, and with the goal of fully re-opening in late 2021.

Named for one of New Brunswick’s most important citizens, the Harrison McCain Pavilion will provide a new, much needed, universally accessible entrance. The Pavilion also adds more space to exhibit art, multi-use public spaces, a street-level café, and retail space.

Niagara is the Falls but now it’s becoming so much more. As the province slowly reopens from the pandemic, the Ontario government has announced it’s investing in the long-term sustainability of Niagara Region’s vital tourism sector. Lisa MacLeod, minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, is in Niagara Falls on Friday to announce a $25-million Niagara Parks Commission project to redevelop the historic Canadian Niagara Power Generating Station.

Entrepreneur and contemporary art collector Brook Smith plans to turn former coal-mining region into a "cultural destination." Could repurposed coal-mining sites in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky become an art-world destination and hub for a burgeoning arts scene? That is the ambitious proposition underpinning Somewhere Appalachia, an initiative spearheaded by Brook Smith, a Louisville-based entrepreneur, philanthropist and contemporary art collector.

Somewhere Appalachia is a transformational initiative intended to bring new opportunities to former coal mining lands in Eastern Kentucky. Lord Cultural Resources facilitated the initial reimagining of former coal mining lands into a major cultural and ecological destination. Somewhere Appalachia is envisioned as a hub of creativity, recreation, and education that will provide local and regional economic stimulus through tourism and job creation.

To ensure the success of the local arts community after the coronavirus pandemic, the Detroit Office of Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship is partnering with various organizations and artists to host a virtual series called Arts Talks: The Way Forward. The series will include discussions on life, work, and success in the new normal, and feature guests such as fashion designer Tracy Reese and spoken word poet jessica Care moore.

“As Mayor Duggan helps move the entire city move forward, helping businesses reopen and residents get back to work, my task is to help do the same for artists and arts organizations,” says Rochelle Riley, director of arts and culture for the city. “We want to survey the landscape, see where we are, and see how best to help.”

The City of Detroit Planning and Development Department engaged Lord Cultural Resources to conduct best practices research, facilitate stakeholder engagement and develop a short-term cultural action plan.

NEW ORLEANS – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, the Louisiana State Museum, and the New Orleans Jazz Museum announced today the Gia Maione Prima Foundation’s generous support of its Education Outreach Program. The $25,000 award will assist the New Orleans Jazz Museum in facilitating distance learning opportunities for students and teachers in the New Orleans community.

Lord Cultural Resources worked with Louisiana State Museum on a major Governance study.

Museums and cultural centers in Europe are ready to welcome guests once again. But before you go scurrying overseas there are a few new rules you should know about.

You may associate influencer marketing with bikini-clad Instagram models posing with detox tea and encouraging you to use their promo code. How on earth could this model (pun intended) be applied to arts and culture organisations, you may ask? In this article, we’ll give you an overview of why your museum should consider this approach to marketing.

There is still much to be realised about the potential of digital arts and the application of digital tools to share cultural content. For some, digital is simply a vehicle to achieve what otherwise would be delivered live. For others, it’s a gimmick used to create a momentary buzz. For many, it is an ambition – something to aim for in the future but not a priority in the here and now.