Dispatches

The American Alliance of Museums Will Require Members to Aim for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Their Workforce

The alliance is announcing a new initiative to help draw up these standards, which will be devised with the assistance of a six-to-eight-person advisory group of museum professionals, over the next three years. The process will be supported by a $740,000 government grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. (Artnet News)

Legislation to Create National LGBTQ Museum in Washington, DC Introduced to US Congress

The National Museum of American LGBTQ+ History and Culture would be the first of its kind in the museum complex, and one of a handful of cultural institutions in the country with this focus. (The Art Newspaper)

‘It Repurposes a Building That Was First Made to Cause Terror’: Arts Centre in Former Ku Klux Klan Auditorium Names Inaugural Leader

Renovation work at the future Fred Rouse Center for Arts and Community Healing in Fort Worth, Texas, is expected to begin early next year. Some critics have called for the building to be demolished rather than revitalised. Executive Director Carlos Gonzalez-Jaime believes that creating something new within its walls is critical to addressing the country’s racism. (The Art Newspaper) 

Energy Crisis Could Prove More Damaging to UK Museums Than Global Pandemic, Expert Says

Museums Association director Sharon Heal explains the long-term effects of systemically underfunding the UK’s cultural sector, citing, “museum directors are desperately searching for solutions to the energy price hike that has seen some forecasted bills jump by up to 500%.” (The Art Newspaper)

Can Flashy Music Festivals Go Green?

There is a novel push by eco-minded organizers to make festivals greener, sometimes through smaller, feel-good initiatives like compost toilets and vegan food trucks. Others are striving for bigger impact by offsetting their carbon emissions, or tapping dancers’ body heat to power their heating and cooling systems. (The New York Times) 

Is England’s Arts Establishment Set for a Revolution?

Arts Council England are due to announce its regularly funded National Portfolio organisations this October, in line with its new strategy, ‘Let’s Create’, which aims ‘to recognise and champion the creative activities and cultural experiences of every person in every town, village and city in this country.’ (The Art Newspaper) 

After Decades, The NY Philharmonic’s Hall Sounds and Feels More Intimate

Judgments on the hall’s acoustics at this early stage are provisional, but a mighty improvement is already obvious. (The New York Times)

Museum of the Future: A Digital Phenomenon Created by a ‘Growth’ Algorithm

The recently opened Museum of the Future is a visionary hub, showcasing futuristic ideas and technologies to visitors from around the globe. Yet, not many observers will be aware that its steel diagrid structure was in fact created by a bespoke growth algorithm, literally ‘growing’ the structure organically to its optimum parameters. (ME Construction News) 

The West Must Return Africa’s Stolen Assets, As Well As Its Artefacts

President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari says, “waiting for unspecified ‘progress’ to be achieved before releasing funds looted by corrupt former leaders is unconscionable.” (The Financial Times) 

Museums Need to Be Braver

In their missions, practices, and deep commitment to the public, they offer seeds for the reinvention of the entire sector. Here are five ways college and university museums model a braver future for the museum field at large. (Artnet News)

Artists Who Say: Welcome to The Museum of Me

British artists such as Tracey Emin, Gilbert & George, and Glenn Brown are working on opening galleries featuring their own work to the public. One reason is control. Emin states, “I’ve even got a list of people I don’t want my work to be shown with when I’m dead. When you’re alive, you can say no, yes, whatever, but when you’re dead, that’s it.” (The Financial Times) 

Placemaking: Building on the ‘Soul’ of a Place

Placemaking is often mistaken for a form of manufacturing. Every place already has a story to tell—placemaking just brings that story forward. (Planetizen) 

GCDN and Alserkal Advisory Harness the Power of Cultural Districts to Address Issues of Climate Crisis

The Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN) and Dubai-based Alserkal Advisory have announced a new arts project uniting cultural districts from across four continents, each one presenting a public art installation in response to the theme of climate change. 

The first cycle of the co-commission series, titled ‘A Feral Commons’, will present multi-city public art interventions that will be revealed in Fall 2023, including: Alserkal Avenue (Dubai, United Arab Emirates); Kingston Creative (Kingston, Jamaica); the Onassis Stegi (Athens, Greece); and Victoria Yards (Johannesburg, South Africa). 

The intent of the co-commission project is to harness the power of networked cultural districts to respond collectively to urgent global subjects, and invite participants to renew their current perspectives and learnings. This first cycle (2022-23) will explore how cultural districts can engage in knowledge-sharing and collective action, an ongoing endeavour for GCDN and its members.

Alserkal Advisory has appointed Tairone Bastien as curator of the first cycle. Bastien, who co-curated the first two editions of the Toronto Biennial of Art, developed the theme alongside the participating districts.

Stay tuned for artist announcements!

GCDN is an initiative of AEA Consulting.

AEA Consulting is a global firm setting the standard in strategy and planning for the cultural and creative industries.

We are known for our candid and impartial advice that draws on deep knowledge of the cultural sector as well as robust research and analytical insight.

Since 1991, we have successfully delivered more than 1,200 assignments in 42 countries, helping clients around the world plan and realize vital and sustainable cultural projects.