Museums and their Communities: Curatorial Practices in Germany and the US
How do museums engage with local communities? This panel offers first-hand experience with different models of museum-based community practice. With its exhibit “Frankfurt Jetzt” (Frankfurt Now) & Stadtlabor (City Laboratory), Frankfurt’s historical museum has turned to the city’s residents as experts and invited them to participate in curatorial teams. The Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, D.C. takes community to heart and works to amplify “collective power for a more equitable future.” The Toledo Art Museum probes a form of community engagement that aims to foster “a sense of belonging for all its audience.” This international panel of distinguished museum curators and directors illuminates how specific forms of engagement work to strengthen museum-community bonds across racial, economic, and other social boundaries. What kind of challenges and opportunities are implied in these museum practices and how can municipalities help to sustain them? Join us for an exploration of museum opportunities and challenges.
