But she did not disclose Samaria Rice’s objections, and so the narrative of a White museum director censoring a Black artist prevailed. “We are in the middle of an outrage and cancel culture, and that’s challenging as a leader,” said Stephanie Stebich, director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Almost one-third of American museums are at risk for permanent closure, according to an American Alliance of Museums survey released this summer. “From a financial standpoint, it’s not sustainable,” said Cleveland Museum of Art Director William Griswold. The museums may have intended to be sensitive to Black audiences and museum staff, but many perceived the move as patronizing.

Source: Washington Post October 12, 2020 10:00 UTC