Beyond the Rhetoric and Toward Real Change
Within the universe of cultural organizations in the U.S., the subject of ethnic, racial, generational and socio-economic 'diversity' remains a confusing, frustrating, and sometimes contentious topic. Misunderstandings and disagreements about diversity are especially common in conversations about how governing boards and staff are selected and how they work together, how audiences are served, and how choices about art programming are made. Although the word itself has become a commonplace in the arts, honest discussion about diversity presents opportunities for creating unrealistic expectations and for giving or taking offense.
Laughing Through the Armory Show & Blacks and White in the Art World: Does Class Matter?
A "Focus on New Scholars" Workshop featuring dissertation research presented by J. Stan Barrett, Ph.D., English Language and Literature, and Stephanie Williams, Ph.D, Sociology
The nation's first major exhibition of modern and avant-garde art, The 1913 Armory Show in New York incited curiosity, criticism and controversy among the American press and public. Barrett examines how the show's organizers capitalized on promotional and press techniques pioneered by P.T. Barnum to generate a media circus and sensationalized public and critical response to the show.