Art Galleries at Black Studies is excited to announce a multiyear program titled Why Black Museums, which honors and examines Black museums’ contributions to the museum field. This spring we will host our inaugural events, which will highlight several scholars and professionals working within The University of Texas at Austin Black Studies department as well as Black museums across the United States.

On Friday, April 21 Why Black Museums will commence with a day of events dedicated to the theme: “Honoring the Past, Envisioning the Future.” The morning roundtable (10:30am-12pm) features Dr. Ted Gordon, Rachel Winston, and Phillip Townsend, who will converse on the development of the African and African Diaspora Studies Department at The University of Texas at Austin.

The afternoon panel features Dr. Ariana Curtis, Cameron Shaw, Dr. Alvia Wardlaw, and Dr. Cherise Smith. Panelists will discuss their personal and professional connections with Black museums, the development of the institutions they now call home, and the future of community-focused museums. Delphine Sims and Dr. Gaila Sims will moderate and lead a Q&A.  

Following this event, the audience is invited to join the panelists and moderators at a reception in AGBS’s Christian-Green Gallery. We hope artists, scholars, museum professionals, students, and other community members will gather with us to recognize these incredible speakers, celebrate the organizations with which they are affiliated, and look ahead to these pivotal institutions’ future innovations.

In recognition of the importance of accessibility and sustainability, this event will be offered in a hybrid format. If you wish to attend online, please navigate to AGBS’s YouTube Channel, where a livestream of the event will be made available.