MASS Action, in collaboration with stakeholders across the field, is creating a platform for public dialogues on a variety of topics and issues affecting our communities locally and globally, leading to actionable practices for greater equity and inclusion in our institutions.
Year One
MASS Action launched in October 2016 with a gathering of 50 museum practitioners for an action-oriented conversation around topics of equity inside the museum, relevant programming, and community engagement. Participants worked collaboratively to identify the most pressing issues in the field, and are currently developing a toolkit of resources. The envisioned toolkit will include a guide to the emerging lexicon around equity and inclusion, strategies to address inequity, and actions and exercises to build more inclusive museums practices. It will be made available in late summer 2017.
Year Two
October 11-13, 2017, a larger convening was held to include staff teams from museums that intend to use the toolkit and are committed to embed strategies of inclusion into their institutions. The convening featured case studies, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and other discussions of how to put theory into practice.
Year Three
Participating museums will act and build on the commitments to equity and social change agreed upon at the 2017 Convening, creating more inclusive practices in their own institutions and the field at large. The 2018 MASS Action Convening will be held October 10-12, 2018.
What is Mia's Role?
The Minneapolis Institute of Art was the convener and platform for this project, creating a space for the work that is already being done in this area across the country, and investing in the field at large. The work that results from this project belongs to the collective of participating museum practitioners and stakeholders that help to create and embody it. Mia acknowledges that it is not an exemplar of best practices around equity and inclusion, but rather, serves as an example of a museum that is committing itself to doing the work we need to do to become a more equitable and inclusive institution.
Project Contributors
Adam Patterson, Adrianne Russell, Aletheia Wittman, Alyssa Greenberg, Alyssa Machida, Annie Anderson, Anniessa Antar, Ashley Fairbanks, Ashley Rogers, Ben Garcia, Brenda Tindal, Chieko Phillips, Chris Taylor, Christine Lashaw, Cinnamon Catlin-Letgutko, Dina Bailey, Elisabeth Callihan, Elon Cook, Emily Pinkowitz, Emily Potter, Evelyn Orantes, Gamynne Guillote, Gina Diaz, Gretchen Jennings, Janeen Bryant, Joanne Rizzi-Jones, Joy Bivins, Karleen Gardner, Kayleigh Bryant Greenwell, Keonna Hendrick, Krista Pearson, Kyle Parsons, La Tanya Autry, Lauren Causey, Makeba Clay, Margaret Middleton, Maya Weisenger, Melanie Adams, Mike Murawski, Mischa Keegan, nikhil trivedi, Omar Eaton-Martinez, Patricia Lannes, PJ Gubatina Policarpio, Porchia Moore, Priya Frank, Radiah Harper, Sage Morgan Hubbard, Shaelyn Amaio, Sina Bahram, Swarupa Anila, Therese Quinn, Toni Wynn, Witt Siasoco
Learn more about the contributors
Project Advisors
Rose Paquet Kinsley, Monica O. Montgomery, Porchia Moore, Joanne Rizzi-Jones, Adrianne Russell, Chris Taylor, Aletheia Wittman, Karleen Gardner, Elisabeth Callihan
Project Support Staff
Anniessa Antar, project site coordinator
Sarah Winter, media/web coordinator
Project Funding
MASS Action is made possible through generous support from Nancy Engh and a grant from the Gale Family Foundation.