Article Reflection No. 30 (10/29/2022)
- Mary
- Oct 29, 2022
- 2 min read
Article:
Reflection:
In the article “The Guggenheim’s Scapegoat” of The Atlantic, journalist Helen Lewis recounts the ongoing story behind an art museum, emphasizing how current events have huge influence over exhibition choice. Focusing on the backlash museum curator Nancy Spector faced after being forced out of her job for discriminating against colored people, Lewis claims that she (Spector) was someone who was blamed unjustly with no concrete evidence. Interestingly, the article also describes conflicts within selecting art for an exhibit. For example, Lewis explains the situation surrounding Afro-Lation artist Shaun Leonardo’s show at moCa Cleveland, which included art based on 12-year-old Tamir Rice’s death. The museum believed the content only “‘[stirred] the trauma back up for the very community it is intending to reach’” given how Rice’s own mother had not consented to the exhibition. (Lewis 1). After Leonardo’s complaints, the public condemned Cleveland’s museum director Jill Snyder. Given George Floyd’s death and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, it had seemed like “a white-led museum was censoring a Black artist making work about racism” (Lewis 1)
Prior to reading about this article, I never really thought about how current events shape the art selected for exhibitions. Another peek into a process I was unfamiliar with. I feel grateful for that opportunity. I think that a main takeaway from this article is the importance of staying current and regularly reading news—one must be aware of what is going on in order to adapt, satisfy customers, and feel secure.
Vocab:
(Note: Definitions from Oxford Languages)
Unfounded- (adj.) having no foundation in fact
Defenestration- (n.) action of dismissing someone from an authoritarian power
Highfalutin- (adj.) (esp. of writing/speech) ostentatious, pretentious, pompous
(Photo Credit: Guggenheim)