The appointment of an African-art specialist as curator for the Brooklyn Museum in New York has caused a furore as she is white. Despite Kristen Windmuller Luna, 31, having a Ph.D. in African art history from Princeton University, she came into heavy criticism from American blacks who regard her appointment as heresy.
A Philadelphia journalist Ernest Owens tweeted:
BETTER HEADLINE: “Brooklyn Museum Welcomes Two New Cultural Colonizers for African Art and Photography”
Seriously, @brooklynmuseum? There goes the neighborhood for good. https://t.co/Ssdt4FUofI
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) March 27, 2018
Kimberly Selden also voiced her opposition to “white people being gatekeepers or our narrative”:
People from the African diaspora are frustrated w/ white people being gatekeepers of our narrative. We have yet to be afforded the same access & opportunities so it’s hard to swallow the image of TWO white ppl in roles that curate OUR culture and contributions.
— Kimberly Selden (@KimberlySelden) March 27, 2018
Another black man tweeted:
Whitekanda is going to be the sequel and it’ll be filmed at the Brooklyn Museum.
— Hrag (@hragv) March 29, 2018
However, the museum defended its decision.
“Kristen is the perfect choice to build upon the Brooklyn Museum’s track record as an innovator in the collection and exhibition of the arts of Africa,” said Jennifer Chi, the museum’s chief curator, in a statement.
But after more criticism from African-Americans, the museum tweeted on Thursday:
“We have been listening closely to the debate about our recent appointments to our curatorial team,” the museum said. “We’re listening and we hear you. As we think about ways to engage in this conversation with the care it deserves, we want to assure you that you can count on us, as ever, to continue working deeply on equity within our institution and beyond.”
“At the Brooklyn Museum we have a diverse curatorial team working hard to create exhibitions, public programs, and educational activities that examine the important and challenging social issues of our time. We’re continuing to build pipelines for diversity in the arts through school collaborations, internships, fellowships, institutional partnerships, and more. We are committed to equity in all that we do — and we’re ever grateful for your support and honesty along the way.”
