Austin’s Museums and Galleries in the Age of Black Lives Matter

Abstract

On May 25th, 2020, the United States witnessed the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. His death served as a catalyst for protests condemning police brutality and triggered a rise in the profile of the Black Lives Matter movement. A call for racial justice can now be heard across all fifty states, as well as the demand for the dismantling of systemic racism that exists within American institutions. Included in these institutions is the art museum. This honors thesis will discuss the apparently systemic racism seen within the dominant museum sector over the last fifty years or so, to then examine the current responses of four Austin art institutions to the Black Lives Matter movement and the efforts of these institutions to enhance diversity and inclusivity concerning staff, exhibitions, artists, and audiences.