Innovations in Inclusive Community Exhibits View Digital Media

Workshop Presentation
Nancy C DeJoy,  Fatima Konare,  Kelsey Abner,  Benjamin Lash  

This study illustrates changes to calls for participation in major exhibits, selection processes, supply chain management issues, and a major redesign of the traditional exhibit label to illustrate ways to create more inclusive environments for exhibit. We created ways to reach out to artists who were selected for the exhibits that honored the multilingualism of our participants; we worked with DisArt and STQRY, two organizations that share our value of pushing accessibility past compliance; we worked with community partners to be sure that some art appeared in the homes of organizations that serve those disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in our community; we supported one another through the challenges we faced while working on the exhibit project. We worked with Capital City Film Festival to help guarantee an audience for our work. These changes have been impactful because they created a way to contribute to a more inclusive story of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they do so in a way that honors the role of creativity as an expression of the need for innovative paths to equity and social justice. Through these collaborations, we mobilized people, organizations, and ideas for a common purpose.