Twelfth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) houses a significant collection of African art. In 2018, the UCO Archives and Special Collections (UCO Archives) took the initiative to write a new description for the UCO African Art Collection, guided by an African art expert from another university. The new description addresses the paradoxical nature of “displaying” African cultural regalia, acknowledging that the majority of the African cultural objects were not created to be displayed in museum and gallery settings. The description also recognizes the uneven relationship between African cultural objects and Western narratives in museum settings. We argue that it is essential for university museums, as knowledge-making institutions, to take the lead in discussions regarding museums and cultural politics. This includes acknowledging past and ongoing cultural colonization, issues surrounding looted and stolen objects, and other challenges to the traditional role of the museum. The museum is a cultural product of the west. Western perspectives defined the sociocultural and socioeconomic hierarchies concerning ethnicity, race, religion, and aesthetics that were adopted into museum practices. These Western-centric practices have long been considered universally applicable. First, we will discuss the contents of the new African Art Collection description. Second, we will demonstrate the vitality of acknowledging the issues regarding the display of African art objects and the ongoing power struggle between African art objects and Western narratives. Lastly, we will discuss how the new description affects and influences the students engaged in museum and curatorial studies.