Fourteenth International Conference on the Inclusive Museum

Abstract

This paper presents the community-engaged curatorial practices developed by the Newcomb Art Museum in the creation of the 2019 exhibition, Per(Sister): Incarcerated Women of Louisiana. Frequently hailed the “incarceration capital of the world,” the reach of the carceral state is wide particularly in the city of New Orleans. The Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University partnered with formerly incarcerated women and activists to create an exhibition centering the experiences of women with the carceral system in the state. Throughout the course of planning the exhibition, the collaboration between the museum and the directly impacted community members resulted in innovative artist contracts, exhibition design, public events, and, ultimately, an award-winning exhibition. This community-engaged practice was driven by the knowledge that the participating women were the authority on their experience. Per(Sister) created a space within a historically exclusionary institution for the voices and participation of a formerly-excluded community. Doing so required the active participation, knowledge, and generosity of that community. Public trust was built through the collaboration that followed from the honest embrace of the interdependence of the museum and the community. Per(Sister) can offer an example of the ethics of working also with communities that have experienced trauma and who are weary of exploitation from external forces. The continued commitment to the relationships established and respect for continuity led to the formation of a second exhibition, currently in production, that addressed the juvenile justice system and its impact on the community.