To explore American identities and experiences through art and creativity.
We believe the M, from its perch in the middle of the country and at the heart of a diverse city, can inspire understanding and our common humanity through the power of art, artists, and community engagement.
Bold: We dare to respond to complex truths and envision a hopeful future.
Engaging: We build participation through fun and stimulating artistic experiences.
Relevant: We question, listen, and exchange ideas with our diverse communities.
Inclusive: We strive to make the M welcoming and accessible to all.
Respectful: We seek authentic relationships and act thoughtfully and transparently with resources in our care.
IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) Statement
Adopted March 24, 2022
Inclusion. Diversity. Equity. Accessibility.
The Minnesota Museum of American Art (the M) seeks to explore the expanse of American identities through art, recognizing that the lived experiences and creativity of many artists, cultures, and communities have been historically, and presently are, underrepresented by museums.
We strive to develop an inclusive museum. This implies that we will intentionally consider inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and race in how we:
• hire permanent and temporary staff, consultants, and professionals, develop
exhibitions and programs;
• contract with suppliers, artists, and other categories of spending;
• collect, sell/exchange art;
• enter relationships with individuals and organizations;
• create opportunities and space;
• eliminate barriers to participation;
• leverage our material, intellectual and curatorial resources;
• increase the diversity among membership/visitors;
• integrate diverse ways of giving/philanthropy;
• leverage the power of diverse collectors of art;
• collaborate and support diverse museums and art galleries in Minnesota; and
• authentically live our mission and values.
We are committed to advancing the richness of differences and the equitable inclusion of them. We recognize that this work is constant, ongoing, and will evolve over time—a living document and process. We appreciate the work of those before us in helping shape this
document.
Land Acknowledgement
Adopted January 18, 2019
We acknowledge that we are within the traditional territory of the Dakhóta, here in Imni Ża Ska, now known as Saint Paul, a place name which refers to the white bluffs along the river. We recognize that, as a museum in the United States, we have a colonial history and are beneficiaries of this land and its resources. We support efforts toward truth-telling and addressing the harms that continue to impact all indigenous people. We thank the river, which flows just below us. We honor our shared home, our mother earth. Our relationship to this land and its indigenous people will inform the museum’s work now and into the future.
This acknowledgment is a living document and is intended to be accompanied by direct action toward equity. We thank the Dakota community members who advised on portions of this text.
“Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth.”
—From “Honor Native Land: A Call and Guide to Acknowledgment.” U.S. Department of Arts and Culture. https://usdac.us/nativeland.)
Additional resources we acknowledge: Bdote Memory Map. Minnesota Humanities Center and Allies: media/art, 2005. Accessed 6 October 2019; Westerman, Gwen, and White, Bruce. Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012.
