As expectations regarding the social responsibilities of art museums change, training museum professionals how to be anti-racist practitioners is ever more crucial. The graduate certificate in Anti-Racist Curatorial Practice is designed to help you develop an anti-discriminatory work ethic in order to better support communities of people who are consistently harmed by systems of oppression.

Through a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum, you will gain a comparative understanding of museum development, art history, and curatorial practice and the ways that each traditionally function in service to larger discriminatory systems. This five-course program is offered fully online and can be completed in one or two years, depending on which track you pursue.

Program Outcomes

As a student in the Anti-Racist Curatorial Practice Certificate, you'll complete a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum and gain a comparative understanding of museum development, art history, and curatorial practice and the ways that each traditionally function in service to larger discriminatory systems. The program explores the fundamentals of anti-racist, social practice, and community-centered strategies used by artists, scholars, and curators of color, and how these philosophies have re-shaped both art history and the museum over time. You will also learn the most effective methods for divesting from traditional museum practices that are rooted in white colonialist and imperialist histories, and gain tools for applying anti-racist curatorial methods to dismantle systemic oppression within cultural institutions.

Application Requirements

Resume/CV
Essay: Please give your reasons for deciding to do graduate work in Anti-Racist Curatorial Practice. We are particularly concerned that you cover these points:
- What previous experiences and commitments have brought you to the decision to apply for this training?
- What are your chief objectives in applying now, and how will this program help you in pursuit of your objectives and vocation?
Personal Statement
Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test if applicable
Transcripts
One Letter of Recommendation
Please note, there is no application fee for this program. Applicants can skip this portion of the online application.

Prerequisites

The certificate in anti-racist curatorial practice is designed for professionals with experience in museums or art curation who wish to develop foundational expertise in anti-discriminatory curatorial methodologies that work to address issues of oppression. You should be able to demonstrate experience in museum studies through either a degree in museum studies, art history, or related field, or at least two years of professional experience as a curator in the nonprofit sector.

Tuition and Financial Aid

See Tuition and Financial Aid information for GSAS Programs.

Faculty

Kelli Morgan

Professor of the Practice and Director of Curatorial Studies

Historic, Modern, and Contemporary American art; African-American visual culture, artistic practices, and visual expressive traditions; Visual literacy; Anti-Racist Approaches to Museum and Curatorial Practice

Cara Iacobucci

Lecturer

Cynthia Robinson

Senior Lecturer and Director of Museum Studies

Curriculum Focus Areas

The curriculum is meant to provide students with foundational knowledge and practical applications in anti-racist curatorial practice with a core focus on:

Art Museum History: Understanding how western art museums developed as cultural repositories of colonialism and how the art market developed as an economic extension of empire and western imperialism.
Counter-Hegemonic Approaches: Learning how to identify traditional museum practices that are rooted in racist principles for points of potential rupture and transgression of institutional "norms".
Ethics and Equity: Approaching collection and exhibition development, and overall museum programming with a critical lens that fully and tangibly engages target audiences.
Connection to Practice: Experience practical and real-world applications through analyses of case studies and a practicum course that allows students to learn from experienced anti-racist curatorial practitioners.
Community Impact: Engaging communities through curatorial approaches that position collective care within frameworks of social and racial equity.

One-Year or Two-Year Track

This five-course program can be completed in one or two years, depending on which track you chose.

One-Year Track: Sample Schedule

Fall

Spring

Summer

FAH0285 Museums Today: Mission and Function*

FAH 0283 Whiteness and Empire

FAH 0281 Curating as Community Organizing

FAH 0284 Curatorial Approaches to Collections Management

DLS0248 Organizational Change

Two-Year Track: Sample Schedule

Fall I	Spring I	Summer I
FAH0285 Museums Today: Mission and Function*	FAH 0283 Whiteness and Empire	FAH 0281 Curating as Community Organizing

Fall II	Spring II
FAH 0284 Curatorial Approaches to Collections Management	DLS0248 Organizational Change

*This course is not offered Fall 2022.

Spotlights

Bringing Needed Diversity and Inclusion to America’s Art Museums

Application deadlines