Centering Community in Museums, Libraries, and Archives

The Michael C. Carlos Museum and Emory Libraries are hosting an event on Wednesday, June 7th at 7:30 PM, titled “Centering Community in Museums, Libraries, and Archives.” This event is open to the public, free of charge. It will take place in the Carlos Museum’s Ackerman Hall, and participants can also register to attend virtually.

The conversation will be led by recently appointed senior director of culture, community, and partner engagement for the Michael C. Carlos Museum and Emory Libraries, Clinton Fluker, and consultant and author of “Museums as Agents of Change: A Guide to Becoming a Changemaker” (2021), Mike Murawski.

Their discussion will focus on how libraries and museums can reshape what they value and embrace a human-centered approach. They will also explore the role of these institutions within their communities and how they can better prioritize listening and relationship building.

Fluker, an artist, curator, and co-founder of a consulting firm called Thrdspace, will provide insights on how to build communities around missions. Before his new position at the Michael C. Carlos Museum and Emory Libraries, he was the curator of African American collections at Emory’s Rose Library and co-edited the 2019 collection, “The Black Speculative Arts Movement.” His interdisciplinary art has been exhibited in various galleries, including the New York Live Arts 2020 exhibition, “Curating the End of the World.”

According to Murawski, museums, libraries, and archives have the potential to be transformative spaces where local creativity, stories, cultures, voices, and experiences are embraced and amplified. However, to achieve this potential, these institutions need to de-center traditional authority and let their communities in. “We have got to start somewhere and make this change happen starting right now,” he says.

If you’re interested in exploring how museums, libraries, and archives can prioritize community, this event is not to be missed.

ENND