In the the “Cultural inclusion, exclusion and the formative roles of museums”, Kevin Coffee highlights different forms of and reasons for social inclusion/ exclusion within museums. Coffee’s argues that these issues cannot be properly addressed without “foregrounding [these] actions against loci of social power and hierarchy”. I thought Coffee’s analyses help bring into sharper relief how many museums are more in conversation with their visitor demographics than the demographics of their local environment and greater surroundings.

One key factor Coffee addresses is how museum use is a “cultural practice.. shaped by the social relationships of the users, as well as those of the museum, and defined by whole it includes and excludes.” The neoliberalization of museums has demarcated them — within North America and Europe— as points of leisure and entertainment, and thus intended for individuals in a higher economic strata. This then informs not just who belongs in museums, but what ideas and perspectives belong as well. These institutions are not simply siloed vaults that house symbols, but rather performative assemblages that are part of the construction of ideology. To me, Coffee’s arguments bring to mind Antonio Gramsci’s idea of “cultural hegemony” whereby the ruling class maintains power by controlling culture rather than solely through over power. I think these forms of power are now further compounded by the large amounts of corperations currently supporting now mnany museums.

Coffee also discusses the pressure and criticism museums face based on the narratives they craft and works that they exhibit. One example was how a director at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center was criminally prosecuted for supporting a Robert Mapplethorpe retrospective. I personally feel that one major shift since this article was written is how the kinds of influence on museums has changed. Instead of primarily top-down pressure, more organized and collaborative (potentially fueled by social media) forms of bottom-up power have greatly impacted modern museums. One popular tactic, that confronts and highlights the neolibieralization of museums Coffee mentions, is through divestment, partly by targeting powerful funders. I also think. in this moment, there’s more pressure for museums to practice internal inclusivity. As many museums have strived towards hiring more people of color in lower and mid level positions, many believe this is not enough— To truly strive towards a more inclusive/ diverse culture and ideology, marginalized and under-represented populations need to be in positions of power.