The Memorial Art Gallery is an arts organization that acquires, cares for, and exhibits art. Through art, we tell stories that reflect, challenge, and celebrate life and cultures. As such, we are inexorably linked to the events that surround us.
For MAG, the declaration that “Representation Matters” is a reminder of the key objectives of our work: who are the artists represented in our galleries, and what images are represented in their art? Who represents MAG on our staff, among our Docents, and on our Board leadership? Who represents our audience? Are we fairly reflecting the people and communities who represent our city, our region, our nation, our world?*
MAG will be sharing with you how we’re doing in all of these regards, how we are meeting, or not, the objective to fairly reflect the people we serve.
*The Memorial Art Gallery is a part of the University of Rochester and is the civic art museum for the region. For information on Rochester demographics, please see the Rochester page of Census Reporter.
Land Acknowledgement
The Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester sits on the lands of the Haudenosaunee people, specifically the Seneca Nation. These lands were the traditional territory of the Seneca prior to their removal through invasion and occupation, as well as deceptive and broken agreements. The lands continue to serve as home to the native peoples and cultures who have lived here for centuries. Stories of creation, ancestors, spiritual life, and the struggle for survival and identity live today in this land. We honor the rich culture, heritage, and contributions of native peoples, and their stewardship of the land that we now occupy.
We are keenly aware of the role that museums have played in contributing to the struggles faced by Native Americans. As an art museum, we are committed to working toward dismantling the systems of oppression that have impacted the lives of Native Americans both historically and presently. We are committed to working across all facets of our institution to address the long history of the invisibility of Native Americans. We aim to promote the important and myriad contributions to art, culture, and society of Native Americans in order to effect positive change in our community.