THE DIVERSITY OF MAG's EXHIBITIONS

The following data shows artists featured in exhibitions presented over seven fiscal years, from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2021. Identifying gender, race, and ethnicity for all artists has been done when known, to the best of the museum’s knowledge.

Races and ethnicities included under “Artists of Color”: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Black/African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern.

Percentage of Exhibited
Artists by Gender

Percentage of Exhibited
Artists by Race/Ethnicity

Percentage of Exhibitions
Organized by MAG

Percentage of Exhibitions Featuring Artists from Western New York

MAG currently features temporary and special exhibitions and installations in five galleries:

• The Forman Gallery is the first a guest encounters upon entering the Museum. It is an introductory space, where solo- and multiple-artist presentations often link to themes or subjects relevant throughout the permanent collection.
• Since 2016, the Hurlbut Gallery has been used for site-specific murals and installations by WNY artists. The purview of this gallery, however, is not limited to the work of WNY artists.
• The Media Arts Watch Gallery has been a dedicated space for the art of the moving image since 2015.
• The Docent Gallery is MAG’s largest temporary exhibition space, and features headline projects that help the museum reach the broadest possible audience.
• The Lockhart Gallery is generally reserved for showcasing works on paper from MAG’s permanent collection; however, it is also used to present smaller focus exhibitions and WNY artists.

The Memorial Art Gallery reviews exhibition proposals** and opportunities in a multistage process:

• MAG staff seek exhibition opportunities through a network of relationships among local, national, and international museum professionals, artists, gallerists, collectors, arts organizations, and independent curators. Proposals also come from MAG staff, members of the Board of Managers, and the general public.
• A compelling proposal is elevated to the Visioning Team for further consideration. The Visioning Team—comprising the Museum’s director and representatives from the Exhibition, Curatorial, and Academic Programs departments—meets monthly to review a wide variety of opportunities, including special exhibitions, potential acquisitions, permanent collection installations, and interpretation content and strategies. The Visioning Team vets a proposal’s artistic merit, scholarly integrity, and its potential for helping to advance MAG’s mission and to achieve its strategic initiatives in diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) as outlined in the Museum’s Strategic Plan (CLICK HERE to download the Plan).
• Proposals warranting further consideration are elevated to MAG’s senior leadership team. This team is responsible for all facets of MAG’s operations. Among many considerations, the senior team evaluates each proposal’s financial impact, the ability to raise funds to support the project, human resource and facility demands, and the proposed project’s potential to complement other aspects of MAG’s exhibition program, permanent collection installations, and its academic, community, and broad public programs, including community outreach.
• The final stage of the review process is to evaluate potential exhibitions and their opportunities for public engagement with input from focus groups and MAG stakeholders.

**MAG welcomes proposals for special exhibitions. To submit a proposal, please email: magexhibitions@mag.rochester.edu. The Museum is committed to reviewing all submissions. If MAG is interested in pursuing your proposal, a staff member will reach out regarding next steps. If you do not receive an inquiry for more information within 90 days, this is an indication that MAG has declined to pursue your proposal.