Dear Friends and Supporters,
We are writing to you to reflect on what we are experiencing in our communities, our city and across America and the role that the Taubman Museum of Art should play in this time of anguish and social unrest. We mourn the senseless killing of George Floyd and the countless other victims of racism, violence and injustice. We stand in solidarity with those seeking justice and equity. Black lives do matter, and we condemn racism and discrimination in all its forms.
Our mission at the Taubman is to bring people and art together for learning, discovery, and enjoyment. As a cultural institution, it is our duty to address the problems we face in our society and to continually broaden and diversify our community outreach. We are actively engaged with community groups such as TAP, Local Colors, and others to foster understanding through candid, respectful dialogue and to provide an honest, caring space for people to pause, listen and learn from one another.
Last week, the Taubman participated in #BlackOutTuesday, a day of pause on social media in support of African American artists and colleagues in the wake of George Floyd''s tragic death.
We believe art is for everyone, and we are committed to diversity and inclusion in our museum. In recent years, we''ve showcased work from Black artists such as Alice Beasley, Nick Cave, Sonya Clark, Vanessa German, Hank Willis Thomas and Kehinde Wiley - all powerful storytellers who contribute to the conversation about history, race and representation being made in art today.
Looking ahead to this fall and winter, our galleries again will feature two significant exhibitions by artists representing diverse backgrounds, experiences, and voices:
"A Very Anxious Feeling: Crossing Lines; Breaking Boundaries: Highlights from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection" opens in October. The artists featured in this exhibition use their voices to explore politics, feminism, gender identity, labor and established systems of power.
"African American Art from the Goode Collection," featuring artists Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and others, will open in December.
We are honored to present these artists'' stories and images, and the thought-provoking conversations they offer.
Art, it is said, is the universal language, and we will continue to look for ways to encourage constructive dialogue on the crucial issues facing our community. We know there is much more work for us to do, and we are fully committed to that work.
As we develop plans for re-opening the museum in the safest way possible, our staff is starting to shift from working remotely to working together on-site again. We will take this opportunity to explore new ways to extend and enrich our community outreach, training and education offerings.
In the next few days, we expect to announce plans for the phased re-opening of the museum. On behalf of our Board of Trustees and staff, we can''t wait to welcome you back to your Taubman Museum of Art very soon.
Sincerely,
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Leon Harris Chair, Board of Trustees | Cindy M. Petersen Executive Director |