The Brooklyn Museum announced on Monday it has appointed Kristen Windmuller-Luna as a curator of its African art collection
A New York City museum has sparked resentment after hiring a white woman to curate its African art collection.
The Brooklyn Museum announced on Monday it has appointed Kristen Windmuller-Luna as a curator of its African art collection.
And though she is a qualified candidate, with a PhD in African art history from Princeton University and as a prior educator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the choice has left many on social media wondering why the museum did not hire an equally qualified person of color.
‘People from the African Diaspora are frustrated w/ white people being the gatekeepers of our narrative,’ Twitter user Kimberly Seldon wrote.
The news spread about the hire of the 31-year-old after an article in the Brooklyn Reader, which incorrectly named Windmuller-Luna and also made it seem that the museum hired a white man to curate its African photography collection, which is not true. The man was hired, but to curate the photography collection at the Brooklyn museum and not for the African art section.
And though she is a qualified candidate, with a PhD in African art history from Princeton University and as a prior educator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the choice has left many on social media wondering why the museum did not hire an equally qualified person of color
‘People from the African Diaspora are frustrated w/ white people being the gatekeepers of our narrative,’ Twitter user Kimberly Seldon wrote
‘BETTER HEADLINE: “Brooklyn Museum Welcomes Two New Cultural Colonizers for African Art and Photography.”‘ Twitter user and Philadelphia journalist Ernest Owens tweeted in response to an article in the Brooklyn Reader
Regardless of the inaccuracies – many Twitter users couldn’t get over that the museum chose to hire a white woman.
‘BETTER HEADLINE: “Brooklyn Museum Welcomes Two New Cultural Colonizers for African Art and Photography.”‘ Twitter user and Philadelphia journalist Ernest Owens tweeted.
‘Seriously, @brooklynmuseum? there goes the neighborhood for you.’
Multiple people on the social media site also pointed out the parallels between the new hires and the museum heist scene from the new film ‘Black Panther.’
The scene begins with Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens looking through an African art display of a London museum before being approached by a white female curator who gives him the incorrect history of the West African artifacts he’s looking at.
‘I’m guessing @brooklynmuseum didn’t go see The Black Panther because they just hired two new white curators for Brooklyn Museum’s extensive African art collection,’ Twitter user Jamilla Okubo wrote.
‘Not to discredit their qualifications or whatever but y’all couldn’t find a qualified Black/African curator in NYC?’
Multiple people on the social media site also pointed out the parallels between the new hires and the museum heist scene from the new film ‘Black Panther’
‘I’m guessing @brooklynmuseum didn’t go see The Black Panther because they just hired two new white curators for Brooklyn Museum’s extensive African art collection,’ Twitter user Jamilla Okubo wrote
And even Twitter users who are familiar with Windmuller-Luna and her qualifications commented that she was not the good choice
‘I have no doubt @kwindmullerluna is eminently qualified int he field of African art, and a lovely person,’ Meredith Peruzzi tweeted, in her defense.
Bobby Rogers added: ‘This just brought me back to the museum scene in Black Panther. Sign. In one of the Blackest cities in the US the Brooklyn museum hires two white curators to lead their African art & photo collection.
‘I guess there were no qualified Black curators around.’
And even Twitter users who are familiar with Windmuller-Luna and her qualifications commented that she was not the good choice.
‘I have no doubt @kwindmullerluna is eminently qualified int he field of African art, and a lovely person,’ Meredith Peruzzi tweeted, in her defense.
‘But @brooklynmuseum should explain immediately why they didn’t hire a person of color.’
‘She’s a very nice person and genuine scholar,’ Twitter user @baronstrange wrote about Windmuller-Luna.
‘With all that being said… still not a great look.’
The museum, though, defended its decision in a statement to the New York Post . ‘Kristen is the perfect choice to build upon the Brooklyn Museum’s track record as an innovator in the collection and exhibitions of the arts of Africa,’ Jennifer Chi, the museum’s chief curator, said
The museum also tweeted Thursday that it ‘has been listening closely’ and is ‘committed to equity’
The museum, though, defended its decision in a statement to the New York Post.
‘Kristen is the perfect choice to build upon the Brooklyn Museum’s track record as an innovator in the collection and exhibitions of the arts of Africa,’ Jennifer Chi, the museum’s chief curator, said.
The museum also tweeted Thursday that it ‘has been listening closely’ and is ‘committed to equity.’
‘We’re listening and we hear you. As we think about ways to engage in this conversation with the care it deserves, we want to assure you that you can count on us, as ever, to continue working deeply on equity within our institution and beyond,’ the museum tweeted.