The Changing Cultural Climate in Museum with Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham

Long before the 21st century, emerging museum professionals have been voicing their resistance to the
lack of inclusion and equity in museums including the lack of diversity in staff, exhibitions, and
collections. The cultural climate in museums is currently facing a reckoning brought on by COVID-19
layoffs, museum closures, the death of George Floyd, and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter
movement in 2020. One of the voices calling for change is Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham. Johnson-
Cunningham is the founder of Museum Hue, an organization she co-founded in 2015 that is dedicated to
advancing Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color in the cultural field. She will present the vision
for Museum Hue, as well as outline strategies and tools for making museums more inclusive, accessible,
and relevant.
Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham has worked as a United Nations Human Rights Fellow, and in 2019, she
received the American for the Arts American Express Emerging Leader Award. She is a museum
professional and arts educator who works to foster the social cohesion, well-being, and economic
impact that arts and culture offer creatives and communities of color. Mrs. Johnson-Cunningham's talk
will be held at the Columbia Museum of Art.
This event has been made possible by support from SC Humanities, the UofSC Office of Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion, the Columbia Museum of Art, the College of Arts and Science “Climates” theme semester
initiative, the School of Visual Art and Design – Art History Division, African-American Studies, the
Department of History, and McKissick Museum.

Location Address: 1515 Main St, Columbia, SC 29201