Standing Up | ARCHY LASALLE

“WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE AT” is a project that began with the slow burn realization that there was a colossal lack of representation of Black visual Artists in the permanent art collections of art museums in the U.S.A. It appears that we have been lulled to sleep about this issue since regularly museums have “shows” where Black and Brown artists are represented, most notably during Black History Month in February. However, we believe that art institutions need to validate these important artists by purchasing their work and including these important works of art as part of their collection.

“WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE AT” is a movement that strives to bring awareness of this absence in our valued art institutions, of massive proportions! This must be rectified with these institutions’ Directors, Trustees, and Curators making a commitment to change the balance of acquisitions to more fairly represent our diverse world.

WHY THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PERMANENT COLLECTION? When young children with black and brown faces go to a museum for a single event, without a doubt it is a significant moment for these children when they see themselves reflected in the art work and artists on the walls. Unfortunately, these exhibits are often up for brief amounts of time. In addition, these “special” exhibits are relatively infrequent compared to the large number of exhibits throughout the year. But, when our children attend the museum on a regular basis and see these Black and Brown artists always represented on the walls as part of the permanent collection, the message is a much more impactful and powerful one: Yes, people who look like you are welcome here and if you create art, you too could be a part of our museum’s collection!