Log in

Museums, as products of the European Enlightenment, have been implicated in imperialist and colonialist exploits since their beginnings. Following the international protests sparked by the unjust police killings of Black Americans, institutions must respond better to the needs of black, indigenous, and other people of colour (BIPOC), as well as other marginalized communities. Addressing diversity, equity and inclusion has been promoted as the way to fight historical injustices and systemic racism.

But, what does this mean for museums? How are museum staff, volunteers, and communities affected? How do museums distance themselves from their histories of perceived neutrality and take responsibility for myth-making? How do museums ensure that BIPOC representation reaches all facets of their organizations including staff, visitors and exhibition content? Is collecting statues of personalities implicated in racist, colonial or imperial histories a threat or an opportunity for museums? What is the role of preservation/conservation when dealing with these components of cultural heritage? Have there been stories of success or failure that can inform museums’ next steps? 

We invite submissions of research articles or short reports addressing these issues in the context of conservation and museum collections. To make a contribution, please register at www.jcms-journal.com and follow the instructions for article submission, including suggestions for peer reviewers. Please indicate in the cover letter (step 1) that you are submitting in response to this call. 

In response to feedback to the original publication of this call, the initial deadline for submissions has been extended until 1st April 2021. If you require assistance (or to discuss a potential contribution or a late submission), please contact Caitlin R. O’Grady, caitlin.r.ogrady@ucl.ac.uk. 

Museums, as products of the European Enlightenment, have been implicated in imperialist and colonialist exploits since their beginnings. Following the international protests sparked by the unjust police killings of Black Americans, institutions must respond better to the needs of black, indigenous, and other people of colour (BIPOC), as well as other marginalized communities. Addressing diversity, equity and inclusion has been promoted as the way to fight historical injustices and systemic racism. 

But, what does this mean for museums? How are museum staff, volunteers, and communities affected? How do museums distance themselves from their histories of perceived neutrality and take responsibility for myth-making? How do museums ensure that BIPOC representation reaches all facets of their organizations including staff, visitors and exhibition content? Is collecting statues of personalities implicated in racist, colonial or imperial histories a threat or an opportunity for museums? Have there been stories of success or failure that can inform museums’ next steps?

We invite submissions of research articles or short reports addressing these issues in the context of conservation and museum collections. To make a contribution, please register at www.jcms-journal.com and follow the instructions for article submission including suggestions for peer reviewers. Please indicate in the cover letter (step 1) that you are submitting in response to this call.

To ensure the collection remains timely, an initial deadline for submissions has been set for September 30th 2020. However, as this is an online collection, we will consider submissions after the deadline (until further notice) that fall within the remit of the special issue. If you require assistance (or to discuss a potential contribution or a late submission), please contact Caitlin R. O’Grady, caitlin.r.ogrady@ucl.ac.uk.