Museums and Social Justice

While the traditional role of museums has been to collect, conserve, and exhibit historically significant artifacts, the institutions themselves have often ignored or bypassed important conversations around social justice. In recent years, as these conversations have become more mainstream, museums have attempted to meet the moment by committing to core principles like accessiblity, diversity, and sustainability.

However, as Museums and Social Justice author and museum director Maura Reilly makes clear, modern museums are falling far short of their commitments and are dragging their feet on promises to return stolen artifacts. With chapters examing decolonization, toxic philanthropy, and legacies of theft and looting, Reilly offers a thoughtful and informed critique of the progess of museums, noting how far these institutions have come and how much work remains.

Drawing from a wide range of examples of museums from the U.K. to Nigeria, this scholarly work is a well researched and provocative read that would be perfect for folks with an interest in art, history, and social justice.

Check out the rest of our books - we have a good few of them here at designist. 

Who wrote it?
Maura Reilly

How does it come?
hardback, 23.5 x 18 x 2 cm approx., 198 pages