For Harvard Art Museums, there is an added challenge of being considered a museum only for Harvard University, which it is not. Inclusiveness has become paramount in the minds of museums over the past two years. This is another step in the “ReFrame” process. In the spring, the Harvard Art Museums will launch an exhibition featuring the Brandywine Workshop, a group known for creating opportunities for artists of color who were not already working in print media.
How to take the concerns of today and integrate them into the art of all eras? “ Lee says, “It shouldn’t just be about contemporary art and contemporary issues. While contemporary art has a plethora of diverse perspectives to consider, part of the “ReFrame” initiative is to reassess art from all eras. Here, viewers get a glimpse of an artist at work, not just the results of his work. “Untitled” by Kerry James Marshall, believed to be a self-portrait, can also be found at the entrance to the museum. Lee says Wiley is one of the most requested artists for students, and while this piece is on a two-year temporary loan, the Energy is a perfect first glimpse of the museum’s offerings. It replaces a Max Beckman triptych with similar vibration and energy. Kehinde Wiley’s work “Portrait of Asia-Imani, Gabriella-Esnae and Kaya Palmer” welcomes spectators upon entering the Fogg Museum. In this first phase of the initiative, several of the works that visitors will encounter as soon as they enter the museums have been re-hung to represent artists of color.
The idea of a cultural context “ReFrame” arose from Makeda Best, Richard L.