PoemsWhile You Wait
The Contemporary Arts Center captured visitors’ first impressions of Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work “Untitled” (L.A.) through impromptu poems written by artists in the Poems While You Wait collective.
Black History Month Family Festivalat the Crocker Art Museum
By collaborating with community partners, as well as local and regional BIPOC artists, the Crocker Art Museum’s Black History Month Family Festival created an atmosphere of joy and connection for its visitors, surrounding the Art Bridges Collection loans by Elizabeth Catlett, David Clyde Driskell, and Jack Whitten.
Photos courtesy of the Crocker Art Museum
Funding Categories
Honoraria
Supplies
Printing
Marketing & Outreach
partner
Crocker Art Museum
location
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy of Crocker Art Museum.
Photo courtesy of Crocker Art Museum.
About
The Black History Month Family Festival at the Crocker Art Museum, held from February 4 to May 19, 2024, celebrated the exhibition "Black Artists in America: From Civil Rights to the Bicentennial" with a dynamic program that involved art, music, and cultural activities. Visitors interacted with local and regional BIPOC artists; enjoyed live performances, poetry readings, and a vendor market; and contributed to the collaborative art installation, "Flowers Whilst We’re Here," which was inspired by David Clyde Driskell’s "Woman with Flowers." The festival also featured artist-led activities, talks by notable speakers, and films. The event created a sense of community, connection, and celebration of Black art and culture.
Photo courtesy of Crocker Art Museum.
Photo courtesy of Crocker Art Museum.
Photo courtesy of Crocker Art Museum.
Intended Outcome
With a goal to support community building among various populations and cultural organizations from the Sacramento region, the Crocker Art Museum aimed to bring in 2,000 diverse community members.
Actual Outcome
Ninety percent of collaborating artists and community organizations self-identified as BIPOC. Of importance, the Crocker Art Museum partnered with the Sacramento-based Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum. These collaborations brought in 2,300 visitors.
Advice Post Project
To effectively reach diverse and historically underserved communities, prioritize ongoing relationship building and collaboration with trusted community organizations. Even if initial outreach through these partners yields lower engagement, sustained partnerships—like those with cultural institutions, such as the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum—are essential for creating meaningful connections and promoting inclusive programs that resonate across diverse neighborhoods.
Photo courtesy of Crocker Art Museum.
Photo courtesy of Crocker Art Museum.
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A Luminous LifeDusti Bongé and Her Contributions to Modern Art
The Columbia Museum of Art provided a guided tour, a pop-in workshop, and take-home art kits to engage diverse audiences, including adults and families, through in-depth curatorial insights and a hands-on artmaking activity inspired by artist Dusti Bongé. This programming accompanied an exhibition in the American South Consortium Spotlight series, which was created through a multiyear, multi-institutional partnership formed by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art as part of the Art Bridges Cohort Program.
Discover More
PoemsWhile You Wait
The Contemporary Arts Center captured visitors’ first impressions of Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work “Untitled” (L.A.) through impromptu poems written by artists in the Poems While You Wait collective.
A Luminous LifeDusti Bongé and Her Contributions to Modern Art
The Columbia Museum of Art provided a guided tour, a pop-in workshop, and take-home art kits to engage diverse audiences, including adults and families, through in-depth curatorial insights and a hands-on artmaking activity inspired by artist Dusti Bongé. This programming accompanied an exhibition in the American South Consortium Spotlight series, which was created through a multiyear, multi-institutional partnership formed by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art as part of the Art Bridges Cohort Program.
Learn MoreAbout This Activity
Photos courtesy of the Crocker Art Museum