Director’s Letter, November 2016
Updated Jul 20, 2022
A year has passed since I became director, and it feels like the time just flew by. During this year at the DIA, we have experienced change and progress. I am grateful to the staff, volunteers, and patrons for their patience, effort, and enthusiasm. They have been generous supporters and believers in me as we shift the organization for the better.
Thanks to a fresh strategic plan, we have positioned the museum to play an active role in the community, working with the city and our three counties to help revitalize our neighborhoods and bring us all together through the power of art. The bedrock of our work is our extraordinary art collection, brilliant scholarly research, and engaging art interpretation. We believe art should be accessible to all and see it as the platform to learn and raise awareness about important issues in our society, such as identity and social justice. The DIA is a place for dialogue, a neutral ground where diverse communities can come together to understand each other better. Our vision is that of a town square, a point of reference, a gathering place where all are included and welcomed. We are more than an art collection; we are more than a museum. We aspire to become a vital, useful institution for everyone for the betterment of our society.
Last year we implemented new initiatives to diversify our audience, board, and staff. The benefits of diversity are huge: bringing new talent, perspectives, and ideas improves the museum's performance and relevance. We have already made important additions to our staff, and soon we will announce our new team of contemporary art curators and new board members. Led by a cross-functional team, we have started an initiative, "Reflecting Our Community," that aims to have our museum's audience mirror the demographic diversity of our tri-county area. We are not working alone. We have started collaborations with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Museum, and other organizations and community leaders.
Our operating endowment is stronger than last year, thanks to important gifts from individuals and foundations. We still have much to do, and we will soon strengthen our development team and intensify our attention to this area.
This has been such a rewarding year, and what I have enjoyed most has been reaching out through my "Director's Cut" series of talks. In our tri-county area, I visited more than thirty libraries, art centers, and other local institutions. Meeting you, speaking about your DIA, and listening to your thoughtful suggestions has been a humbling and illuminating education. I am impressed by how much you care about our extraordinary DIA! Together we will keep working to keep the doors open forever.
A year has passed since I became director, and it feels like the time just flew by. During this year at the DIA, we have experienced change and progress. I am grateful to the staff, volunteers, and patrons for their patience, effort, and enthusiasm. They have been generous supporters and believers in me as we shift the organization for the better.
Thanks to a fresh strategic plan, we have positioned the museum to play an active role in the community, working with the city and our three counties to help revitalize our neighborhoods and bring us all together through the power of art. The bedrock of our work is our extraordinary art collection, brilliant scholarly research, and engaging art interpretation. We believe art should be accessible to all and see it as the platform to learn and raise awareness about important issues in our society, such as identity and social justice. The DIA is a place for dialogue, a neutral ground where diverse communities can come together to understand each other better. Our vision is that of a town square, a point of reference, a gathering place where all are included and welcomed. We are more than an art collection; we are more than a museum. We aspire to become a vital, useful institution for everyone for the betterment of our society.
Last year we implemented new initiatives to diversify our audience, board, and staff. The benefits of diversity are huge: bringing new talent, perspectives, and ideas improves the museum's performance and relevance. We have already made important additions to our staff, and soon we will announce our new team of contemporary art curators and new board members. Led by a cross-functional team, we have started an initiative, "Reflecting Our Community," that aims to have our museum's audience mirror the demographic diversity of our tri-county area. We are not working alone. We have started collaborations with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Museum, and other organizations and community leaders.
Our operating endowment is stronger than last year, thanks to important gifts from individuals and foundations. We still have much to do, and we will soon strengthen our development team and intensify our attention to this area.
This has been such a rewarding year, and what I have enjoyed most has been reaching out through my "Director's Cut" series of talks. In our tri-county area, I visited more than thirty libraries, art centers, and other local institutions. Meeting you, speaking about your DIA, and listening to your thoughtful suggestions has been a humbling and illuminating education. I am impressed by how much you care about our extraordinary DIA! Together we will keep working to keep the doors open forever.
