Cultural Equity Statement
Since its founding in 1919, the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum has been dedicated to exhibiting, collecting and preserving art created in the tradition of Woodstock as a “Colony of the Arts” where diverse perspectives are welcome. We are committed to local artists and arts education initiatives and aim to be inclusive in our galleries and in the community.
WAAM is a cultural center serving the Hudson Valley with free admission to our exhibitions. We believe all people deserve equal access to art, creativity, and ideas that promote a healthy and democratic society. Equity is our goal, inclusion is how we move toward that goal, and diversity describes the breadth of our experiences and perspectives.
We consider equity, diversity and inclusion drivers of institutional excellence and seek an expansive range of participation, thought and action. It is our hope and expectation that our members, partners, and key stakeholders reflect and embrace these core values. We are committed to working collaboratively with key stakeholders to strengthen the integrity, impact and relevance of the WAAM.
ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES
The mission, values, and goals of the WAAM will be at the forefront of all our decisions and will be the guidepost for allocating our resources.
- Be a community anchor and a beacon for the visual arts.
- Recognize and celebrate the value of diversity.
- Be a strong and reliable partner, and cultivate collaborative relationships.
- Communicate openly and hold ourselves accountable to one another, our supporters, and all our audiences by acknowledging and dismantling any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services.
ACTION STEPS
As the WAAM works to create greater equity within its community, it has identified the following next action steps to be taken:
- Consistently meet ADA accessibility standards
- Create multilingual and large-print gallery guides
- Install changing table in bathroom
- Express different perspectives through didactics
- Explore ideas for exhibitions in all the galleries that are inclusive of diverse viewpoints.
- Create a campaign to supply art materials to area students in need.
- Institute equity and inclusion professional development training for WAAM staff and board, to be completed by June 2021
- Commit to include under-represented artists in future plans to acquire new works for the Permanent Collection.
We acknowledge that full cultural equity and inclusion is a never-ending goal and must be addressed with conscious attention and action.
