Vote for Makeba to be a panelist at South by Southwest Festival in 2019!

Dear Friend, Art is a vanguard industry that takes pride in its role to represent progressive ideology and risk taking, and yet the management lacks the representation that is vital to the arts’ dynamism. A 2015 Andrew Mellon Foundation report on diversity in art museums made clear that a preponderance of non-Hispanic white men dominate leadership positions. That says nothing of the lack of ethnic, religious, disability, sexual orientation, or geographic diversity. The Phillips Collection is committed to being a pioneer of change. As you know, last March we welcomed Chief Diversity Officer Makeba Clay to our senior leadership team. In her short time here, she has already implemented a paid internship and fellowship program to help eliminate barriers to entry into the field, and continues to help the The Phillips Collection cultivate diverse artists and arts managers and incubate creativity and creation. Makeba is now in the running to be a panelist at South by Southwest Festival in 2019 to speak about promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across the arts industry and cultural institutions.

Panelists will be chosen by number of votes and we need your support to get this message out to the world and get Makeba to Austin. Here’s what to do: Click this link Create a SXSW account (which takes less than a minute!) Once you are logged in, click “search/vote” at the top of the screen Search for “Art” and Makeba's panel will show at the top (the full title is Art for All? Creating Accessibility in the Arts) Click “Vote Up” on the left side of the screen Voting ends August 30 so please vote today!

Want to do more? I’d be most grateful if you would share the following post on your social media platforms and encourage everyone you know to vote, too.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Kosinski Vradenburg Director & CEO