Equity in Museums

The realities of racial and social inequity within museums and cultural institutions have long been discussed in the field. As an institution, the Crocker has made a commitment to examine these issues internally and in the Museum’s relationship to the community. This discussion series seeks to open the conversation up to the wider public through attendee participation and features new panelists from the cultural sector each month. Join us for a dialogue that acknowledges exclusive practices in museums, and discusses solutions for furthering equal access, opportunity, and engagement with the arts for all. Please note, this program will be recorded for future distribution and will last approximately 75 minutes.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Jupiter Lockett

Jupiter is a Sacramento-based abstract artist whose work focuses on the daily, lived experiences of Black America. Painting from a child's perspective, his paintings are meant to "give light to the humanity of dark-skinned people who originate from Africa", while also reminding people of "the innocence that Black Americans are robbed of daily." He recently finished a residency in France, at the Chateau d'Orquevaux and is gearing up for his second residency at the Imago Artists Residency in Tsarimir, Bulgaria, and a duo exhibition at B. Sakata Garo Art Gallery in Sacramento. His work was also a part of the Crocker's 2020 Art Auction. Jupiter's recent body of work is painted on cardboard, a visceral reminder of what it means to be Black in America. "We get ripped up, beaten, but we get taped back up. We’re loved, we can hold stuff, we get wet, but we dry back up. I’ve been through a whole lot. We’ve all been through a whole lot, but we’re here" (ABC 10).

Estella Sanchez

Estella Sanchez is the founder and Executive Director of Sol Collective and is an artist, activist, educator, and organizer. With an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Estella has dedicated her life to empowering communities using the arts to cultivate the next generation of leaders, both locally and globally. Over the past ten years, Sol Collective has served as a multicultural hub for Northern California and beyond, working to support and cultivate artists, creative businesses, community groups, and arts programming. Together with her collective, Estella has created an innovative co-op model that has inspired centers from Sonoma to Staten Island, and has received numerous leadership awards, local and national. Sol Collective has been recognized by the California State Assembly and California Senate as well as the Sacramento City Council, for their work in creating space with relevant, community-driven arts and cultural programming. Estella is also the founder of Visions Manifested.

Taylor Pannell

"I believe in channeling my creative urges in order to produce unique artwork in Sacramento. My inspiration for my work is usually emotionally driven. Taylor'd Mind Studios is born out of a combination of my innate abilities, training, and experience, which allows my perspective as an artist to remain traditional yet expressionistic. Art is how I battle against the indifference of humans and offer new ways of viewing the world."

Niva Flor

Niva Flor is a founding advisory board member of the Black Artists Fund and the Chief Impact & Strategy Officer at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. She brings more than ten years’ experience in community engagement and interactive cultural programming, including workshop and curriculum development. Before joining the Foundation, she served as the Community Partnership Manager at the Oakland Museum of California. During her tenure, she worked to expand strategic partnerships with community and cultural organizations and led a creative team in developing collaborative public art projects in neighborhoods historically underserved by the Museum. Niva earned her Bachelor’s degree in music from Spelman College and her Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of California Los Angeles. Niva is a mother, daughter, wife and wellness enthusiast committed to expanding access to culturally-affirming holistic practices such as yoga, sound healing, and meditation that center on people of color and individuals in the community who are most in need.

Closed captioning will be provided during this program. The Crocker strives to provide inclusive and equitable experiences for all. Learn more at crockerart.org/accessibility. If you want to see more supports for our programs such as closed captioning, ASL translation, and image descriptions, let us know by emailing education@crockerart.org, and consider a donation.