Community Centered Exhibitions: Turning Over Authority

Abstract (English)

Museums are increasingly re-evaluating their roles as gatekeepers of knowledge, shifting towards models that prioritize community collaboration and self-representation. This panel explores how the process of exhibition-making can move beyond curatorial authority to center the voices, perspectives, and agency of the communities being represented. Through case studies and critical reflections, panelists will examine the challenges and successes of co-created exhibitions that prioritize Indigenous, diasporic, and historically marginalized groups.
Presentations will address questions such as: How can museums build meaningful, long-term relationships with communities rather than engaging in one-time consultation? What strategies can ensure that exhibitions reflect community priorities rather than institutional narratives? How do power dynamics, funding structures, and institutional constraints impact these efforts?
By sharing diverse approaches—including collaborative curation, community-led storytelling, innovative exhibition design and alternative exhibition formats—this panel will provide practical insights into ethical, community-driven, decolonizing and Indigenizing museum work. Attendees will gain tools for rethinking their own practices and fostering deeper engagement with the communities they serve. This session is relevant to museum professionals, scholars, and practitioners interested in decolonizing methodologies, participatory exhibition design, and the evolving role of museums in supporting cultural sovereignty and self-representation.