As a social justice major in my final year, we undergo a research capstone where we complete a semester long project. I have been looking at the value of women in art museums. Specifically, my research has been focused on both the national level and here at the local level with the Stanley Museum of Art. I wanted to understand the inequalities existing on a bigger scale and see how they compare to the Stanley. By doing so, I was able to gain a better understanding of the diversity of the collection and how it matches up to larger museums. 

While I looked at statistics and existing research to understand the larger concepts, when researching the Stanley I approached the museum differently. I interviewed Diana Tuite, the Interim Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, to gain a curatorial perspective on the topic. Moreso, I analyzed the museums collection using their software Embark. Through my analysis of the collection, I pulled pieces by female artists. In particular, I selected pieces due to their subject matter, relevance to the acquisition date, and the reputation of the artist at the museum. 

For my capstone, I wanted to bridge my interests in museums and social justice to think critically of these spaces. After working in museums for the last two years, I wanted to learn more about the misogynistic influences in museums and how it impacts women.