As the U.S.’s racial and ethnic makeup has become more diverse, it has been made apparent that museums and arts organizations do not reflect the country’s changing demographic. The preceding photo is artist and data-journalist Mona Chalabi’s interpretation of a report from the National Endowment for the Arts. In one year, white Americans were almost twice as likely as black or Hispanic Americans to have done at least one arts activity…” As such, the current closures mostly affect white museum-goers. which led to a newfound but long-awaited concern to make the arts accessible to individuals who haven’t always felt welcome in the museum space.

The pandemic has made it clear that there is an increased need for new ways to experience the arts. Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, said in a New York Times op-ed, “I believe that museums have the responsibility to hold a mirror up to society.” Understandably, museums have been slow to “go digital” or make their collections, exhibitions, etc. available to visitors online because of a concern of in-person attendance. However, the pandemic has put a kibosh onto traditional experiences such as visiting museums. It has imposed the need for museums to be more active on social media in order to continue interaction with their audience, make their collections accessible to them from the safety of their home leading to an increased interest and anticipation to visit their museum once they reopen, etc. 

Whilst nothing can ever replace the experience of seeing a work of art in person, this new development in accessibility has made it so that museums are becoming better equipped to serve all audiences in an ever-changing world.