Art and Inclusion

2015–2023

Visitation (FY23)

From 2015 to 2020, the High increased its Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) participation from 15% in 2015 to 51% in 2020, a 240% increase. Over the last six years, we have averaged 52% in BIPOC audience participation. We have made a conscious effort to ensure that our audience reflects the diverse makeup of Metro Atlanta communities by intentionally presenting diverse exhibitions, increasing community access, establishing and continuing unique partnerships, and developing interesting programming.

* Significantly reduced attendance during the pandemic negated our ability to collect a statistically relevant sample. Hence, we consider FY2021 unreportable.

High Museum of Art (FY23)

High Museum of Art
6-Year Average
2017–2023

Metro Atlanta Area

Education Level (FY23)

National Arts Audiences Data

High Museum
FY23
Atlanta, Georgia
U.S. Census Bureau
Arts Audiences
2020 Culture Track*
US Adult Population
2020 Culture Track**
White 43.25% 37.6% 85% 63%
Black/African American 23.45% 51.8% 3% 12%
Latine and Hispanic 8.3% 4.3% 5% 16%
Asian or Pacific Islander 9.11% 4.2% 4% 6%
Native American or Alaska Native 1.16% 0.2% <1% 1%
Multiple Races 8.2% 2.4% 2% 2%
Other 6.63%

* Data from 653 participating organizations' respondents.
** Culture + Community in a Time of Crisis: A Special Edition of Culture Track, LaPlaca Cohen and Slover Linett Audience Research, July 7, 2020.

National Arts Audiences

Arts Audiences
2020 Culture Track*
US Adult Population
2020 Culture Track**
White 85% 63%
Black/African American 3% 12%
Latine and Hispanic 5% 16%
Asian or Pacific Islander 4% 6%
Native American or Alaska Native <1% 1%
Multiple Races 2% 2%
Other

* Data from 653 participating organizations' respondents.
** Courtesy of LaPlaca Cohen.

Age of High Museum Visitors (FY23)

Household Income of High Museum Visitors (FY23)

A Quick Note on Visitation
This demographic data is collected in two ways: 1) our visitors self-identify via touch polls located throughout the museum and 2) via mobile phone data aggregated via on-site visitation. This data excludes the nearly 50,000 schoolchildren who visit the museum on an annual basis.


Artworks on View (FY23)

American Art


By Gender

By Race

African Art


By Gender

By Race

Decorative Art


By Gender

By Race

Photography


By Gender

By Race

Folk and Self-Taught Art


By Gender

By Race

Modern and Contemporary Art


By Gender

By Race

European Art


By Gender

By Race

A Quick Note on Artworks
This represents accessioned works only and includes works in special exhibitions and permanent collection gallery rotations. African works attributed to a group or culture are counted as one unique artist per object. All works by unidentified artists are counted as male. These numbers represent artworks on view, not accessioned artists. Some artists had multiple works on view.

Acquisitions

The following historical data shows acquisitions from two perspectives: total number of works purchased and total cost of works purchased. To gain a comprehensive overview of this data, it is important to toggle between both charts. For example, between FY17 and FY19, artists of color represented on average 32% of the funds annually expended to purchase new works. However, during that same time period, those same acquisitions represented on average 52% of the total number of works acquired each year.

Acquisitions by Number

Acquisitions by Dollar Amount

 

A Quick Note on Acquisitions
In FY2021, pandemic-related financial uncertainty caused us to impose a moratorium on acquisitions. Consequently, we consider FY2021 unreportable.


Exhibitions

From FY11 through FY15, 32% of exhibitions featured women artists, artists of color, and LGBTQIA+ artists. Since FY16, we redoubled our efforts, increasing our presentation of exhibitions featuring women artists, artists of color, and LGBTQIA+ artists to an annual average of 61%.

 

Exhibitions Featuring Woman-Identifying or Female Artists, Artists of Color, and LGBTQ+ Artists

Talent Pipeline

Mellon Undergraduate
Curatorial Fellowship Program

In 2012, the High was named an original partnering institution of the Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program. The program increased diversity in the curatorial field by mentoring undergraduate students who have an interest in pursuing curatorial studies. The Mellon program supported a two-year paid fellowship ($20,000 for full two-year fellowship). As of 2023, thirteen students have been assigned to the High, and several have been hired in various disciplines within the museum.

The High is one of six participants in the Mellon Curatorial Program: High Museum of Art, LACMA, MFAH, Art Institute of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

AUC Art Collective

In 2019, the High joined the Atlanta University Center Collective for the Study of Art History and Curatorial Studies. The collective’s goal is to extend the talent pipeline and further the important work of diversifying the field of curatorial studies with high school students. In partnership with the Early College Programs in Art History and Curatorial Studies at Spelman, the High supports rising junior and senior students of color to pursue undergraduate studies in art history and curatorial studies.



2023
16
Students participated
2022
16
Students participated
2021
19
Students participated
2020
20
Students participated
2019
12
Students participated

Driskell Prize

Since its inception in 2005, the Driskell Prize has annually recognized an early- to midcareer African American scholar or artist whose work makes an original and important contribution to the field of African American art or art history. The endowment for Driskell, which boasts just over a million dollars for the acquisition of African American artwork, has supported the purchase of 50 works by African American artists and awarded cumulative gifts of $500,000 to past recipients.

Quick Note: The Driskell Dinner was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Funds Raised


Staff

A Quick Note on Staff
As of FY23, the museum employed approximately 158 staff. The data provided excludes approximately 45 security and janitorial staff, which are provided by independent third-party vendors.

In FY2021, the High intentionally reappraised and addressed the notion of a livable wage for its employees. All Museum employees now make either a minimum of $15/hour as nonexempt staff or $40,000/year as exempt staff.

Percentage of White Employees at the High Museum



 

Teen Team

The Teen Team is a diverse group of junior and senior high school students who work at the museum as paid employees to gain knowledge and experience in various disciplines of the museum. The Teen Team program is nationally regarded as a competitive program for teens who may be interested in the arts. Each year, at least two Teen Team seniors are offered Posse Scholarships, which cover full tuition and board to some of the nation’s top universities.

  • White
  • Black/African American
  • Latine and Hispanic
  • Multiple
  • Middle Eastern
  • Asian

2023–2024

2022–2023

2021–2022

2019–2020

2018–2019

2017–2018

2016–2017

2015–2016

Board of Directors

While gender diversity has been adequately represented on the Board, when looking at ethnicity, only 15% of Board members represent people of color.

Docents

Over the last five years, the High’s docent corps has steadily and successfully increased its recruitment efforts to invite people of color to act as art ambassadors for the Museum.

A Quick Note on Board Diversity
While progress has been made in diversifying board representation by age and gender, further diversification by ethnicity is a strategic priority and area for improvement.

A Quick Note on Docents
There was no docent candidate class in 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the absence of school groups.