Community voices in the galleries: the Co-Creation Colloquium

On February 26, 2008, Oakland Museum of California held a meeting with invited guests and curatorial and education staff that explored collaboration and partnering between museums, artists, and audiences.  This “Co-Creation Convening” followed two other colloquiums on language and technology. All were made possible through a grant from the James Irvine Foundation supporting innovative ways to present collections and exhibitions. 

Outside participants included local, national and international artists, community organizers and curators committed to involving the public in a range of social work and artistic projects. Among the guests were Emory Douglas, artist and former Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party; Hou Hanru, independent curator and Director of the Walter McBean Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute; Favianna Rodriguez, Oakland-based artist and activist; Amy Franceschini, environmental and media artist; Douglas Worts, audience researcher and education curator; interactive artist Michael Brown; Mohammed Bilal, musician, diversity educator and digital inclusion organizer; Amanda Williams, artist, architect and lead member of Soul Salon 10; and Helena Keeffe, artist specializing in social sculpture. 

The colloquium covered ideas and projects as varied as online collaborations, artist/public generated artworks, site specific exhibitions, community centered activities and audience inspired gallery experiences. This multi-faceted conversation is part of a broader, ongoing discussion about the nature of the museum as it approaches the next phase of its life signified among other things by the renovation process.

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