Nasher Sculpture Center
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion
Raymond and Patsy Nasher founded the Nasher Sculpture Center to be an international focal point and catalyst for the study, installation, conservation, and appreciation of modern and contemporary sculpture. Our institutional mission reflects their deeply held belief that art is for everyone and that art is a powerful tool to forge human connections and help us better understand each other and ourselves. Raymond and Patsy’s openness and desire to connect and understand serves as the foundation for everything we do at the Nasher Sculpture Center and guides our efforts to embody the interrelated ideals of diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in all of our endeavors.
Our Values
The Nasher Sculpture Center is committed to creating an inclusive and thoughtful community. We align our strategies, goals, and relationships with this underlying principle in mind. We hope to inspire and model a culture of meaningful change with our staff, visitors, members, and the community beyond.
Our Commitments
DIVERSITY: The Nasher is dedicated to presenting modern and contemporary sculpture that reflects the diversity of human experience and to facilitating conversations that make space for a broad range of perspectives. Our definition of diversity is evolving and adaptable. Examples may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, physical ability, age, religious commitment, and political perspective. There are many more.
We build a community of diverse perspectives and experiences:
- On our staff through recruiting, developing, and retaining employees from diverse and traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. The Nasher’s DEAI Champions group holds regular meetings and program assessments to educate staff members and keep issues of diversity, equity, access, and inclusion top of mind;
- Among our volunteer leadership, supporters, and advisors by seeking out and engaging a variety of communities in North Texas and beyond;
- Among our members and visitors by introducing new perspectives through exhibitions and programming that invite reflection and conversation;
- And within the broader community by reaching out, establishing relationships, and partnering with groups underrepresented among our visitors.
EQUITY: The Nasher is committed to creating an equitable culture among its staff and board, and across its programs. The organization implements policies and practices to ensure fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time trying to identify and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented the full participation of some individuals or groups.
ACCESS: The Nasher is dedicated to creating spaces (physical, intellectual, and emotional), programs, information, communication, and policies that are safe and accessible for visitors and staff across the continuum of human experience and abilities (e.g. sensory, mobility, hearing, visual, cognitive, and others.
INCLUSION: The Nasher is committed to creating an environment in which a broad spectrum of individuals and groups can be welcomed, respected, represented, supported, and valued as fully participating members. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces and respects differences.
Our Actions and Goals
Here are some of the ways we are putting our commitments into practice:
Expanding diversity of voices represented in the collection:
Highlighting and supporting artists from diverse backgrounds and perspectives across programs:
Expanding language access:
Offering free programming to serve visitors across the socioeconomic spectrum:
Working with community partners on innovative programs increasing accessibility:
The programs noted above are a selection of actions that manifest our commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. Our efforts are ongoing and will evolve as we learn, connect, and continue to build relationships in the North Texas community and beyond.
Selected Goals:
- Reach 15,000 visitors through free onsite and offsite programming in the coming year
- Serve 500 visitors through access and outreach programs in the coming year
- Make 100% of exhibition text available in Spanish, accessible through the Nasher digital guide; ensure that 100% of new family resources produced are bilingual
- Provide transportation scholarships to 300 students who otherwise could not afford a bus to visit the museum
- Host at least one Nasher Prize Dialogues program outside of the U.S., featuring an international panel of artists and reaching 200 viewers
- Feature local food vendors representing BIPOC- or AAPI-owned businesses at 90% of Free First Saturdays events
- Reach 1000 visitors through Pride Month events and resources highlighting LGBTQIA+ artists and community members
DEAI Champions Group
Following a cultural intelligence workshop series with the National Diversity Council and organizational action and accountability planning with Collins Collaborations, Nasher staff is working to implement lasting changes to internal and external DEAI.
A staff “DEAI Champions” group currently guides the development and implementation of policy changes and leads monthly participatory planning meetings. Made up of 15 members from across departments and seniority levels, the group annually presents four all-staff programs including book clubs, topical conversation series, and artist- and curator-led talks.