The Multicultural Audience Development Initiative reflects the Museum's founding mission to educate and inspire by reaching out to all of its constituencies, including the many diverse communities of the tristate area.
Mission Statement
The goals of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Multicultural Audience Development Initiative are to increase awareness of the Museum's programs and collections, to create ongoing relationships with the many diverse communities that make up New York, to diversify Museum visitorship and Membership, and to increase participation in Museum activities. We have established a Multicultural Advisory Committee composed of New York's African-American, South Asian, Asian-American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, LGBT, Muslim, and interfaith cultural leaders and organizations, who meet on a regular basis with Museum staff to pursue these ongoing goals. The Committee articulates a strategy for establishing a mutually beneficial alliance between the local community and Museum whereby interest in the Museum is fostered among the Committee's constituents and the greater community. We achieve these goals through several outreach activities, including:
- Receptions, tours, gallery talks, and lectures that are inspired by the cultural diversity represented in the Museum's collections
- Support for and participation in many cultural and civic events that affect communities in New York and the tristate area
- Collaborations with The Studio Museum in Harlem, El Museo del Barrio, The New York Historical Society, the New York Times Community Affairs Department, Museum of Chinese Art in America, and many other institutions and organizations
- Celebration of annual heritage months
Through all of these joint ventures we invite guests from participating institutions to discover the breadth of the Museum's collections. Strengthening our efforts through the media is also part of our objective. We are expanding the Initiative to reach community newspapers, radio, and television through advertising, press releases, and media alerts. We are also extending our Internet outreach through the use of social media.
Photographs and Video
See photographs of past MADI events on Flickr.
See the video's program information in Met Media.
Audience-Development Programs
College Group at the Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's College Group is an initiative dedicated to reaching college-age audiences in the greater tristate area. The College Group reaches out to their peers through special events and other activities. The mission of the Group is to alert local students to the Museum's collections and programs, to connect campus communities with the Museum, and, ultimately, to increase student attendance at and engagement with the Met.
Spectrum
Spectrum is an initiative organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art to provide fresh perspectives on the Met's collections and special exhibitions. Spectrum events offer the chance to interact with contemporary artists, to discuss art, music, video, and new media, and to socialize with other Museum fans.
The Summer Mentoring Program for College Juniors
The Mentoring Program is designed to encourage college juniors from a variety of backgrounds to pursue museum careers. Mentees receive an honorarium to work in one of the Museum's departments for ten weeks during the summer. The Mentoring Program also pairs mentees with Museum mentors who provide career guidance and support. This program extends an inclusive and informative hand to the college community at large, and provides new opportunities to college students interested in museum careers. In turn, mentees spread the word at their universities about the Museum and its internship programs.
Recent Awards and Distinctions
2012:
- Muslim Consultative Network Cross Cultural Engagement Award
- Proclamation from Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer commending the Met for its leadership and declaring Sunday, June 10, 2012, to be "Metropolitan Museum of Art Appreciation Day"
- New York Turkish Cultural Center's Art and Culture Award
- National Conference of Artists Award
- The National Minority Business Council Achievement Award
2011:
- Special recognition from the American Muslim Lawyers Association
- Special commemorative plaque from the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals
- The Metro New York National Black MBA Association Cultural Achievement Award
- Harlem's Fashion Row Visionary Award
2009:
- Donna Williams, senior audience development officer, honored by the Tau Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for her commitment to diversity and support for multicultural initiatives
2008:
- Museum honored by Rolling Thunder, Inc. (Chapter 1, New York) for its support of POW/MIA and veterans issues
- National Council of Artists/Black Art History Makers Multicultural Audience Development Award
- Proclamation from the State of New York for the Asian Pacific American Heritage Award
