The State of Representation in the Art World

Data analysis reveals significant underrepresentation of African-American artists and women in U.S. museums. Research conducted by arts writers Charlotte Burns and Julia Halpern shows that only 2.4% of acquisitions and 7.6% of exhibitions feature African-American artists, while women account for merely 11% of acquisitions across 25 museums. This stark disparity highlights the disconnect between the art world’s claimed diversity and actual practices. Despite assertions of progress since movements like Me Too and Black Lives Matter, the data demonstrates that these commitments have not translated into meaningful action within museum collections.