Skip to main content
July 19, 2022

A call to bravery: in new op-ed UMMA Director outlines five lessons for more courageous museums

Photo by Mark Gjukich

In a new op-ed published this week by ArtNet News, UMMA Director Christina Olsen makes the case that art museums across the country need to be braver if they truly wish to serve and be relevant to their visitors and communities.

Campus museums, Olsen argues, have exemplified this needed courage in recent years. In the piece, she calls more broadly for museums to take lessons from those examples and reinvent what it means to be an art museum in today’s world.

Olsen outlines five methods campus museums have used to reassert their relevance to the public and reinvigorate meaningful connections to their communities. You can read the five lessons, and learn about examples from each on ArtNet News.

Read Full Article

More from UMMA

People stand on stage in front of a large projection screen with microphone.
University of Michigan Students Decide UMMA’s Next Acquisition in Live “Art Tank” Event
Dec 9, 2025
The Business of Art course helps students understand the economics of the art market by providing real word experience.
Tile floor in foreground with people in motion walking throughout the space.
UMMA to Temporarily Close Alumni Memorial Hall for Marble Floor Restoration
Dec 2, 2025
Museum’s Frankel Family Wing will remain open with new exhibitions and programs throughout the project. UMMA will temporarily close Alumni Memorial Hall, the museum’s historic South wing, beginning in late January 2026 for a full replacement of its marble floor.
Image of flames with a gray background.
UMMA and the Labadie Collection Launch Ambitious Exhibition Series on American Protest and Social Movements
Sep 25, 2025
Julie Ault awarded inaugural commission, will open American Sampler: Activating the Archive on January 24, 2026