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.
More from UMMA

Dec 9, 2025
The Business of Art course helps students understand the economics of the art market by providing real word experience.

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.

Sep 25, 2025
Julie Ault awarded inaugural commission, will open American Sampler: Activating the Archive on January 24, 2026