INCLUSION IN MUSEUMS, ART & CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
UNLOCK THE SECRET POWER OF ART
To breakdown barriers and improve workplace culture.
We use art to help you create a thriving workplace culture and better experience for visitors.
To have a workplace where all staff can thrive, first, we need to take a look at our own biases.
Art can be your critical lens on this self-reflection journey to help your workplace be more inclusive.
Art, history, and storytelling: The secret ingredients we use to help you break down barriers and become more confident in your job every day.
Helping museum educators and leaders tackle the most difficult questions.
Art can provoke complicated cultural questions. And you don’t always have the right answer...
Trust me, I know, I’ve spent my entire career asking difficult questions about art (it even got me kicked out of my digital animations master’s, you can read that scandal here).
So, if you find yourself skipping pieces of art because you can’t comfortably talk about them...
Or dreading the questions that some visitors throw your way...
Or you just want to increase your engagement with visitors at your museum, art, or cultural institution...
Then I’ve got you.
Ready to expand the cultural diversity and awareness in your museum?
The results you can expect when you invest in our diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops in museums
- A thriving inclusive workplace where all staff have access to success, which can reduce turnover
- More confidence when answering difficult cultural questions about art
- Increased visitor engagement
It’s helped us be more thoughtful and more respectful of the works of art and our audiences.
I cannot speak more highly about Melissa and Keonna s ability to facilitate difficult discussions about significant societal issues in a way that helps participants feel able to question how the privileges they do and do not enjoy shapes how they experience and understand the world.
As an educator given the responsibility to interpret and discuss artworks from cultures to which I do not belong, their Multicultural Critical Reflective Process is essential for me unpacking the values I hold and becoming more aware of how I might overlay them onto the discussions I facilitate.
As I continue with the process, I know it will help me, and the museums entire staff of educators be more thoughtful and more respectful of the works of art and audiences with which I work.
Anne K.
School Programs Manager
Crow Collection of Asian Art
Your journey starts here.
Inclusion Audit
Shine a light on the ignored areas within your museum or cultural institution.
Assessments
Gain tools and customized plans to increase productive problem-solving communication.
Workshops
Interactive workshops that invite self-reflection and critical thinking to reach success.
Audits: Shine light on the ignored areas at your museum or cultural space
This is the best place to start.
Through a six-part organization-wide process, my team and I investigate systemic barriers, biases, and inequities within policies, practices, and workplace culture and give you a highly customized diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan.
We’ll read through your policies and guidelines and hold focus groups with staff to uncover unspoken rules that are holding your institution back from leading the way.
Audits are not essential, but are a great place to start, so we can recommend the best path for workshops and further action.
Assessments: Metrics to make your interactions more productive
This is a great place to set benchmarks for personal and team growth.
The Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI® ) allows you to see an individual’s or group’s progression along a continuum of cross-cultural competence. Because of this, the IDI provides in-depth insights into how individuals and groups make sense of cultural differences, and also how they respond to cultural differences.
Watch to learn more.
The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory® (ICS®) is an assessment that helps you understand your conflict and communication style, so you can better resolve conflicts and solve problems across cultural boundaries.
Watch to learn more.
Both assessments come with additional tools. Click below to set a meeting with Dr. Crum to learn more.
Know your team's capacity for inclusion
The Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®) gives you tools to create a culture of belonging.
Watch as I share a personal story of me expanding my capacity for inclusion while working with an organization in Ghana. The IDI assesses intercultural competence, helping staff understand and adapt to diverse perspectives from the communities and customers you serve without compromising values. It offers a comprehensive model for self-awareness and bridge-building, guiding progress toward inclusive practices.
Have more effective communication with your team
The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory® (ICS®) aims to enhance awareness of diverse communication approaches to make conflicts productive.
Watch as I explain the Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory (ICS) and its workshops that help leadership, and staff grasp their communication and conflict management styles so you have more effective team management, explain organizational goals, and have productive conversations with stakeholders. I share personal experiences to illustrate how misinterpretations can arise due to different styles.
Interactive workshops that invite self reflection and critical thinking
We offer three series of workshops for you and your staff. You can book one, two, or all three but they must be followed in the order below.
The time it takes to deliver each series is up to you - the workshops can be held as often as twice a week or as little as twice a month.
DEI 101 Workshop Series
Are you ready to lead with purpose and create a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected? My comprehensive 11-part DEI workshop series is designed for early to mid-career leaders who want to make a difference, but are concerned about "getting it wrong." If you're feeling uncertain about the latest terminology or historical context of identity, this course is for you.
I create a supportive environment where you can develop the competencies to execute inclusive practices with confidence.
- Building a Common Language: Learn shared definitions and terminology to foster clear communication.
- Developing an Inclusive Culture: Discover strategies for creating a workplace that values diversity and equity.
- Equipping Yourself with Practical Tools: Learn the history and gain the skills to address your implicit bias and understand structural racism and other barriers to inclusion.
- Reducing Turnover and Increasing Confidence: Develop a thriving workplace where all team members can communicate with a shared understanding of the language.
You can get this series as a self-paced course, in-person, or live via Zoom.
Now you’re ready for...
Application of Knowledge
This three-part series is designed for museums and cultural institutions seeking to enhance collaboration with peers and leaders, inclusion of visitors, and alignment with core values in their institutions. Each workshop builds on the next, equipping participants with the skills to navigate complex challenges, foster trust, and drive positive change.
In breakout groups, we'll process and unpack experiences and discover how to mindfully engage with the communities they serve.
Subtle Acts of Exclusion
Learn to recognize and address small but significant actions that can harm inclusion in your organization. This session will empower you to transform these moments into opportunities for trust, equity, and support.
Brave Space Practice
Move beyond the concept of "safe spaces" to cultivate environments where difficult conversations can happen with empathy and accountability.
Investigating Dominant Culture Norms
Unpack how dominant cultural norms like defensiveness and fear of conflict shape dynamics in the workplace. Explore actionable strategies that promote equity and trust within their organizations.
And finally...
Making Organization-Wide Change
Explore, reflect, and transform your visitors' experience and organizational practices.
Designed for museum educators and leaders, this three-part series equips you with actionable strategies to build stronger relationships, foster innovation, and align values with daily practices.
Taking Risks with a Growth Mindset
Discover how embracing mistakes and encouraging risk-taking can inspire academic success and character development for both teachers and students. Learn how to create a culture of growth by connecting relationship-building and experiential learning principles.
Who Am I as a Museum Educator?
Reflect on your motivations and teaching practices to uncover what’s working and identify areas for growth. Engage in self-reflection to develop an inclusive environment for yourself and your visitors.
Operationalizing Values
Bring your organizational values to life by defining behaviors that align with your mission and vision. This hands-on workshop offers clear frameworks for creating a shared language, reducing subjectivity in decision-making, and embedding values into performance metrics and everyday practices.
Unlocking Inclusive Leadership in 90 Days:
Create a DEI Committee Governance Structure without Certification or Formal Experience
Tired of navigating the complexities of inclusion and belonging with few resources and no support from leadership? Let me be your resource!
Learn more about my transformative 90-day course for DEI advocates like you. In this course, you'll:
- Gain clarity and find power in your role.
- Gain support and buy-in from leaders and colleagues.
- Learn a data-based sustainable strategy.
- Align work with your organization's needs.
Stop the confusion and burnout—feel confident in your inclusive leadership and create a workplace where everyone thrives!
Not exactly what you’re looking for? Create your own customized workshop...
This option allows you to craft a session tailored to fully meet the needs of your museum or cultural space.
We can create customized museum guides and educator training using your current show or permanent collection, or deliver training to help your board shape a strategic and inclusive vision, and more. These workshops are totally customized according to your needs and priorities.
Want a different approach?
We’ll create an informal weekly club for your staff where we use books as tools to break down bias
Dialogue and Action: A club for shifting workplace culture
Designed to foster connection and community, this weekly one-hour club uniquely gathers colleagues, regardless of their title or position, into honest and critical conversation.
By creating a space where authentic dialogue can occur, teams have the opportunity for greater productivity, empathy building, and higher retention rates.
This action-oriented club meets for eight weeks, focusing first on discussion and then on applying DEI concepts specifically to your team.
Participants leave with the tools and courage needed to create change from wherever they are.
Potential books include:
Multiculturalism in Art Museums Today by Joni Boyd Acuff and Laura Evans
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown
The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations by Robert Livingston
Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggression by Michael Baran and Tiffany Jana
We Can’t Talk About That at Work: How to Talk About Race, Religion, Politics and other Polarizing Topics by Mary-Francis Winters
We all walked away with practical tools to move our dialogue forward as a team.
Dr. Crum is a consummate researcher and dynamic speaker who packs a lot of important insights into her instructional time.
Her presentation to Wexner Center staff was accessible to people on lots of different levels and we all walked away with practical tools to move our dialogue forward as a team.
I especially appreciated her deep incorporation of fundamental skills in arts education: analyzing visual culture can both reveal the sources of our biased viewpoints, as well as provide a pathway for understanding multiple truths.
Shelly C.
Director of Education
Wexner Center for the Arts
Columbus, Ohio
Your questions answered
(and maybe a few more)
What kind of organizations do you work with?
Our process works best with organizations with fewer than 250 staff. We work with all types of museums, arts, and cultural institutions.
Can we have a workshop shorter or longer than 2 hours?
Only the customizable workshops can be longer or shorter than 2 hours.
How many people can attend the workshops?
We have a maximum capacity of 50 people to keep the sessions intimate and interactive.
For musuems, art, or cultural centers with more than 50 people we can hold multiple identical workshops.
Which workshop should I book?
The workshops have been designed to go through consecutively.
DEI 101 is a good place to start so you can build up your language toolkit. Then you can move through the remaining series to apply your knowledge and make a change.
Will you (Melissa) facilitate all sessions?
If I am available, yes! If not, I have a fantastic team that I have trained who can deliver these workshops with the same results.
How do we decide who should be in which workshops?
It’s important to have a real mix of all staff in each workshop - it’s important not to separate people based on their position in the organization. Mixing up hierarchy is key.
Do you lead virtual and in-person workshops?
Yes. I have traveled across the United States. I’ve also held plenty on Zoom.
Do you help with registration?
Sometimes, when organizations register large groups and need to repeat workshops (because there are more than 50 people), we are asked to register participants in different sessions. There is an extra fee for this, but it’s no problem to do.
Hmmm, none of your proposed workshops meet our objectives. Will you create a customized workshop?
Yes, absolutely. Just get in touch and we can have a chat to put together a proposal.
Dr. Crum has an efficient and effective way of taking the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion and breaking them down in a way that anyone can understand.
She's also not above challenging her audience to think critically about what they believe and why they believe it. If you need someone to help you/your organization better understand and effectively discuss issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Crum is a great person to lead you through that process.
Dante F.
Talent Director
United Schools Network
