We apologize to all of those impacted by the cancellation of the 2021 Northampton Biennial and to those we excluded by failed outreach attempts, especially our local BIPOC communities.
We also apologize to the artists, jurors, and Forbes Library for inviting you into a flawed process. To the artists, we apologize for taking away the opportunity to have your work on view. We acknowledge the time, effort, and expenses you put towards your participation in this event. We are also sorry for the last-minute nature of the cancellation. To the jurors and Forbes Library, we’re sorry that we didn’t find a way to include you in the planning and the conversation around the cancellation. We regret that our practice was not inclusive of your experience, expertise, and voices.
We know that many were looking forward to viewing art together in public after the pandemic. We are sorry that we were unable to produce this event for the community because we realized so late in the process that this was not entirely aligned with our equity statement:
The Northampton Arts Council believes that art is for everyone. We strive to produce, support, and sustain arts and cultural initiatives that uphold all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically marginalized based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion. We affirm the need to redress historical inequities in the arts and cultural sector and commit to supporting equitable and inclusive practices through all aspects of our work.
We are committed to centering this equity statement. We will strive to ensure:
continued conversations around the issues raised by this Biennial process
accessible, community-based, and inclusive arts programming
equitable and diverse outreach practices
flexible timelines that accommodate feedback and collaboration
transparent work processes and communication
authentic and lasting relationships and partnerships
diversification and expansion of the voices on the Council
We look forward to realizing this vision together.
Sincerely,
NAC
