Tag Archives: Museum

Only NY & Brooklyn Museum Collaborate On Merch Collection [Photos]

ONLY NY & BROOKLYN MUSEUM

Source: ONLY NY / ONLY NY

One of New York City’s most noted destinations is being brought to life for the new generation. A new clothing collection is being released in honor of Brooklyn’s most iconic cultural institution.

Only NY has announced a collaborative collection with the Brooklyn Museum. Working with the museum’s archives and merchandising team, Only NY was granted access to The Brooklyn Museum’s extensive history of exhibition posters, curiosities, and memorabilia, collected and commissioned by the museum during its near 200 year history. With access to this catalog, Only NY gravitated toward the museum’s rich history of logos, branding, and design ephemera.

ONLY NY & BROOKLYN MUSEUM

Source: ONLY NY / ONLY NY

Consisting of a hat, graphic T-shirts, tote bags, and a mug, the collection is available now online at onlyny.com, at Only NY’s Lower East Side and Greenpoint storefronts, and at the Brooklyn Museum gift shop.

You can see the rest of the collection below.

Photo: Only NY

Source: HipHopWired.com

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NMAAHC Addresses Timothy Anne Burnside’s Hip-Hop Exhibit Appointment Debate

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Source: ullstein bild Dtl. / Getty

The National African American History and Culture Museum found itself in the middle of an explosive Twitter debate regarding cultural historian and museum specialist Timothy Anne Burnside, who happens to be white. With critique cropping up that a white person was the lead for an ongoing Hip-Hop exhibit at the museum, the NMAAHC has issued a statement addressing the controversy while noting Black leadership is indeed behind its larger curation efforts.

By way of a new release titled “Real African American History: A Story Told by Many Voices,” the NMAAHC expressed sensitivity to the concerns raised by @DJChubbESwagg and others surrounding Burnside’s appointment and her race. In its own words, the NMAAHC missive hammered home that Black voices are indeed shaping the cultural and historical landscape of the popular Smithsonian destination.

From the news release:

The museum is shaped and led by a leadership team that is largely African American — and the staff is firmly grounded in African American history and committed to the mission of the museum. We value that diversity and also recognize the importance of diversity of thought, perspectives and opinions. It has helped make the museum what it is today.

Out of a deep commitment, Ms. Timothy Anne Burnside launched the Smithsonian’s first hip-hop collecting initiative 12 years ago while at the National Museum of American History. Since joining the Museum in 2009, she has also played a key role in building the hip-hop collection as part of a larger curatorial team. Dr. Dwandalyn Reece, the curator of music and performing arts, leads that effort. We are proud of their work.

In the flurry of tweets last week, it may have been missed by some that Dr. Reece is a Black woman and highly respected in her field.

The museum adds in the release that it will work with the Association of African American Museums and other related groups to bring people of color into the institution and train them in the varying levels of approaches made in the museum space.

Via Twitter, veteran journalist and activist Harry Allen retweeted the NMAAHC’s release, writing in its caption, “This is, essentially, a non-statement.”

This morning shortly after the tweet went out, Twitter user @Spacehuntress wrote, “This entire ugly episode has greatly diminished my excitement about visiting the museum” – echoing what appeared to be a growing sentiment.

Twitter user @Cherry_LA adds, “You recognize the lack of diversity in museum senior management but still didn’t hire an African American to curate Hip & Hop a artform we created? Shame on you and your empty words and promises.”

A solution was presented by Twitter user @IamJoshImmanuel which read as such: “They could’ve just had legends come in once a month to talk hip hop culture or found a black person. It’s really not that difficult to find and if it is, wait for one.”

There will surely be new conversations to crop up from this latest development.

Photo: Getty

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White African American History & Culture Museum Hip-Hop Exhibit Curator Sparks Twitter Debate

Facade of the new 'National Museum of African American History and culture' at night

Source: Allan Baxter / Getty

Twitter is ablaze with an ongoing debate about how Hip-Hop should be presented at the National African American History and Culture Museum, and by whom. Timothy Anne Burnside, a cultural historian and museum specialist with the Smithsonian, happens to be a white woman, and a question raised by a Twitter user has morphed into varying strands of opinions.

Twitter user @DJChubbESwagg caught wind of the fact that Burnside has been the curator of the museum’s ongoing Hip-Hop exhibit. On Thursday, he wrote, “THERE IS A WHITE WOMAN CURATING THE HIP HOP PART OF THE NMAAHC SMITHSONIAN?!?!?!?!?!?!? WHO LET THIS SH*T HAPPEN!?!?!”

From there, many of Burnside’s compatriots and colleagues have come to her defense despite getting a strong co-sign from Public Enemy’s Chuck D earlier this year when the exhibit was announced to the public. In @DJChubbESwag’s question, he pondered openly how Burnside became the best point person for such an exhibit, and he took on heavy criticism for his initial salvo.

From there, others began to chime in from all sides of the debate, largely supporting Burnside as a qualified figure for this venture

“that’s a wild thing to say. This is a museum created specifically to highlight Black people and our experience in America and you’re talking about diversity? Really? We crave inclusion and acceptance that much? God bless,” @StefIsDope wrote.

In contrast, Twitter user @_viciwill writes, “[N]o one said Timothy Anne wasn’t qualified to do this role. that’s not even what was up for discussion. the discussion was “were there no Black people who could have filled this role?” which is a valid question to ask about the curators of the Blackest museum in the US.”

A fair point that has been contended by some of Black Twitter’s more visible voices who supported Burnside, and bandied about by some who feel the point of @DJChubbESwagg’s question was missed overall.

“I don’t know the white woman curating the hip hop section in the NMAAHC, but I hear she is knowledgeable, respected, and an ally. But question is, wouldn’t a true ally feel it’s not their place to take a role such as that? As a straight male, I wouldn’t curate an LGBTQ exhibit,” @FredTJoseph wrote.

For context, Burnside has been collecting Hip-Hop related artifacts for the museum and the exhibit for years, including the late J Dilla’s MPC machine among other items since 2006.

She has built strong relationships in the music community and abroad and has been noted as someone who respects Black music and culture without centering herself in the work. She has remained relatively silent on the matter, while a quick look on @DJChubbESwagg’s page proves that the debate is still onging and “NMAAHC” is now trending on Twitter.

What are your thoughts? Is this debate worthy tackling? Sound off in the comments.

Photo: Getty

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