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Session Proposal for American Studies 1996 Convention
October 31-November 1, Kansas City
Museums and Multiculturalism
Catherine Lewis
American Studies
University of Iowa

        In his 1971 article, "The Museum:  A Temple or the Forum," Duncan
Cameron argued that it is no longer possible to think about museums as
sites of unquestioning authority, instead they should become places of
confrontation, experimentation, and debate.  Two decades later, in the wake
of the controversy over the Smithsonian's exhibition of the Enola Gay,
museums are still struggling with the tension between celebrating a shared
national heritage and accommodating alternative perspectives.  This session
welcomes contributions from individuals interested in (but not limited to)
the following questions:  In what ways have museums begun to rethink their
role as the storehouses of knowledge?  How are these changes related to
their desire to be more accountable to larger segments of the population?
How have innovative strategies designed by museums influenced who has the
authority to interpret artifacts and objects in museums?  Because many of
the recent controversial exhibits in the museum world (Robert Mapplethorpe:
The Perfect Moment, The West As America, The Last Act) have generated
important questions about the role of art and history in our nation's
identity, the relationship between funding and the free exchange of ideas,
and the future of multiculturalism in public institutions, this session is
intended to be a conversation, not a series of formal presentations.
Preference will be given to individuals working in museums who are on the
front lines of these debates and those genuinely interested in fostering a
spirited and lively exchange.
        Please send a 250-word abstract and vitae by December 27, 1995 to
Catherine Lewis (American Studies Program, University of Iowa) 925-B Drewry
Street, Atlanta, GA 30306, phone (404) 876-8050; email:
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