Susan, Your post raised some critical questions that I think all museums face, and I believe part of the problem museums are facing in confronting social issues is the political climate across the nation today. Just look at how the Smithsonian was forced to back down on the Enola Gay exhibit. Some people have said that maybe the Smithsonian was the wrong institution to deal with the subject but if not them, who? That is our "national museum" and it is an issue confronting our nation. But we've already discussed that to death here and won't dwell on it again. Anytime a museum mounts an exhibition it takes a point of view just in doing so. That view does not have to be extremely conservative or extremely liberal, but it is rarely middle of the road. You can't just present the facts, but provide interpretation, and raise both sides of the issue. To me the most stimulating exhibits are those that challenge you to _think_ about how the issue affects you, the community, _think_ about the world in broader terms than the limits of your own circle. It's only when people can really start to think about and analyze why something was or is being done and the ramifications of it can any change begin to happen. Again to use the Enola Gay as an example, the kinds of questions that were raised regarding it were entirely valid on all sides - everyone has the right to their own opinion, however, allowing the exhibit to be presented as it was would have allowed individuals to form those opinions on their own. Instead they were forced on us by some who unfortunately are unwilling to look at alternative viewpoints. If you haven't already, I'd suggest looking at a couple of books that I feel address these issues in significant ways. One is RETHINKING THE MUSEUM AND OTHER MEDITATIONS by Stephen Weil. In it he says: "What seems to be common ... is the constant of change: invention, movement and erosion, the search for the edges of art, and the irresistable unfolding of history. Is not this, though, just as it should be? Is not change, after all, what truly justifies every museum enterprise?" The other is DIFFERENT VOICES, published by the American Association of Art Museum Directors, a series of essays dealing with ethnic and cultural diversity in art museums that I feel can easily be applied to museums across the board. I'd be interested in reading the report from the Philadelphia Initiative - can you let me know how I can obtain a copy? Thanks. Reply here or e-mail me directly if you wish. Sue Shore Museum Studies University of Nebraska-Lincoln [log in to unmask]