History of Art and Architecture

The Frick Reflects/Making Space to Ask Questions

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Presenter: Melanie Groves
202 Frick Fine Arts Building

Melanie Groves, visiting lecturer in museum studies, will present the exhibition The Frick Reflects: Looking Back, Moving Forward which she co-curated in 2020 for The Frick Pittsburgh. Reflecting on the Frick Art Museum’s 50th anniversary, the beginning of the Covid19 pandemic, and the George Floyd protests, curators responded by installing an exhibition that pulled back the curtain on the Frick, the forming of its collection, and the Frick family legacy. The exhibition examined historical biases surrounding issues of race, gender, and class and posed questions about the institution’s relevance, museum practice, and the role that museums play in systems of power and privilege.

Groves will discuss the process of developing an exhibition as an act of resistance, #MuseumsAreNotNeutral, and questions still to answer.