Oasa DuVerney, Drawing for Protest Black Power Wave, 2017, graphite and neon ink on hand cut paper, yard sticks.

VisArts is passionate about our mission to transform individuals and communities through the visual arts, which begins with including, supporting, and partnering with our community. Since our founding in 1987, we’ve been committed to a vibrant, diverse, inclusive community that nurtures and embraces differences. We’re grateful to the artists, faculty, staff, board, Artist Advisory Council members, volunteers, and visitors who believe unconditionally in the open exchange and expression of ideas.

As VisArts has grown and evolved over the past 34 years, we’ve come to realize that our society and our organization face a complex web of inequities and we must build a new legacy of diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility (DEIA). Our equity journey began several years ago with the creation of an Inclusion Committee, and we’re now ramping up this work to make VisArts a more equitable organization.

To help us develop and implement a comprehensive DEIA plan, VisArts has hired an outside consultant with significant experience in supporting arts and culture organizations with their diversity and inclusion work. Over the next several months, VisArts will undergo an organizational analysis, identify challenges and opportunities, and engage in training based on input from management, faculty, artists, board, staff, participants, and partners.

Ultimately, VisArts aims to:

• Advance an internal culture that’s responsive to the needs and assets of diverse perspectives, and develop programs and policies to support our organization’s equity goals;
• Improve opportunities for all community members to inform and access VisArts’ programs and services; and
• Strengthen existing partnerships while building new, mutually beneficial connections with allies that have the resources, expertise, and perspectives to improve our programs, expand our reach, deepen our impact, and promote a more equitable community.