Nelson-Atkins art museum denies Kansas City police use of grounds during protests
As soon as Julián Zugazagoitia saw the image late Friday night he was disturbed.
The photo on social media showed Kansas City police vehicles in front of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, where he is the president and CEO. Police had asked permission from the museum’s security to use the northern drive as a staging area prior to the George Floyd protests nearby. Permission was granted, but Zugazagoitia was only made aware of it late that night.
Saturday, the next day, police were told they could no longer use the Nelson grounds.
“When I got word of that,” Zugazagoitia said Monday, “I asked them not to do it again and to relocate to another place. And they did.”
Zugazagoitia said the museum has worked hard over many years to build solid relationships with Kansas City’s black community. He did not want to jeopardize that or send the wrong message.
“The optics, the picture with the police stationed in front, with the background of the museum, does break the trust that we have worked for many years to establish with many communities, of course, people of color — making sure that they feel welcome at the Nelson. So the image was something that was hurtful.”
Zugazagoitia said he did not know that the police were using the area until 2 a.m., following Friday’s protest. He said police “completely understood” the decision. The Nelson was not used again.
“What is really important is that we are living in such a volatile moment,” Zugazagoitia said.
He said the museum embraces equality and empathy as core values. It has worked to expand its collection and exhibits to reflect the experiences and outlooks of all cultures.
“You know, you work very hard to be a place of inclusion,” he said. “We always are attempting to make people feel welcome. And that image didn’t send that message.”
He said one of their prime goals has been to establish links with all communities “and making people feel that they come to the institution that it is their institution. ”
Between June and August last year, the Nelson’s exhibit “30 Americans. Race. History, Identity. Beauty” was designed to reflect that inclusiveness.
In a written press statement, Zugazagoitia, apologized for the Nelson’s role as a staging area even for a single night.
“We deeply regret and understand the hurt and the confusion that this caused,” he said. “We feel the hurt of the nation. At the museum, our priorities remain firmly in place: to care for our community, to care for our works of art, and to further a quest for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.”
The Nelson has been closed since March and, Zugazagoitia said, is still a number of weeks away from deciding when to reopen.
