Curating the Pandemic: Capturing Inclusive Memories

On Tuesday, November 9, 2021 the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) presented the latest event in its Humanistic Knowledge in the 21st Century series, “Curating the Pandemic: Capturing Inclusive Memories.” The discussion was moderated by Alexandra Lord, ACLS board member and chair of the Division of Medicine and Science, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian.

The panel explored how historians, librarians, administrators, and curators have collaborated with communities in creating exhibits that illuminated the effects of COVID-19 in real-time.

ACLS President, Joy Connolly, welcomed the panel that explored the challenges and opportunities of curating the pandemic in a virtual environment. Below is a list of featured panelists which includes links to the projects they discussed and other works they are undertaking.

Tiffany E. Barber, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and Art History, University of Delaware:

• Curating the End of the World
• Google Arts & Culture, Curating the End of the World, Part 1
• Google Arts & Culture, Curating the End of the World, Part 2

Juliana Rowen Barton,  Director of Center for the Arts, Northeastern University:

• Crafting Resilience program series
• Craft Futures Fund mini-series in Folklife Magazine
• New York Times feature
• Designing Motherhood

Sarah DeMott, Research Librarian, Harvard University:

• Curating the experience of Black American in the age of pandemic
• Black America and COVID-19

Anjulie Ganti, Associate Teaching Professor, School of Public Health, University of Washington:

• Pandemic Perspectives Project
• Community Spread: How We Faced a Pandemic

Tracie Jones, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, MIT:

• Curating the experience of Black American in the age of pandemic

Mikala Woodward, Senior Exhibit Developer, Wing Luke Museum:

• Community Spread: How We Faced a Pandemic
• Touching, Traces