Stepping into museums around the country, it’s hard to ignore a nationally reoccurring theme that European art is the only art. Marginalized communities that aspire to have their work debut to this stature are often left out of consideration due to discriminatory practices that only puts a value on European art.
Helping to hold the door open for Black artists in these spaces is Chelsey Luster, curator and creative bringing Black arts to the forefront of the conversation around diversifying higher institutions.
“As a curator, if I wasn’t focusing on Black art and the work that we make, I’d be doing such a big disservice to myself and the world,” Chelsey told THE BLOCK.
Baltimore-born and Philadelphia-based, Chelsey has always been interested in the arts. Attending Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Design for her Bachelor’s degree, she was allowed the freedom to develop her artistic style with a relaxed curriculum that encouraged students to participate in art shows and programming. But she noticed that studying how to be a curator wasn’t a course or class the school offered in supplementation.
“There was no program, at least in my time, for curation. And no one really encouraged me to curate or do internships. That’s one thing about Tyler; they [didn’t] require you to have internships in most of their BFA programs. I worked at Tyler for the director of student affairs, so it was a lot of me talking to her and figuring out where I could show. And she helped run the student-run gallery space that most people had their senior shows at, but I don’t think anyone really knew that you could propose to have a show there.
“I really had to ask around to figure [it] out,” Chelsey explained.
Since graduating, she found joy and work in bringing art together cohesively. “There’s not a lot of money and curation if you’re doing it independently, ” Chelsey admits, but the work is gratifying due to her position being surrounded by art, fellow artists and spaces that let her do her favorite thing: create. Getting her start in curation through Temple, Chelsey would develop her confidence and voice as an artist and curator throughout the Philadelphia arts community.
Currently working as the exhibition manager at the famous Magic Gardens located on South Street in Philadelphia, Chelsey is still continuing with her own creative endeavors while also advocating for Black arts in traditionally white spaces.
“I love seeing people’s work and hearing about it. And thinking about the curators today, especially in major museums, most of the work [is] done by straight, white men. I think that’s the main thing that made me want to be a curator,” Chelsey shared.
“When I’m showing work that I care about and work that I’m passionate about, I feel like I see [artists’] work more genuinely than older, straight white men who are running these spaces.”
As one of a handful of Black creatives in a system that tends to appreciate Blackness for its aesthetic rather than for its physical contributions, Chelsey is proud of the work she does in highlighting not only the presence of Blackness in gender, sexuality and self-exploration, but bringing the gaze to the importance of prominent and proud Black figures.
it’s really important for us to be seen and heard in every way. I think that’s why I’m a figure artist. Something about seeing the person is so special to me, and seeing them in a way where they’re confident, and they take pride in this space that they are inside of just feels really unapologetic and powerful to me.
Chelsey Luster
“We deserve to be unapologetic, stand in our opinions and take up space; we deserve it all. That’s what my paintings try to do,” Chelsey added.
As an artist, her work is rooted in themes of identity and the obstacles that come with it. Obstacles often include having to face oversight due to her gender, texture of her hair or color of her skin. As a curator, Chelsey shares her excitement in the new and boundary-pushing work done by peers and is eager to see it get recognition for its improvement of the limited art scene.
“Museums and galleries are so so so far behind on showing Black art that they could show Black art for the next 50 years, only Black art, and it would still not be balanced,” Chelsey said.
Operating in predominantly white institutions has shown Chelsey that, while things are improving, there is still a lot of work to be done.
The way I view diversity and inclusivity is that it starts at the top. And a lot of institutions start at the bottom.
“I just hate walking into museums where all the visitor’s service staff are people of color, and the whole board is white. It’s just so ugly to me,” Chelssey continued.
Fighting back in her own way, her aim to amplify the work of Black artists is nothing short of a small protest against eurocentricity in museums. Not only should this be the work of Black curators, but Chelsey admits that it is the work for all curators to begin, if not already, ushering in art from Black and brown and other marginalized creators in order to help modernize museum spaces.
“From the board members to the directors, to the curators, to the managers, if half your institution isn’t diverse, then you can’t call yourself a diverse institution,” she challenged.
The Black gaze, an intersectional view on how to diversify and create equitable institutions that benefit all, is something Chelsey has in abundance. As she continues to flex her prowess as both a creator and curator, she uses her platform to uplift the needs and work of the Black arts community, as well as make Black art the important focal point of museums, art galleries and shows throughout Philadelphia.
“I think all curators, white curators, all people of color, have a duty to show all different types of work, especially Black art.
