Transformed by Advocacy: Indianapolis Museum Welcomes New Director Years After Racism Outcry

Belinda Tate has been appointed as the director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, three years after the search for a director began. This announcement was made by the museum on Wednesday.

Tate, who currently serves as the executive director at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in Kalamazoo, Mich., will take on the leadership role at Indiana’s largest and most influential art institution starting on November 6.

In a statement, Tate expressed her excitement to join a team dedicated to serving the community, and referred to the Indianapolis museum as an evolving institution. She was chosen from a pool of over 200 applicants.

The search for a director was first announced in an insensitive online posting that aimed to diversify the museum while maintaining its traditional, core, white art audience. This sparked outrage and led to the resignation of the Newfields president and chief executive, Charles L. Venable, along with an apology from the museum.

The director position was established in 2021 as part of a restructuring of the museum’s executive team, with Venable previously holding the title. Following Venable’s resignation, Colette Pierce-Burnette, the first Black woman, took on the role of president and chief executive.

The institution, located near predominantly white neighborhoods as well as areas with large Black populations, took steps to address diversity and improve its culture in response to demands from artists and community members. This included the hiring of Pierce-Burnette and allocating $20 million for the acquisition of artworks by marginalized groups. Additionally, the museum increased diversity on its board and implemented antiracism training.

Tate will begin her tenure at a time when the museum has made progress in showcasing more work by Black artists, but still has a journey ahead in becoming an inclusive organization.

Originally from Winston-Salem, Tate holds a master’s degree in liberal studies from Wake Forest University and a bachelor’s degree in art history and museum studies from Yale University. She has previously served as the director of Diggs Gallery at Winston-Salem State University and been a member of the task force on Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion in Museum Excellence of the American Alliance of Museums. She joined the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in 2014.

The announcement of Tate’s appointment coincides with the final week of the exhibition “We. The Culture: Works by the Eighteen Art Collective.” This exhibition showcases the work of 18 Black artists and reflects on the creation of the Black Lives Matter street mural in Indianapolis in 2020.