SOJO has been working towards expanding and promoting the arts and artists from diverse cultures since its inception. Our goal is to remove barriers and improve representation in the arts. We support race and cultural equity in various ways, such as:
– Utilizing multiple methods, such as our website, print and social media outlets, and outreach to cross-sector partners, businesses, and libraries, to ensure our museum’s information reaches a diverse audience.- Collaborating with community resource providers and local business partners to provide accessible and inclusive art experiences to all since we are housed in an incubator of non-profits, resource agencies, and small businesses, which allows us to capitalize on engagement opportunities and public programming.- Building youth development practices through volunteering and internships that help with personal growth, skill building, and increasing self-esteem.- Reflecting our audience’s diversity in our staff, volunteers, and Board leadership who advocate for equitable and inclusive resources for our community.- Providing transparency in program development and delivering services while committing to ongoing assessment of outcomes and evaluation.- Reaching out to BIPOC artists who often do not receive support from mainstream galleries and are not included in other museum collections to support opportunities for these artists to exhibit and perform so that more diverse voices are heard.- Offering family-friendly workshops and events to encourage the exploration of history and cultural context.- Making free and low-cost programs available and not turning youth away due to families’ inability to pay.