DEAI Commitment
The GVSU Art Gallery team is committed to contributing to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment by learning, growing, and acting as arts advocates within our GVSU Laker community. We acquire and present work by artists of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences as well as work that examines complex social, cultural, aesthetic, and historical issues. We acknowledge that arts and cultural institutions have a complex history of embedded and structural inequities that create barriers for many artists to participate and viewers to experience the power of art in public spaces.
We support the University’s values outlined in the Reach Higher 2025 strategic plan, specifically the emphasis on Inclusive and Equitable Community. Through our commitments listed below we seek to foster and sustain a sense of belonging, promote diversity and respect, and address systemic issues that impact outcomes for those who have been historically excluded from higher education as well as arts and cultural institutions across the country. Inclusion and equity are experienced through the wide variety of artwork on display on physical campuses and in our digital database and website, as well as our temporary exhibitions, events, and learning resources.
We commit ourselves to:
- Centering diverse artists’ voices and perspectives
- Providing opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to engage with original works of art on campus that build on cultural competencies
- Engaging our community with artists in dynamic dialogue that reflects our social climate through exhibitions and events
- Continuously assessing and reviewing policies, practices, and procedures to identify and remove barriers to our goal of presenting a diverse and inclusive collection of art and exhibitions