Hablemos de Arte: Bilingual Spanish/English Family Programs in Art Museums

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2018The purpose of this research was to describe the experience of participants in bilingual Spanish/English family programs in art museums. Bilingual programs are providing access to a greater proportion of our changing society and address societal inequalities that museums have often supported. This descriptive, qualitative study examined seven interviews with museum staff and three participant observations of these programs. The research sites were Denver Art Museum, National Museum of Mexican Art, Queens Museum, and Aspen Art Museum. Themes that emerged were accessibility, agency, cultural identity, and relevancy. This data suggests that bilingual family programs in art museums are providing accessibility and inclusion for Latinx families. The museum staff interviewed expressed that the programs are providing opportunities for families to have their culture validated, to hear Spanish outside of the home, to empower adults to participate and teach the children, and to show all visitors the importance of the Spanish language