Henry Luce Foundation Awards $175,000 Grant to Support Beyond Museum Walls Project
The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties has been awarded a $175,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support Beyond Museum Walls: Collections, Community, and Engagement at The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties. This three-year initiative, running from Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2029, is dedicated to strengthening conservation practices and increasing public access to one of the most significant collections of Min茅 Okubo鈥檚 work in the world.
Beyond Museum Walls centers on the stewardship of the Min茅 Okubo Collection, which includes paintings, papers, correspondence, photographs, and personal artifacts spanning from the 1930s until Okubo鈥檚 death in 2001. The grant will assist by providing term staffing for the Center鈥檚 archive. By doing so, the project will modernize documentation and preservation standards while expanding opportunities for public engagement.
Museum staffing is integral to the conservation of Okubo鈥檚 large-scale canvases, many of which are currently stored in archival tubes. These efforts ensure the collection鈥檚 physical integrity and make the artworks available for future exhibitions and potential loans to other museums.
Beyond Museum Walls will increase public awareness of Okubo鈥檚 life and work as a Japanese American woman artist, writer, and social activist. Through this project, the Center seeks to deepen the understanding of Okubo鈥檚 contributions while supporting educational and community-based engagement.
鈥淭he Henry Luce Foundation鈥檚 support allows the Center to responsibly care for Min茅 Okubo鈥檚 work while expanding how students, scholars, and the public can engage with her legacy,鈥� said Tracy Fisher, Ph.D., director of The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties. 鈥淭his grant strengthens the Center鈥檚 ability to steward the collection with intention and to create opportunities that connect art, social justice, and community across generations.鈥�
The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, part of the Riverside Community sa国际传媒官网网页入口 District, holds the world鈥檚 most extensive repository of Okubo鈥檚 work. The Beyond Museum Walls project serves as a foundation for future initiatives, including the development of a national loan schedule, and student-centered projects focused on the intersections of art, social justice, and community.