Athena: Holding the Art World Accountable

Athena is a platform that creates a space for underrepresented (POC, women, non-binary, and queer) artists to come together to develop a community and voice for equality in the arts. Designed by first-year student Virginia Gordon, the project speaks directly to the revelation that museums globally are failing to demonstrate equitability in their collections, exhibitions, and acquisitions.

Virginia was inspired to take action when she found a study with startling data: out of 18 prominent art museums in the U.S.—each with over 10,000 artists—87% are male, and 85% are white.

Virginia was inspired to take action when she found a recent study with startling data: out of 18 prominent art museums in the U.S.—each with over 10,000 artists—87% are male, and 85% are white. Athena looks to inform and connect artists through the platform and to create accountability for galleries and museums in their own artist representation. Virginia says that her hope is that "with this information, users will change the way they perceive institutions and the way that they view the work within them, thus demanding change."

Athena holds museums, institutions, and galleries accountable through the Athena Art Equality Rating. The rating is based on three essential statistics that include the demographic of current holdings, recent acquisitions, and exhibitions.

Athena holds museums, institutions, and galleries accountable through the Athena Art Equality Rating. The rating is based on three essential statistics that include the demographic of current holdings, recent acquisitions, and exhibitions. Users can scan the QR code located on the bottom of the rating to receive more detailed information regarding how the score was given. Let’s take a closer look at how the rating section of the app works:

Athena also connects users through the Events & Community section of the app. Users can select their location and view upcoming events in their area, as well as create their own. Here’s how it works:

Another aspect of Athena is that it informs users through articles and interviews by artists, curators, and community leaders. Virginia shares that her initial inspiration for creating the app was the data visualization artist Mona Chalabi, who recently created a breath of work focusing on inequality within museums. “This conversation piqued my interest and inspired a greater understanding of the lack of representation in the art world.”