ABSTRACT

Drawing on in-depth interviews with trustees and other patrons of black museums in 11 cities in the United States, as well as archival records and firsthand observations, this chapter compares how cultural connoisseurs and cultural appreciators define the value of African American museums. Connoisseurs are distinguished from appreciators by their greater engagement with culture beyond patronage at black museums. This lifestyle category includes individuals such as collectors of fine art and/or historical objects and those who work in cultural fields, such as gallerists and curators. Connoisseurs are typically motivated to become involved in philanthropy at African American museums because of cultural interests, and they evaluate the cultural dimensions of these institutions with an eagle eye. In contrast, culture is a less central motivator of appreciators’ involvement with black museums. Although they certainly evaluate African American museums along cultural lines, appreciators’ judgments are less authoritative and lack the specificity of connoisseurs’ opinions.