DULUTH 鈥� For Christina Woods, an introduction runs deeper than a few words, so she starts with a story.
One of her names was given at birth, another arrived with her. 鈥淎namacikwe,鈥� or "thunderbird lady, is her sacred name, she explained to a handful of students in the Duluth Art Institute鈥檚 Lincoln Park building.
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鈥淭he Anishinaabe believe that before you鈥檙e born, you choose your parents. You negotiate with the Creator the life you want to live, the lessons you want to work on,鈥� she said.
Woods then asked the girls to illustrate their names on paper for a timed exercise.
The 鈥� which engages Duluth students in free high-level visual arts workshops and leadership training 鈥� is one of Woods鈥� achievements since stepping in as DAI executive director.
鈥淚鈥檓 one of a few people nationwide running a predominantly white arts organization, and I鈥檝e shifted it to a BIPOC-led arts organization, not just because I鈥檓 there, but because of who鈥檚 on my board.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the kind of leadership and contemporary thinking that the Anishinaabe are bringing to Duluth today,鈥� Woods said.
She has presented on this topic in webinars hosted by the , and her article discussing 鈥渢he whiteness in our museums and art institutions鈥� will be unveiled at the American Alliance of Museums in May.
鈥淩eally, what we鈥檝e done is decolonize the organization,鈥� she said.
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Woods was brought in as an interim manager in 2018 and did quite well. 鈥淲e were down two people, she fixed us up,鈥� DAI board president Robin Washington recalled, noting her focus on fundraising, grants and programming.
Regional native artists are not new to the organization, he said, referring to Frank Big Bear and Vern Northrup exhibits.
The organization was already going a more diverse route, and with the 鈥渞acial reckoning鈥� that followed George Floyd鈥檚 death, art funders included more BIPOC creators than before.
And, the DAI was ready for it. 鈥淪he put us in a good position," he said.
鈥淩ather than we changed to a focus on BIPOC or more diversity, I would say we evolved,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all in this age of intersection, that鈥檚 what an art museum should do.鈥�
The staff and board were already bringing more diversity, especially based on race, Woods said, adding: 鈥淚t was an easy pivot.鈥�
DAI leadership started shifting how educational classes are designed, as well as the exhibition selection process.
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They now use a panel outside of staff and board members to review all artist submissions. There鈥檚 higher percentage of BIPOC participation within this panel, and they ensure all are well-versed in the nationwide history of underrepresentation and absent ethnic and neurodivergent narratives, Woods said.
They implemented a on the DAI website.
Their board is now 60% BIPOC led.
Internally, too, there鈥檚 more equity among vacation time and flexibility to partake in celebrations outside the normative Christian culture.
鈥淲e recognized that having a floating day is really important for folks who celebrate different holidays,鈥� Woods said, adding that now it鈥檚 not an uncomfortable request.
Woods is a strong advocate for identifying and celebrating unheard narratives, said Amy Varsek, exhibitions director and curator. The DAI galleries, classes and youth programming continue to grow in diversity and inclusivity under her leadership.
鈥淪he knows who she is and welcomes people to learn about her work and her heritage,鈥� she said.
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Varsek has been with the DAI since 2015, and she said Woods honors her process and curatorial style, and she supports and empowers her voice.
Many arts spheres have been dominated by white spaces and narratives. Woods is always thinking about how the arts can add on to and initiate social justice movements, and access, said Liz Axberg, DAI community outreach coordinator and AmeriCorps VISTA.
鈥淔or every project, she asks what demographic we are serving and who we are missing. I always want to remember to take that into account, always checking my perspective,鈥� Axberg said.
India-born multimedia artist Roshan Ganu鈥檚 鈥淭he Banyan Tree鈥� opened in October in Duluth, and her takeaways from exhibiting at the DAI: 鈥淎s a women-led organization, I want to give credit to that. I appreciated how each one had their own autonomy to make decisions,鈥� Ganu said.
Ganu met Woods during a pre-pandemic art show in the Twin Cities. While Ganu is culturally rooted in India, her art reflects her experiences living around the world. 鈥淚 often speak to a hybrid space that I inhabit as a global person.
鈥淭his is one approach I have to storytelling. Christina has her own approach with her history and her name, Anamacikwe.
Woods was born a Bois Forte tribal member, and she grew up on the Iron Range. She started her career in elementary education before adding diversity consultation and training in the Stillwater, Minnesota, school district.
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Since moving to Duluth in 2010, Woods worked as the executive director at the Damiano Center; a field producer for WDSE鈥檚 鈥淣ative Report鈥�; and among other roles, she co-chaired the Duluth Human Rights Commission.
Today, she鈥檚 on the State of Minnesota Art Advisory Committee and the president of the Duluth Public Arts Commission.
While much of her professional life has been educating and enlightening folks on the 鈥渃olonialistic practices embedded through generations,鈥� she said it鈥檚 an important fit for where she鈥檚 at now.
鈥淥ur art museums play an enormous role in whose story and whose history gets told.鈥�
The story was updated at 1:38 p.m. Jan. 20 to clarify that Christina Woods was brought in as an interim manager at the Duluth Art Institute in 2018.
