Accessibility
Demuth Museum
The Demuth Museum resides in the historic home and studio of Charles Demuth. There are two steps (one 6 inches tall, one 8 inches tall) to enter the first floor of the museum. A visitor restroom is available on the first floor, which is not currently wheelchair accessible. The second floor of the museum is currently accessible by the original wooden 13-step staircase. The top 3 steps of the staircase are curved to create a 90 degree turn. There is also a step between our Permanent Collection Gallery and the staircase landing. An alternative 13-step staircase with wider steps and no turn, with an additional step from the staircase landing to the second floor gallery, is available for visitors to use upon request - please ask the staff member at the front desk for access. At this time, the building is not equipped with elevator access.
Audio captions in English and Spanish are included in the Charles Demuth film on view in our Permanent Collection Gallery. A large print hard copy of the video transcript is available next to the video monitor at the museum. A video transcript is also available to read on our website.
We will continue to update this information as we work toward making our buildings accessible to all. Please feel free to call us at (717) 299-9940 with any questions.
Lancaster Museum of Art
The Lancaster Museum of Art is located in the historic Grubb Mansion. The parking lot located on Marion Street includes one accessible parking space. An accessible entrance is located on the portico at the rear of the building, facing Musser Park. A wheelchair-accessible ramp is available from the park to the portico, and an additional ramp leads to the back entrance. The museum’s first floor galleries and restroom are wheelchair accessible. Some exhibitions expand to the second floor galleries, which are accessible by a staircase with 14 steps, a landing, and an additional 7 steps. At this time, the building is not equipped with elevator access.
We will continue to update this information as we work toward making our buildings accessible to all. Please feel free to call us at (717) 299-9940 with any questions.
Demuth PROGRAM CENTER (116 East King Street)
Some of our programs and workshops are held at 116 East King Street, a Demuth family property. There is one 8-inch tall step into the first floor of the building. The first floor workshop space and restroom require no additional stairs for entry. The second floor workshop space is accessible by a staircase with 13 steps, a landing, and an additional 2 steps. At this time, the building is not equipped with elevator access.
We will continue to update this information as we work toward making our buildings accessible to all. Please feel free to call us at (717) 299-9940 with any questions.
Service Animals
We follow the ADA's guidelines regarding service animals which include any dog or small horse that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Service animals are trained to perform specific tasks for the disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not considered service animals. Please keep in mind the Demuth Foundation is not responsible for the care and supervision of a service animal.
DEAI Accountability Statement
January 25, 2021
In June 2020, the Demuth Foundation made a public statement condemning racism and committing to include more artists of color within our exhibitions and programs. At our Annual Meeting in July 2020, we set a goal to increase diversity and inclusion at our museums, and laid out four specific actions we planned to take in FY2021. Halfway through our fiscal year, today we are issuing an accountability statement to our members and community to provide you information on our progress and offer transparency in our process.
Throughout the statement below, two acronyms will be used and we would like to define them up front. “DEAI” stands for diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. This includes topics of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, education, geography, and disability. “BIPOC” refers to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Our first action towards greater diversity and inclusion is to expand our distribution lists for exhibition opportunities at our museums to include more BIPOC. This task has been “completed,” though we use this term loosely as there are likely some artists we have been unable to connect with and there will always be more artists emerging and moving to our community that can be added to our communication channels. Specifically, we added 11 new artists to the 2021 Demuth Invitational exhibition call for submissions. We know that simply extending the invitation to participate doesn’t mean that artists will immediately begin to submit works, but we hope that we can continue to develop relationships with a more diverse group of artists for our exhibitions, including the annual Community Art Exhibition and Trees Galore at the Lancaster Museum of Art.
The next action step we committed to taking this year is to analyze our current collections and make strategic acquisitions to be more representative of Lancaster and the communities we serve. This task is still in process. While we have a better understanding of what artists, mediums, and subject matter our collections represent, we are developing an acquisition plan and will need funding to support future purchases.
The third action we wish to take is inviting more diverse voices to join our board and committees. This task is where we admittedly fall behind. We have had many meaningful conversations with BIPOC over the last 7 months, but our board composition has not changed and we have not been successful in launching a DEAI Advisory Committee. We have open seats at our table and if you’re interested in getting involved, please reach out for more information.
The final action we’ve embarked on is incorporating staff training on DEAI issues into our regular practices. Since last summer, we’ve conducted three virtual all-staff meetings around this topic. Together, we’ve read reports and articles exploring the disparity of BIPOC in the cultural sector, tested our implicit biases through surveys, and evaluated our policies and practices through DEAI assessment tools. We’ve had vulnerable and difficult conversations with each other, and feel ready to start implementing change. Below is a list of resources we’ve found insightful and challenging. If you have other recommendations, we welcome your suggestions.
Now that we better understand our biases and organization's practices as it relates to DEAI, we’ve identified two priorities for our next steps: policies and accountability. These two areas were identified as weaknesses in our DEAI work by our museums by staff. Economic barriers to participation at our organization on all levels (board, employment, internships) will be discussed. How to address Charles Demuth’s sexuality in our interpretation of his life and work will be evaluated. Exhibition schedules and programs will be assessed regularly to ensure we are representative of our beautifully diverse community. And we will keep you posted on our progress and metrics that determine effectiveness.
We know we cannot solve the world’s problems all at once, but we can create change in our sphere of influence one step at a time. Thank you for your genuine support and journeying with us towards a more equitable and inclusive community.
Abby Baer
Executive Director, Demuth Foundation
DEAI Resources:
Centering the Picture: The role of race and ethnicity in cultural engagement in the U.S,