Multiculturalism in Museums and Galeries

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Introduction
The proposed project is a pop-up art exhibition in Sydney, Australia. This project aims to promote awareness and inclusion for teenagers with mental illnesses or disorders, specifically autism and depression. Art will serve as the medium where those who are ostracized, misunderstood and discriminated against can come and share their stories and emotions through their works. In this art exhibit, different audiences will be present, creating opportunities for those who have mental illnesses or disorders to be heard and seen by society. The project seeks to be a safe place and a common ground for adolescents with mental illnesses or disorders to form bonds with society. Multiculturalism in art galleries and museums is encouraged so that diversity can be embraced in modern society. There are similar projects that use art as a form of outlet and promotion of mental health awareness. One of these is Art for Mental Health, in collaboration with the Insideout Gallery. These exhibits challenge the stigma while also promoting knowledge to understand better mental health and people who are dealing with illnesses and disorders.
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism deals with the presence and support of different cultural, ethnic, and social groups and involves assessment and critical thinking. This kind of project asks the right questions about the extent of diversity in events such as the proposed art event and the vast possibilities and limitations present (Ang, 2005). The group of teenagers with mental health disabilities and disorders will represent the population considered as a minority in society. The disability behind having mental illnesses and its limitations is not always visible to the naked eye, but this proposed art exhibit will be a good eye-opener for people of the society, not only those who are in the psychology or medical field but to everyone who can be reached by the cause (Edwards & Imrie, 2003). Access and inclusion are promoted and are treated as part of human rights, especially in society today. However, there is still an undeniable impedance to truly actively practicing this (Song, 2010). History may be considered one of the major defining factors as to why there are barriers to these circumstances that have separated the society producing the so-called minority groups. In connection to this historical perspective of multiculturalism, the proposed art exhibit project will serve as an event that will debunk the instilled idea in society that the aesthetic appeal of art only belongs to the privileged upper class and the sophisticated ones, which creates exclusion and division in society instead of as something that can be used as a form of expression (Ang, 2005).
Strengths and Weaknesses
In analyzing the various aspects that require a positive development of the art exhibit proposal, there are considerations regarding the condition of the stakeholders. There are barriers to fully understanding the mental health problems among adolescents due to the uniqueness of the experiences and the changes that the teenagers are undergoing at this phase of their lives. However, the pursuit of bridging the gap between mental illness and society is carried on in this proposal to continuously improve the various aspects that mental illness affects people’s lives. A considerable aspect targeted by the proposed art exhibit is the social challenges that are continuously dealt with and experienced by teenagers suffering from mental health illnesses and disorders. It is a progressive move that will elevate the current status of the people with mental health issues in Sydney and in other parts of the world where the project can reach. Using the beauty and uniqueness of art to showcase the talent and humanity in each participating teenager will also impact their quality of life and the people who find their circumstances relatable. The proposal intends to encourage the inclusion of people who have mental health illnesses or disorders by recognizing that there are specific valuations set on people depending on their forms and abilities and, in some cases, the disabilities. This concept of social inequality disrupts the individual’s identity due to the disability being used as a form of tool that will dictate and measure the significance and worthiness of an individual to be treated as included in society (Edwards & Imrie, 2005).
Another valuable part of the project will be educating society about the truth behind mental health conditions. In line with this increase in information is the learning that the teenagers who have mental health illnesses or disorders are still human and that they are capable of many things, one of them is making art just like what is showcased in the proposed art exhibit (Juncker & Balling, 2016). The aesthetic and emotional appeal of the artwork will aid in educating society about the skills that the key stakeholders have, promoting a more open-minded approach when thinking about and interacting with teenagers with mental health conditions. Another importance of the project that will genuinely benefit the key stakeholders, the teenager participants, is the society recognizing humanity instead of defining these participants by the illness or disorder they have, which further affects how they live their lives.
In addition to multiculturalism in terms of inclusion of those suffering from mental health illnesses and disorders, it is also worth noting that the proposed art exhibit also promotes the inclusion of people from various races. Although there is ...