Oakland Museum of California Director Says Museums Must Become Civic Institutions
Museums cannot rely on relevance as a given, according to Lori Fogarty, executive director and chief executive of the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA). In a recent statement, she argued that cultural institutions must do more than preserve collections or host exhibitions: they must actively build trust, equity, and belonging, both within their walls and in the communities they serve.
Fogarty begins with the internal life of the museum. OMCA, she notes, has voluntarily recognized its OMCA-WU union and is working toward a pro-union, equity-focused collective bargaining agreement. The museum’s compensation philosophy sets the lowest-paid staff at $30.88 per hour, with salary grades shaped by internal equity and market competitiveness. She places that approach alongside broader labor and pay-equity efforts across the field, including Museums Moving Forward and institutions such as Filoli.
She also points to what OMCA calls financial integrity: a commitment to more transparent budgeting practices with staff and board, as well as an investment philosophy grounded in the museum’s social impact framework. OMCA is currently working to move its investments toward funds that reflect that framework. Fogarty frames these decisions as part of a larger obligation to operate as a civil institution before it can fully function as a civic one.
That civic role, in her view, depends on public trust. OMCA’s exhibitions are intended to lift up undertold histories and stories of resilience and collective action, a model she connects to museums such as the Wing Luke Museum, the Abbe Museum, and the Museum of Us. She also cites the Brooklyn Museum’s evening programming as an example of how museums can create social cohesion by bringing together people across difference, not only those who already share the same background or outlook.
Fogarty emphasizes that this work is measurable. OMCA has an in-house evaluation team that surveys visitors on demographics, satisfaction, and their experience of social cohesion, then shares those findings across the institution to improve programming and visitor experience. She also points to collaborations and community-centered work involving SOMArts and the Japanese American National Museum as part of a wider field of practice.
The larger message is unmistakable: museums, Fogarty argues, should not wait for the public to grant them relevance. They have to earn it through equity, transparency, and a sustained commitment to the communities around them. For OMCA, that mission is tied to a broader purpose — to inspire understanding and empathy through history, culture, and creative expression in order to imagine a more just and vibrant future.
