Henry Art Liaisons

Initiated in 2020, the Henry Art Liaison program is a three-quarter credited and paid internship program open to University of Washington students of any major. The program uses the lenses of equity, antiracist museum practices, and collaborative learning to introduce selected Henry Art Liaisons to contemporary art interpretation and community engagement within the museum setting.

Building on the idea that everyone's life and learning can be enriched through dialogue with contemporary art, Henry Art Liaisons receive mentorship and training to lead dynamic, community-centered engagements. With museum tours as the cornerstone of the program, these and other engagements are pathways for school and student groups, intergenerational audiences, and the general public to connect with the concepts and conversations found within the museum’s exhibitions and beyond in the larger arts ecology of Seattle.

While special topics of the year-long program rotate with the Henry’s exhibitions, the core learning outcomes for liaisons include:

• a foundational understanding of current debates surrounding the role and implications of museums in society,
• growing art interpretation and visual analysis skills that critically connect visual culture to sociopolitical and personal events,
• internship-level experience facilitating community-centered museum engagements,
• behind-the-scenes knowledge of museum operations across departments; and
• increased public speaking and project execution capabilities through experience and training.

Cohort Statement

During autumn quarter, each cohort is invited to present a cohort statement outlining their purpose and priorities as Henry Art Liaisons.

“The Henry Art Liaison Program is a community building and professional development program that empowers young creatives united by a shared commitment to revolutionizing the museum experience. As a cohort, we lay the groundwork for program initiatives through weekly critical discussions on public engagement, community accessibility, and customized programming for underserved groups. We script and deliver conversational tours that facilitate a space for visitors to explore with curiosity, and to make connections between their individual life experiences and the arts. Progressing past the idea of museums as static institutions, we invite visitors to participate in the process of meaning-making and co-creation of knowledge. By bridging the systemic gaps that separate the general public from art discourse, we aim to connect the museum to our communities by providing opportunities for growth and learning for visitors. We seek to reshape the narrative of art through culturally relevant programming, community engagement projects, and accessibility initiatives.” —2023–24 Cohort: Isabella Couto, Rosaline Dou, Sven Holmgren, Sorel Nica, Ayla Tanurhan, Kae Yu

Annual Projects

Each cohort produces an annual project that extends the boundaries of equity-focused community engagement beyond the walls of the Henry Art Gallery. Annual projects from over the years can be accessed below.

Community Engagement Project | 2022–23 Cohort

Assigned by 2022–23 Programs Manager, Danielle Khleang, the Henry Art Liaisons completed Community Engagement Projects (CEP). The CEP is an opportunity for liaisons to own conceptualizing, planning, and implementing a museum engagement for an affinity group of the liaisons' choosing. Follow the links below to review CEP reports.

• Community Engagement Plan: Crafting Ceremonies of Food | Shreya Balaji & Em Chan
• Community Engagement Plan | Fal Iyoab & Cas Haddad

Collective Annotated Bibliography | 2020–21 & 2021–22 Cohorts

Assigned by 2020-22 Program Manager, Berette S Macaulay, the first two cohorts of Henry Art Liaisons co-curated an archive of materials and sources as collected annotated bibliographies to help readers think critically about art and museum-related topics. Follow the links below to read all three volumes of the Collective Annotated Bibliography (CAB).

• ENTROPY CAB Vol. III, 2021-22 | Edited by Huma Ali and Asher Stein, Designed by Shreya Balaji
• IN CONVO CAB Vol. I, and Vol. II | 2020-21, Edited + Designed by Em Chan

Cohorts

• 2023–24 Cohort: Isabella Couto, Rosaline Dou, Sven Holmgren, Sorel Nica, Ayla Tanurhan, Kae Yu
• Winter & Spring 2023: Shreya Balaji, Em Chan Dickson, Cas Haddad, and Fal Iyoab 
• Autumn 2022: Shreya Balaji, Em Chan Dickson, Cas Haddad, Fal Iyoab, Jonathan Kwong, and Hayden Stern
  • Program Manager: Danielle Khleang
• 2021-22: Huma Ali, Shreya Balaji, Marlowe Barrington, Em Chan, Moe'Neyah Holland, Kathryn Reyes, Asher Stein, Hadi Yusri
  • Program Manager: Berette S Macaulay
• Inaugural Henry Art Liaison Cohort: Cassidy Correia, Devan Kirk, Em Chan, Grace Fletcher, Jessamyn Gilbert, Michelle Ma, Tony Lasley, Sasha Fiona Lavassar-Clinton
  • Program Manager: Berette S Macaulay