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| Gala Co-Chair Nicole Johnson. Photo: A.N. Torres |
Even amongst all these revelers, it wasn't hard to find gala co-chair Nicole Johnson. She’s tall, stunning, more statuesque than the actual statue of Diana that stands at the top of the Great Hall’s staircase, and she’s one of the few African Americans in attendance.
In between greeting guests arriving for the V.I.P. reception, Ms. Johnson took some time to talk with me about her involvement with the Young Friends and to share some thoughts about the prestigious organization.
KO: Nicole, first off, how did you get involved with the Young Friends?
NJ: It was by accident. I had moved away from Philadelphia a few years back for work. I had always loved the art museum, so when I came back to Philadelphia, I decided to become a regular member. When I came to sign up, they told me about the Young Friends. It sounded like a great way to reconnect and meet people in the city who liked art like I did.
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| Nicole Johnson. Photo: K. O'Connor |
KO: Was it?
NJ: It was. Young Friends is also a great to give back to the community. One of the programs funded through tonight’s gala is bringing kids from Camden, New Jersey to the museum free of charge. We bus them over and for many it’s the first time they’ve been here. It’s really great to see the kids enjoy this space and all that’s in it.
KO: What’s the make-up of the Young Friends? Women to men, black to white, that kind of a thing.
NJ: Women to men? It’s more women than men, but we have some great men who are on the board with me. Racially, I think it’s been ok. I think there’s a little more to go in terms of integrating, but we have people with different, diverse backgrounds.
KO: You mentioned there’s a little more to go as far as diversity. What do you think is the reason the numbers aren’t quite what you’d like to see?
NJ: I don't have a really good answer. We have a lot of racially diverse people who attend Young Friends parties and other activities, but they're not becoming Young Friends members. We've talked about it, how to bringing in more diversity. I've even worked with African American organizations in Philly to try and get some interest in what we're doing here at Young Friends, but that hasn't helped much. The Museum does a great job of being inclusive. People of all kinds come here to see the art, but something is missing. A possible explanation might be that, perhaps, people are growing up in environments where they aren't exposd to art, they don't see a lot of it and therefore never develop an interest. Maybe some people think you need to be an art expert to belong and they get intimidated. Even the building can be intimidating I suppose. You don't have to be an art expert to join. I'm not sure what the solution is, but as open a group as we are, we would definitley like to be more diverse.
KO: Maybe your program to expose kids from Camden and other places to art, somtimes for the first time, will help boost those diversity numbers down the line?
NJ: That would be wonderful, to have those trips to the museum inspire a life-long appreciation for art to the point of being actively involved in the art community!
KO: This being Black History Month, I'll ask, have there been other black chairs of the Young Friends gala or other events?
NJ: You know that’s interesting. I asked someone that same question tonight and apparently there have been others who have chaired or co-chaired the gala and other events and have served on the board. So, I’m honored to say that it has happened! I'm honored that I'm not the first one. It shows you that the Young Friends has always been for everybody.
WP: And how did you become co-chair of the Winter Gala? Is this something you volunteered for? Did you get elected?
NJ: I was asked by fellow members of the board and I was happy to do it. I enjoy planning parties and events and being involved.
KO: Along with community outreach and education programs, the Young Friends use funds raised to acquire art for the museum. What kind of pieces are you buying?
NJ: There's a joke in the Young Friends about how we seem to always be buying silver! We buy other stuff and spread it out over all the collections. If you walk around the museum, and look at the little descriptions on the wall, you'll see pieces in all the galleries that say "made possible by the Young Friends" or something to that equivalent.
KO Last question. What is your favorite piece in the museum?
NJ: The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons by Joseph Mallord William Turner.
KO: I lied. Here's the last question. Why is it your favorite?
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| Burning of the House of Lords and Commons |
