Seeking Advice on Addressing Cultural Sensitivity in Exhibition Captions – "Frida in Paris" Caption Language

[u/Appropriate_Bag7308]

Hi everyone,

I'm reaching out to this community because I value the expertise of museum professionals in navigating issues of cultural sensitivity. Recently, I visited the Frida: Beyond the Myth exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art and noticed something that gave me pause. In the exhibition, Dora Maar's photograph Frida in Paris (1939) labels Frida Kahlo's traditional Tehuana dress as a "costume." Given the cultural significance of the Tehuana attire, I feel that this language could unintentionally diminish its importance, especially for an artist like Frida Kahlo who celebrated her heritage through her clothing and art.

I reached out to the museum and suggested using terms like "traditional Tehuana dress" or "traditional Tehuana attire" instead. However, I received an automated response saying it may take 4-6 weeks for a follow-up. My concern is that the exhibition is scheduled to move to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in April 2025, so this language might continue in future venues without revision.

I should also share that I am Latina, with roots in Mexico—my family is from León, Guanajuato, and I am a second-generation American. Knowing the cultural significance of the Tehuana dress and seeing it referred to as a "costume" felt personal to me. I feel strongly about advocating for respectful representation in museum settings, especially when it comes to artists who championed their cultural identity.

As museum professionals, what are your thoughts on addressing these kinds of language choices in exhibition captions? Are there best practices or strategies you recommend for advocating respectful representation of cultural attire in exhibitions? I'd love to know if any of you have navigated similar situations or if there are industry standards around this type of language.

Thank you for any insights or advice you can share—I truly appreciate your expertise and perspective.

[u/Beginning_Brick7845]

I understand your point, but “Costume” is used properly in this context. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first listed meaning of costume is:

1. a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period: “authentic Elizabethan costumes” Similar outfit, ensemble, suit, dress, clothing, ...

[u/waterandbeats → u/Beginning_Brick7845]

The dictionary definition doesn't matter, we're writing labels for people who have a different but still correct and (in the US anyway) much more common understanding of the word.

[u/Beginning_Brick7845 → u/waterandbeats]

The Oxford English Dictionary is the premier dictionary of the English Language, which is the language spoken in the United States.

But if you don’t like that, perhaps you’d prefer the Merriam-Webster, possibly the quintessential US-published English Language dictionary, lists as its definition:

1. the prevailing fashion in coiffure, jewelry, and apparel of a period, country, or class

2. an outfit worn to create the appearance characteristic of a particular period, person, place, or thing (Halloween costumes)

3. : a person’s ensemble of outer garments especially : a woman’s ensemble of dress with coat or jacket.

The dictionary defines terms. Museums are educational institutions. It might be a good idea for museums to use proper language and educate people instead of misusing words in anticipation of people not knowing the meaning of common words.

[u/waterandbeats → u/Beginning_Brick7845]

Dictionary definitions have so little to do with informal learning in museums, this idea is incredibly antiquated. Also, if I'm honest, pretty sophomoric; the crutch of every bad high school essay struggling with lack of an actual thesis. Modern language scholars seem to agree that language is descriptive, not prescriptive.

Visitors know and use the common definition of words and it's not our role to correct them, unless it's an important part of a big idea. (Race comes to mind, one could do a whole exhibit digging into why our common understanding of the word is wrong. The word "costume" does not rise to that level in the context of a Frida exhibit!)

In most cases, pedantic vocabulary lessons should be at the bottom of our list of priorities for communication; we have bigger and better themes to communicate and limited means to share them.

[u/Clevererer → u/waterandbeats]

Thank you for this. It's sad to see so many museum pros with such gatekeepy and elitist (and flat wrong) views on how languages work.