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 ...