Kaila Austin
Painter & Exhibit Design
Indianapolis, IN
Kaila Austin is an Indianapolis-native, working in exhibition planning and design in various museums and galleries throughout the Midwest. Her work is centered on rewriting the dominant narrative that places people of color on the outskirts of dialogues about our culture and who we claim to be. Traditionally in museums when you first enter, you see beautifully lit and designed European galleries and are left to search for the dark and crowded galleries that are reserved for “everyone else”; this is a physical embodiment of the dichotomy of self and other, a dehumanizing practice used to place Europeans as central and the rest of the world as a supplemental narrative. Because of her work in creating inclusive museum spaces, this year, she is being recognized as top emerging professional through the African-American Museum Association and its Borroughs-Wright Fellowship.
Creating inclusive cultural narratives is about much more than institutional critique; it is about creating genuine accessibility and nurturing in our historically neglected communities. Through funding through the Indiana Arts Commission, Kaila has designed mobile studio spaces to take into schools and neighborhoods without arts funding and encourages individuals to express themselves and their interactions with place in their own community.