MoNA’s Outside In Gallery: Past, Present & Future
By: Ellie Cross, Community Engagement Coordinator
The Outside In Gallery is MoNA’s Education Gallery dedicated to amplifying the voices of our community. The gallery was launched in January 2019 with the goal of forging new connections and strengthening partnerships. The name of the gallery derives from the notion of turning traditional structures of access and power to bring the surrounding community inside of the museum through the process of authentic collaboration.
Three years ago a seed was planted. Since the Outside In Gallery’s inception, the space has featured ten exhibitions and has highlighted a broad range of voices and lived experiences in our community. Some examples of past partnerships include:
A digital mock-up of the new Outside In Gallery.
Collaborating with Marilyn Montúfar, the Migrant Leaders Club, and Underground Writing on the exhibition, Migrant Youth / Chicana Perspectives: Living in Multiple Spaces / Jóvenes Migrantes/Perspectivas Chicanas: Vivir en Múltiples Espacios, (February 26, 2022 - May 15, 2022).
Members of the Migrant Leaders Club install their work in the Outside In Gallery. Photo credit: MoNA Staff
Working with Skagit Watershed Council on the exhibition, Illuminating Skagit / Iluminando a Skagit, (October 23, 2021 - February 13, 2022).
"Snow Geese in Flight," Artist: Kathleen Bisagna. Photo credit: Tim Mickleburgh
Joining forces with Camp Korey on their exhibition, Stars in the Sky / Estrellas en el Cielo, (January 23 – May 9, 2021).
The Outside In Gallery’s entrance during Camp Korey’s exhibition. Photo credit: Tim Mickleburgh
Thanks to the dedication of our community of educators, students, and partners, the seed of the Outside In Gallery has germinated and grown and is now ready to expand beyond its original space! Like a sapling growing in a pot, the gallery’s exhibitions and programs deserve more fertile soil and space to thrive. In a reflection of this growth, the Outside In Gallery is undergoing a momentous transformation: moving from the current space into a larger gallery located just around the corner in the main galleries.
MoNA’s current Outside In Gallery exhibition, By the Community, For the Community: Envisioning the New Outside In Gallery.
Now, we’re inviting you to participate in our visioning process! We want to hear your voice and ideas on everything: from how you envision the physical space, to what programs you'd like to experience, to what partnerships you would like MoNA to develop. To this end, the final exhibition to be featured in the current (soon to be former) Outside In Gallery will be the interactive exhibition titled By the Community, For the Community: Envisioning the New Outside In Gallery. From July 2 to October 9 the exhibition will encourage community involvement in re-designing and re-imagining the gallery. Your contribution to this interactive exhibit might end up shaping the new Outside In Gallery as we approach the launch date of October 2022! Come to MoNA and share with us your ideas! Or, you can also share your thoughts with us through this online survey.
The Outside In Gallery has been instrumental in MoNA’s work to honor all voices and lived experiences in our community, thus making our museum a welcoming place, where all members experience belonging. Our roots are strong and we’re excited to see what grows from here!
