Behind the Frame

Behind the Frame evaluates 40 of the nation's leading art museums across three areas: their policies, their representation of Jewish art and artists and their partnerships and community engagement. These criteria assess a museum’s record and its current approach to addressing antisemitism. Collections and exhibitions reflect long-lead decisions museums plan five to ten years in advance, while policies and inclusion practices signal how prepared an institution is for the future and the evolving nature of antisemitism. Each museum receives a rating — from Critical Condition to Gold Standard — based on how it measures up.

As the ADL Center on Extremism has documented, extremist activists have facilitated coordinated efforts since October 7, 2023 to push Jewish and Israeli voices out of mainstream cultural spaces, with the impact felt at the staff, curator and visitor levels. Most American museums hold significant collections of Jewish art, but owning the work is not enough. Policies, programming and inclusion commitments must protect and feature Jewish artists, staff and patrons amid rising antisemitism. These criteria assess both a museum’s record and its current approach to addressing antisemitism.

Frame

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Gold Standard

Good Showing

Work In Progress

Not Inclusive

Critically Deficient

Museum scorecards

Art Institute of Chicago Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

Art Institute of Chicago

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive Logo
Gold Standard

Gold Standard

Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Brooklyn Museum Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

Brooklyn Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Cleveland Museum of Art Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

Cleveland Museum of Art

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Dallas Museum of Art Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

Dallas Museum of Art

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

de Young Museum Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

de Young Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Denver Art Museum Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

Denver Art Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Detroit Institute of Arts Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

Detroit Institute of Arts

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Hammer Museum Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

Hammer Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

High Museum of Art Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

High Museum of Art

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Boston Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Boston

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Los Angeles Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Los Angeles

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Philadelphia Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Philadelphia

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Logo
Not Inclusive

Not Inclusive

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

MASS MoCA Logo
Not Inclusive

Not Inclusive

MASS MoCA

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Milwaukee Art Museum Logo
Not Inclusive

Not Inclusive

Milwaukee Art Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Minneapolis Institute of Art Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) Logo
Not Inclusive

Not Inclusive

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

National Gallery of Art Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

National Gallery of Art

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

New Museum Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

New Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Norton Museum of Art Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

Norton Museum of Art

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Peabody Essex Museum Logo
Not Inclusive

Not Inclusive

Peabody Essex Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Philadelphia Museum of Art Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Saint Louis Art Museum Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

Saint Louis Art Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Seattle Art Museum Logo
Not Inclusive

Not Inclusive

Seattle Art Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Logo
Good Showing

Good Showing

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

The Broad Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

The Broad

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

The Contemporary Austin Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

The Contemporary Austin

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art Logo
Work In Progress

Work In Progress

UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Logo
Not Inclusive

Not Inclusive

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Walker Art Center Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

Walker Art Center

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Whitney Museum of American Art Logo
Critically Deficient

Critically Deficient

Whitney Museum of American Art

Policies

Art & Artists

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Updated:

Experiencing antisemitism or bias in the arts?

If you are an artist, writer, performer or member of the arts and culture community who has experienced or witnessed antisemitism, bias or discrimination, please Report an Incident to ADL. If you are seeking legal support, you can also submit a request to ADL’s Legal Action Network.