Government Relations & Community Involvement Department records

The Government Relations and Community Involvement records document interactions between the Museum, the City, State, and Federal Government, and community organizations between 1985 and 2012. The Department was responsible for advocating for greater public and private support; coordinating city and federal agency projects; networking with community organizations; coordinating special events; and assessing audience development. While the financial and grant documents are restricted to staff only, there is correspondence, audience surveys, research files, reports, and events files that document the activities of the Department. There is correspondence between the Museum, the department, and the public, especially the surrounding neighborhoods and communities, regarding comments and complaints. For example, during the exhibit Brooklyn Museum Collection: The Play of the Unmentionable (Joseph Kosuth)[09/27/1990-12/31/1990], complaints and praise were collected by the curatorial department and shared with the Governement Relations department in order to understand some of the visitor's concerns in case a statement needed to be made. Additionally, the Department worked with the Director and likely other Departments to write statements about tragic world events like Septmeber 11th, the earthquake in Haiti, and the earthquake in Japan.

Of special interest are the staff files of Claudine K. Brown, who served as Assistant Director for the department between 1985 and 1990. Claudine K. Brown began her tenure as an intern at the Brookyln Museum in 1977. She managed the Government and Community Affiars Department from 1985-1990 as the Assistant Director. After, she went on to serve as the first Director for Education at the Smithsonian Museum, and she championed the establishment of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.