Hillary Olcott on Indigenous Art, Museum Repatriation, and Reimagining the de Young Museum’s Galleries

In this episode, Hugh Leeman speaks with Hillary Olcott, curator of the Arts of the Americas at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, about the evolving role of museums in telling more inclusive, collaborative, and community-centered stories. Olcott discusses the reopening of the de Young Museum’s Arts of Indigenous Americas galleries, the importance of Indigenous curators, artists, advisors, and cultural leaders in shaping interpretation, and how museums can move beyond older boundaries between “fine art,” anthropology, and cultural heritage.This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in Indigenous art, museum ethics, curatorial practice, repatriation, visitor engagement, and the future of art museums.