Vision Statement
The Student Union Art Gallery is a site for engagement, connection, and discourse through artistic expression.
In the Gallery, the UMass and Greater Amherst community have a space to support and be supported by the arts. All creators, casual and formal, are provided the supports and opportunities they need to push their own understanding of their relationship with artistic expression. Through interaction with the Gallery, visitors and staff will deepen their connection to each other and their community. In every aspect of its operation, SUAG is focused on promoting a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging both on campus and in creative spaces at UMass-Amherst.
Strategic Planning
The Student Union Art Gallery (SUAG) at UMass- Amherst has been a site of engagement, connection, and discourse through the arts since its formation in 1957. Over its 66 years of continuous operation, SUAG has operated as an integral part of the larger network of creative spaces at UMass- Amherst. SUAG provides an opportunity for developing and established artists to showcase their work and a place for the greater Amherst community to interact with new forms of expression. Further, the Gallery provides an employment opportunity with a low barrier to entry for students interested in making a career in the arts or related fields, traditionally employing 10-12 such students as Gallery Assistants.
Although the Gallery remains an important resource for the larger community, a global pandemic, facility changes, and temporary relocations have dramatically reduced the efficacy of SUAG’s programming and outreach. The Gallery is actively planning to improve its stewardship of campus resources and increase its meaningful engagement with the community through a series of action steps rooted in SUAG’s charter values of connection, engagement, and discourse through the arts and informed by a commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, ‘ and Belonging (DEIJB).
In this document, a vision is established for the Gallery (“Vision Statement”), providing a series of goals for the future (“Goals and Outcomes”). Quantitative and Qualitative Reflection (“Current Operations” and “Asset Identification”, respectively) is used to identify current strengths of SUAG while further recognizing areas for growth. All of this work informs and shapes the Gallery’s plans for the next three academic years by synthesizing the goals and assets into actionable steps and timelines (“Action Items”). Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging are paramount to the Gallery’s vision and success, and, as such, are referenced regularly throughout the document.
Consistent coloration is used to reinforce the importance of these ideals. To ensure
clarity of meaning, “Appendix A” includes definitions of these and other important
terms used herein. Further, “Appendix B” includes a copy of the Gallery charter.