Many societies, including the United States, are experiencing a period of significant polarization and a loss of faith in institutions. So, it might be surprising to learn the American public still places a lot of trust in museums, according to research. This is true across partisan lines. What is it that makes museums relevant and why are people drawn to them?

Co-hosts Jennifer Saracino and Sama Alshaibi speak with curator Rukejo Hockley of the Whitney Museum of American Art to find out more about what happens inside art museums. They delve into Rujeko’s journey of becoming a curator, working with contemporary artists, and co-curating the 2019 Whitney Biennial and earlier projects at the Brooklyn Museum. In this episode, we learn:

Rujeko Hockley is the Arnhold Associate Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Previously, she was Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum and Curatorial Assistant at The Studio Museum in Harlem. She works with artists and artworks that are breaking new ground, including such projects as the Amy Sherald: American Sublime (2025), We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965-85 (2017), and many other notable exhibitions. She serves on the boards of directors for Art Matters, Institute for Freedoms, and Museums Moving Forward, and the advisory board of Recess.