Case Study: Sarah Orne Jewett House

While Sarah Orne Jewett has been celebrated for her exploration of 19th Century gender roles through her novels and the Jewett House highlights her eclectic interior design choices, her relationship with Annie Fields is seldom acknowledged as a sapphic relationship.

In 2018, the Jewett House revamped its visitor tour to explore and validate Sarah's queer identity. Since then, it has become a queer pilgrimage for LGBTQIA+ folx in Maine and beyond.

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“Visible & Valued: Case Studies in Queer Museum Inclusion” spotlight innovative LGBTQIA+ initiatives in museums across the United States. The project, led by ALK Consulting, documents the operational considerations and organizational culture changes involved in positioning museums as authentically inclusive spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community.

To promote an inclusive narrative, case studies are developed through a series of interviews with museum leadership, staff, and community members whose collaboration contributed to accomplishing these LGBTQIA+ initiatives.

Downloadable case studies are available for free ($0 price) to increase access to this advice and expertise for other museum professionals seeking to improve LGBTQIA+ inclusion at their institutions.