ABSTRACT
Museums in 2020 have gone through severe change and uncertainty as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which in some cases has prompted opportunities for drawing new relationships with communities. This study follows two contemporary art museums with a focused commitment to co-creating with communities - the Whitworth Art Gallery (Manchester, UK) and Queens Museum (New York, USA) - through that process of change. It gives an analysis of how co-creation has informed the organisations' responses to the pandemic and how the pandemic has influenced the staff's view on co-creation. Giving examples based on staff interviews and participant observations, it pays particular attention to how co-creating with communities has prompted organisational change and identifies areas where more change may be needed.