Couldn’t make it to Baltimore this spring for the AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo? Wishing you could replay a session that’s been on your mind ever since? Good news! A select number of recorded sessions are now available to AAM members in the Resource Library.

Following the Annual Meeting’s theme of “Thriving Museums, Healthy Communities,” the sessions explore ways museums can promote individual, organizational, community, and societal well-being. Here’s what you’ll find:

Impact Investing: Putting Your Museum’s Money Where Your Values Are

Across the United States, museums hold an estimated $58B in endowments, which are a critical source of annual funding and support for special projects. These endowments are managed carefully for financial return, but do our financial investments align with our visions and missions? While endowments that fuel many museums and non-profits often operate independently from the museum’s values, impact investing recognizes that this money itself can help promote social and environmental good while the returns benefit museums. In this session, a diverse panel of nationally recognized investment experts and museum staff will define impact investing and shed light on what it takes to make this type of commitment and where to turn for resources.

Presenters:

• Judy Gradwohl, President and CEO, San Diego Natural History Museum
• Laura Callanan, Founding Partner, Upstart Co-Lab
• Lillie Moreno, Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, John G. Shedd Aquarium
• Noelle Laing, Chief Investment Officer, Builders Initiative, Builders Vision
• Peter L. Bain, Board President, The Walters Art Museum

Museums and Community Archiving: A Collaborative Approach

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In this session, attendees will be empowered and inspired to work more closely with community collecting initiatives in their vicinity and beyond. Learn from staff from the Maryland Center for History and Culture’s H. Furlong Baldwin Library, who are exploring how shared stewardship and flexible agreements in community archiving initiatives across the country provide community groups ongoing ownership, voice, and active participation in the archiving of their words, stories, and images. Panelists will present recent findings from this work and share recommendations for meaningful engagement and collaboration with communities through an equity-based approach to collecting.

Presenter:

• Martina Kado, Vice President of Research and France-Merrick Director of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library, Maryland Center for History and Culture

Beyond Financial Sustainability: Nourishing a Healthy Financial Ecosystem

Financial sustainability has long and rightfully been among the primary strategic goals of museums and their staff and boards–but what if the drive for financial sustainability could also be preventing individual, organizational, or community healing, trapping us in ways that exhaust our resources without achieving intended impacts? What if we were to broaden our definition of financial health beyond our own museum’s budgets, embracing our finances as a connective tissue that drives social change across sectors and communities rather than scarce resources to be “balanced”? In this session, members of a museum’s strategic planning team who, together with staff and Board, recently grappled with these exact questions will provide inspiring insights into what good lies in reframing financial sustainability.

Presenters:

• Mirella Rangel, Consultant, Colibri Collaborative LLC
• Nisha Gulati, Associate Director of Digital Strategy, Oakland Museum of California
• Kimberly Ondreck Carim, Chief Financial Officer, Oakland Museum of California
• Hilda Schmelling, Development Events Manager, Oakland Museum of California

Rematriation of the In‘zhúje‘waxóbe/Sacred Red Rock

The session will tell the story of the “rematriation” of the Sacred Red Rock and the positive effect this effort has had on its stakeholders and surrounding communities.

Presenters:

• James Pepper Henry, Director/CEO, First Americans Museum
• Sydney Brooke Pursel, Curator for Public Practice, University of Kansas Spencer Museum of Art
• Diane Lochner, Vice President, PGAV Destinations
• Thomas C. Owen, Vice President, PGAV Destinations

Creating Access, Inclusion, and Belonging through Language

Panelists in this session share how they incorporate Spanish language into visitor and staff experiences. Featuring four case studies from a diverse set of institutions, this session explores the presenters’ motivations and approaches for incorporating Spanish into their work, successful strategies, and challenges they have faced. While the focus of this session will be Spanish, the lessons shared for creating access, inclusion, and belonging are applicable across languages and can shed light on how museums and cultural institutions can effectively communicate with diverse audiences, fostering a more inclusive and accessible environment.

Presenters:

• Eleanor Hill, Senior Evaluation Researcher, Denver Museum of Nature and Science
• Melissa Brito-Alvarez, Manager of Access Programs and Resources, Dallas Museum of Art
• Kerry Butcher, Interpretation Associate, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
• Sean Trujillo, Programs and Interpretation Manager, Museo de las Americas
• Julietta Da Silva, Community and Engagement Manager, Museo de las Americas

F&B/Retail and Rentals that Consider Mission, Community, and DEAI

This well-rounded panel of museum leaders present an engaging presentation regarding food, beverage, event rentals, and retail within their museums. Representing a mix types of institutions, these museum leaders and a leading industry F&B and retail consultant will outline solutions and tactics to address your most common challenges in approaching earned income from ancillary sources through a broadened lens.

Presenters:

• Tracy Lawler, President, JGL Consultants
• Catherine Surratt, Chief Operating and Business Officer, Speed Art Museum
• April Farrell, Chief Advancement Officer, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
• Jillian Jones, Deputy Director, Buffalo AKG Art Museum
• Valarie McDuffie, Chief Financial Officer, Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Natalie Boten, Chief of Staff, Milwaukee Art Museum

Destigmatize Addiction Disorder: Fostering Partnerships for Systemic Change

Through a shared purpose to destigmatize addiction disorder and make social change, in the summer of 2023, a museum, an artist educator, and three organizations serving the recovery community collaborated to impact over 700 individuals. Using this partnership as a case study, this session explores the reciprocal benefits and best practices for supporting road-tested, community-based projects when establishing relationships with new museum audiences.

Presenters:

• Xoe Fiss, Director of Youth & Family Programs, Milwaukee Art Museum
• Patty Bode, Associate Professor & Coordinator of Art Education, Southern Connecticut State University

Healthy Museums, Thriving Careers: Mastering Project Management Essentials

Whether you come from a large institution with a project management office (PMO) or you are an individual contributor who plays a role in shepherding projects of all sizes, there is a wide range of project management methods and tools that can be applied in museum contexts, which can have a transformative impact on the health and well-being of your museum and its mission, business, and employees. In this workshop, learn from a panel of professionals from diverse roles and backgrounds who will share essential project management knowledge that can enhance your professional growth and the organizational health of your museum.

Presenters:

• Kalie Sacco, Director of Member Strategy, Association of Science and Technology Centers
• Barbara Punt, President and Chief Project Manager, Punt Consulting Group
• John D. Shaw, Co-founder, Principal, Museum EXP
• Uma Nair, Management & Strategy Consultant, The Strategic Museum
• Liz McDermott; Head, Digital Media & Content Strategy; Getty Research Institute
• Dean Briere, Interim CEO, Arizona Science Center

Neuroarts 101: How the Arts and Aesthetic Experiences Advance Health and Wellbeing

This workshop provides an overview of neuroarts: the study of how the arts and aesthetic experiences measurably change the body, brain, and behavior and how this knowledge is translated into specific practices that advance health and wellbeing. This experiential and immersive workshop will include lectures, group discussions, and creative activities.

Presenters:

• Susan Magsamen, Executive Director, International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Karen Alexander, Director of Outreach and Education, International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Keely Mason, Senior Research and Education Associate, International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Alyssa Tiedemann, Senior Research Project Coordinator, International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Algorithms & Artifacts: Deciphering AI’s Role in Museums

As museum professionals, understanding the basics of AI and its implications to our industry is crucial. If the museum community can approach AI with a balanced perspective, harnessing its potential while being mindful of its implications, ethical concerns, and informational biases, we have the opportunity to revolutionize how we work and foster innovation. This presentation provides an overview of AI and explores the various opportunities, challenges, and serious concerns that we must face together.

Presenters:

• Jack Ludden, Digital Experience and Innovation Strategist, Balboa Park Online Collaborative
• Nik Honeysett, Chief Executive Officer Balboa Park Online Collaborative
• Uma Nair, Management & Strategy Consultant, The Strategic Museum
• Jonathan Munar, Arts Team, Bloomberg Philanthropies
• Jessica Herczeg Konecny; Lead Technical Analyst, Digital Asset Management; The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Not the F Word You Know: Embracing Failure to Move Forward

In the museum field, we work tirelessly to create safe environments where our visitors can explore, build skills, discover, and learn – but how are we creating safety in our workplace for our staff to push themselves and embrace failure as a positive part of the process that helps us to learn about ourselves as individuals and as team members? This session brings the power of hands-on maker learning to build skills and capacity for work processes that foster a culture of belonging and a “failing forward” approach.

Presenters:

• Jacqueline Eyl, Chief Program Officer, KID Museum
• Annalise Phillips, Managing Director of Programs and Learning Innovation, KID Museum
• Cat Scharon, Sr. Manager of Research and Evaluation, KID Museum
• Adam Maltese, Professor of Science Education, Indiana University

Reducing Carbon Emissions in a Complex Environment

In this session, learn about the Heritage Museums and Gardens’ Strategic Sustainability Plan, which outlines the institution’s strategies and tactics as they aim to become carbon neutral by 2040, along with several related initiatives geared toward enhancing the visitor experience through accessibility improvements and new environmental and sustainable systems.

Presenters:

• Anne Scott-Putney, President and CEO, Heritage Museums and Gardens
• Judith Holt; Board Member, Sustainability Expert; Heritage Museums and Gardens
• Kate Scurlock, Sr. Associate, GWWO Architects

Shields Up! Safety, Security, and Inclusion for LGBTQ+ Programming

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access–these core values are central to museum standards of excellence yet are not always easy to uphold in an increasingly politicized climate that is often hostile to LGBTQIA+ communities. How can museums continue to safely offer queer-centric exhibitions and events? Join Drag Story Hour leadership and the AAM Task Force for Transgender Inclusion in a workshop exploring safety and security practices around LGBTQIA+ programming. This workshop will empower museum professionals to serve in their roles as cultural stewards and defenders of pluralist ideals with confidence!

Presenters:

• Tony Pankuch, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Cummings Center for the History of Psychology
• Samantha Evelyn Eisenberg, Director of Development, JQ International
• Jonathan Hamilt, Executive Director, Drag Story Hour
• Regan Lopez-deVictoria, Program Coordinator & Grant Writer, Drag Story Hour

Strategy, So what? Using the Strategist’s Toolkit to Help Museums Thrive

Strategic planning gets a bad rap. Hours of meetings. Hundreds of post-its. And at the end, all you get is a fancy document that collects dust on a shelf. So why do the words “strategy” and “strategic” seem to appear everywhere, justifying new priorities, now processes, and even new job titles? Join four senior strategy practitioners as they unpack what it really means to be strategic in a museum context, and how necessary it is to build healthier, more sustainable, and more resilient institutions for all.

Presenters:

• Andrea Kalivas Fulton, Deputy Director and Chief Strategy Officer, Denver Art Museum
• Andrew Cone, Chief Strategy Officer, Whitney Museum of American Art
• Erin Prendergast; Chief, Strategic Initiatives; Art Gallery of Ontario
• Hilary Branch, H E Branch Advisors

60 Ideas in 60 Minutes: Small Museums are Thriving!

In this fast-paced and dynamic session, four small museum professionals showcase how small museums–which face unique challenges but are also hubs of innovation, creativity, and community engagement–are thriving in today’s ever-changing landscape. Watch for an exhilarating exchange of 60 actionable ideas in just 60 minutes, all centered on the theme of small and mid-size museums thriving within their communities. Viewers will leave with a treasure trove of ideas to implement in their own institutions, showcasing the resilience and creativity that small museums bring to the cultural landscape.

Presenters:

• Ann Bennett, Executive Director, Laurel Historical Society
• Allison Schell, Director of Public Programs, Marshall Steam Museum and the Friends of Auburn Heights
• Susan Goganian, Director, Historic Beverly
• Kenny Libben, Curator, Cleo Redd Fisher Museum

Leveraging Permanent Collection Objects for Collaboration and Change

Throughout the museum field, institutions have been grappling with how to address problematic objects in their collection, taking various approaches from removing the works from view, deaccessioning them, or leaving them in place as is while they grappled with how to best address them. In 2021, the Chazen decided to take a path uncharted, entering into a partnership with the artist Stanford Biggers and MASK Consortium to undertake the re:mancipation project–an exhibition that sought to recontextualize an overtly racist sculpture in a way that felt authentic to the Chazen’s mission as a teaching museum, but also honest and inclusive. In this session, take a deep dive into the re:mancipation exhibition planning process to learn how the Chazen approached a project fraught with risk and uncertainty and which has influenced organizational change at the museum.

Presenters:

• Amy Gilman, Director, Chazen Museum of Art
• Mark Hines, MASK Consortium
• Kate Wanberg, Exhibition and Collections Project Manager, Chazen Museum of Art
• Katherine Alcauskas, Chief Curator, Chazen Museum of Art

Confronting Colonialism: Intersections of Scientific and Cultural Knowledge

Natural history museums play a unique and urgent role in helping document and understand the world’s plants and animals during the current biodiversity and climate crises. This work is taking place at a time when museums are reckoning with their past; challenging–and being challenged on–their authority to do this work; and aspiring to consider and apply indigenous knowledge in their collecting, research, and interpretive practices. This recorded session explores this topic through two case studies from different sides of the Pacific Ocean and in different cultural contexts.

Presenters:

• Hae Su Oh, Su Oh Consulting
• Amy Gusick; Curator, Anthropology/NAGPRA Officer; Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
• Miguel Ordeñana; Co-Senior Manager, Community Science; Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
• Migoto Eria, Head of Matauranga Maori, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
• Philip Edgar, Head of Natural History, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
• Gabrielle Crowe, Vice Chair & Secretary of Environmental Sciences, Gabrielino-Shoshone Tribal Council of Southern California

Curating Trauma and Violence: Preparing and Caring for Communities and Staff

In this session, museum professionals from various institutions–a museum focused on the Holocaust, a museum telling stories related to terrorist attacks, and a university conservation lab experienced in working with objects where damage is part of their value–discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise when working with populations affected by trauma and violence. Panelists will impart helpful tools, questions, and prompts that attendees can apply within their organizations and personal practice.

Presenters:

• Stephanie Arel, Professor
• Alexandra Drakakis, Chief Acquisitions Curator, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Ian Kerrigan; Senior Vice President, Exhibitions; 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Lisa Conte, Visiting Associate Professor of Conservation, New York University–The Institute for Fine Art

Research Insights from AAM’s Museum Board Leadership Survey

What is the state of museum governance today? Hear the results of AAM’s Museum Board Leadership survey, including critical benchmarking data on governance practices, board responsibilities and performance, board culture, diversity, and more. Drawing from the insights of museum board members and directors across the country, this session will share where museum governance is flourishing and where there’s room to grow, and as well as share actionable takeaways for how museums can help their board, and their museum, thrive for years to come.

Presenters:

• Cory Garfin, Senior Research Scientist, Co-Director, Slover Linett at NORC
• Linda C. Harrison, Director and CEO, The Newark Museum of Art
• Jacqueline Jordan, Senior Vice President and Regional Director, Foundation and Institutional Advisors, Northern Trust Company
• Carys Kunze, Research & Data Specialist, American Alliance of Museums

Money Matters: Creating a Path to Financial Sustainability

As museums compete against a growing range of leisure and educational options, they must reevaluate their approach to pricing to demonstrate value while developing more holistic revenue strategies. In this lively and thought-provoking recorded session, panelists will explore how cultural organizations are leveraging pricing strategies to maximize revenue, prioritize accessibility, engage new audiences, and grow membership. Viewers will take away inspiring ideas and concrete strategies they can apply at their own institution to create more purposeful and sustainable earned revenue strategies.

Speakers:

• Rosie Siemer, Founder + CEO, FIVESEED
• Rehn West; Director of Development & Marketing; Nauticus, Maritime Discovery Center
• Mary Bradley; Director of Membership, Visitor and Volunteer Services; Denver Botanic Gardens
• Spencer Jansen, Deputy Director and Director of Membership and Guest Services, Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

Disrupting the Traditional Narrative: Including Oral Histories in Museums

Museums have been guilty of discounting oral histories as “non-academic” or “inappropriate” methods of historical documentation–a trend that contributes to the erasure of Latinx and BIPOC stories and culture. Through a series of case studies from institutions doing exciting and effective work with oral history, this recorded session explores how to engage community members in oral history projects, advocate for the importance of this work in museums, and share research on how the inclusion and prioritization of oral histories in museums can impact the relationships between the museum and its community and staff members of color.

• Asami Robledo-Allen Yamamoto, Project Manager, Latinos in Heritage Conservation
• Sehila Mota Casper, Executive Director, Latinos in Heritage Conservation

Fostering Resilience in Children through Virtual Mindfulness

In the face of an epidemic of anxiety, depression, and physical disease, many museums have been exploring mindfulness practices to support the health of their communities. This recorded session addresses how museums might develop mindfulness programs that address the developmental needs of youth, a currently underserved population in mindfulness-based museum programming. The goal is to prepare museum educators to confidently incorporate mindful movement into object-based learning programs for youth at their museums.

Presenters:

• Jennifer Reifsteck, School and Teacher Programs Manager, National Museum of Asian Art
• Lisa Danahy, Founder and Director, Create Calm Inc

Toward a More Human Museum: Trust and Well-Being for Staff and Visitors

In the current political climate, the work museums are doing to become more human and empathic may be misunderstood both internally and externally, and the latest data by a leading museum research consulting firm already indicates a lowering of public trust in museums. In this recorded session, panelists and attendees will explore the relationship between public trust and the changes the museum field is making, using examples from various types of museums to understand how we can better formulate policies and communicate while building trust among staff, visitors, and non-visitors.

Presenters:

• Gail Lord, President & Co-founder, Lord Cultural Resources
• Susie Wilkening, Principal, Wilkening Consulting
• Lisa Biagas, Chief Human Resources Officer & Title IX Coordinator, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
• John Hampton, Executive Director & CEO, Mackenzie Art Gallery
• Christy Coleman, Executive Director, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

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