2025 Annual Conference

Reinvention and Resilience in Uncertain Times

Monday, June 2, 2025 at Central Connecticut State University

ADVANCE REGISTRATION OPEN through noon on 5/28

SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITOR OPPORTUNITIES:

• Sponsorship Packages (PDF)
• Sign up to Sponsor
• Sign up to be an Exhibitor

Conference Theme

 As the museum field continues to navigate new and unexpected challenges—from political division and funding uncertainty to the climate crisis and social justice movements—we must adapt, innovate, and find ways to support each other and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

This year’s conference will explore how our organizations—large and small—can reinvent themselves in response to these many challenges, build resilience in our institutions and communities, and support the well-being of the people we serve: our visitors, our staff and volunteers, local communities, and the wider public.  We seek dynamic, engaging, and thought-provoking proposals that address such topics as:

• Navigating Funding Uncertainty
  What strategies can help us secure funding and maintain financial stability in an unpredictable landscape?
• Political Division and Polarization
  How can museums rise above the fray to promote belonging while addressing political and cultural divides?
• Climate Leadership
  How can museums contribute to the climate conversation through programming, sustainability efforts, and community leadership?
• Finding Hope and Community
  How can stories of resilience, hope, and the power of community-building within the museum and cultural heritage sector encourage other organizations to build something better?
• Meeting the Moment: Museums Responding to Crisis
  How can museums step up in addressing current societal issues, from social justice to climate action?
• Encouraging Dialogue in the Museum Space
  How do we build institutional and individual capacity to engage in complex and uncomfortable dialogues in ways that promote healing?
• Self-Care and Healing for Museum Workers and Communities
  How can museum professionals support their own well-being and mental health in demanding times?
• Coalition-Building: Working Together Through Difficult Times
  How can we strengthen partnerships and collaborations to meet challenges head-on?
• Confronting Disinformation and Bias
  How can museums and collecting institutions stand up for complete histories and build trust with all communities while approaching, addressing, and dismantling sanitized or biased narratives in their collections, programs, and exhibitions?
• Productivity in Challenging Times
  How do we remain productive, innovative, and engaged during periods of uncertainty, discomfort, and social upheaval?