Museums in historic buildings come with their own set of challenges such as accessibility, environmental concerns in collections, and ongoing building maintenance. Because of these issues, our "wins" or measures of success often look different from those museums in purpose-built, modern facilities. Explore how reframing those metrics can demonstrate relevance to your community, improve staff mental health, and celebrate the unique things historic buildings can offer that more traditional museums often cannot.

Discover how the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden's "50 for 50" initiative is redefining collections care through a national model that shares American art across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Examining the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art's role as the host venue for Utah, this session highlights creative strategies for reimagining storage and stewardship through cross-institutional partnerships. Attendees will walk away with practical approaches to enhance collections care and access through intra-museum collaboration.

This session will address three of the top strategies that museums of various sizes can use when seeking funding from a variety of sources: Individuals, Foundations, Corporations, Government Agencies, Membership, Planned Gifts, and Capital Campaigns. These skills can be used by development professionals and any other staff involved in fundraising requests. This session covers basic Development skills as explained by seasoned Development professionals.

What does it mean to lead with vulnerability in museum spaces? Grounded in Brené Brown's research, this panel explores how courage, trust, and authenticity strengthen teams and institutional culture. Presenters will share real-world examples, challenges, and practical strategies for applying vulnerability-based leadership in museums. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to foster connection, resilience, and innovation within their organizations.

If Saint-Exupéry was right, "a goal without a plan is just a wish," then join us and get excited about planning. Explore practical tools to create and work with your plan. Gain a deeper understanding of why we plan and how plans are practical tools across museum activities – exhibitions, programming, annual goals, "what if" scenarios. Bring your planning challenges and explore tools that can help you be successful now and in the future.

For many indigenous communities, darkness is a time of creative genesis and regeneration, a time for hope beyond the fear. From fiscal constraints to grants that have disappeared to federal staff that are no longer in positions of leadership and support, the impacts and despair are real and reach across our museum field. In these troubling times, we will hear from multiple museum practitioners who will share their programs, exhibitions, practices and beliefs that will help attendees keep the fire alive, stirring our passions and purposes.

Museums often face the challenge of attracting and retaining talented staff in a field where compensation lags behind other industries. This session examines how museums can become employers of choice by strengthening the employee experience beyond wages. Using various initiatives and case studies as a foundation, this session will highlight approaches to recognition, growth, and culture, followed by a facilitated discussion to surface practical, adaptable strategies across diverse museum contexts.

Do you often feel pressure to do it all? Museum staff  face large, complex projects when preserving collections held in public trust. Small museums with limited staff and tight budgets must make difficult choices, while larger institutions, despite greater resources, may still struggle to prioritize and allocate time and funding effectively. In many cases, collections staff carry the burden of trying to do everything. This discussion-based session shares strategies for using resources wisely and challenges the expectation of doing it all.