WMA's Winter Board Meeting in Salt Lake City

Last weekend WMA board members and staff met in Salt Lake City, Utah to prepare for this year’s Annual Meeting. We enjoyed the wintry weather as we explored some museums, dined on local food, and got a better sense of the city to help us plan our 2026 gathering. These experiences are invaluable as we begin to structure content for WMA 2026 ASPIRE, September 23-26, in SLC.

On Friday, January 23rd, WMA board and staff members kicked off their morning with a stop to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Gretchen Dietrich, the Marcia and John Price Executive Director of UMFA, guided us through the museum. highlighting their recent work to engage local communities and bring these diverse stories to life in the UMFA galleries.

The late morning was spent exploring the Natural History Museum of Utah where WMA board member Tim Lee, Director of Exhibits at NHMU, introduced us to the space, its design, and the various goals of the institution. We also had the unique opportunity to explore behind-the-scenes with Dr. Jason Cryan, Sarah B. George Executive Director of NHMU. He guided us through collections spaces where we learned how the museum stores and cares for specimens in their collections.

Following lunch at NHMU’s cafe, WMAers closed their afternoon at the North Capitol Building of Utah’s State Capitol. Buzzing with activity around the legislative session, we were introduced to this brand new space by the wonderful Jennifer Ortiz, Director of the Utah Historical Society. By time WMA heads to SLC for our Annual Meeting in October, their new museum will be open on the ground floor of this building, sharing the stories of Utah’s state history and displaying collections in new and exciting spaces. WMA staff and board members were amazed by the stained glass dome atop the building, which highlights all 29 counties of Utah throughout its panels.

We conducted each of these tours with our colleague Ruth White, Director of the Utah Museums Association, who had this to say about the upcoming conference: “Utah Museums Association is delighted to welcome the WMA community back to Utah for this year's conference. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with WMA in hosting their annual meeting in Salt Lake City, which allows our members to network and collaborate with regional peers and showcase the tremendous work happening in Utah museums.”

Our winter Board Meeting took place on Saturday, January 24th at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. There, board members discussed strategic planning and what they want to get out of the upcoming conference. Amy Oppio, Deputy Director of the Nevada Museum of Art indicated that she was excited about bringing folks from around our region to the amazing museums in Salt Lake City and creating learning opportunities for WMAers in these spaces.

Regarding our theme of ASPIRE, board member Ed Tepporn, Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, encouraged board members and staff to question how we ASPIRE beyond complacency in a time that requires us all to challenge the status quo. Our October Annual Meeting will seek to answer questions like this, and we look forward to facilitating discussions among museum professionals of all levels and types.

With the theme of ASPIRE, WMA 2026 invites museum professionals to imagine boldly, reaching beyond inherited boundaries to shape futures not yet written. Our Request for Proposals (RFP) will open Monday, February 9. Whether expanding community engagement, rethinking stewardship, or exploring new interpretive strategies, the act of aspiring requires us to hold space for possibility. Help us create this space in SLC this October by submitting a proposal for a session, poster, roundtable discussion, and more!

Having just returned home from our visit, we already miss the camaraderie of gathering with colleagues, the welcoming vibe of Salt Lake City, and robust discussions on what it means to ASPIRE. With an emphasis on dreaming and doing, we look forward to the 2026 Annual Meeting as an opportunity to strengthen our community through engaging sessions and exciting networking events. WMA feels fortunate to have the opportunity to gather museum professionals in such a unique place, and we hope you will join us in October!