The American Alliance of Museums Conference, held annually since 1906, is the largest gathering of museum professionals in the world. The conference provides a forum for museum professionals to share ideas, learn about new trends, and network with colleagues. The 2025 conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from May 17-20 and will focus on the theme of “Museums and Social Justice.”
The American Alliance of Museums Conference is an important event for museum professionals because it provides an opportunity to learn about new trends in the museum field, network with colleagues, and share ideas. The conference also offers a variety of professional development opportunities, including workshops, seminars, and tours.
The 2025 conference will focus on the theme of “Museums and Social Justice.” This theme reflects the growing recognition of the role that museums can play in promoting social justice and equity. The conference will feature a variety of sessions and programs that will explore this theme, including sessions on:
- The role of museums in addressing social justice issues
- How museums can create more inclusive and equitable spaces
- The importance of diversity and inclusion in the museum workforce
- The role of museums in promoting social justice through their collections and exhibitions
1. Social justice
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has a long history of advocating for social justice and equity in museums. In recent years, AAM has developed a number of resources and initiatives to help museums address these issues, including the AAM Center for the Future of Museums, the AAM Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, and the AAM Social Justice Committee.
The 2025 AAM conference will continue this commitment to social justice and equity. The conference will feature a number of sessions and programs that will explore the role that museums can play in promoting social justice and equity, including:
- A keynote address by a leading expert on social justice and museums
- A panel discussion on how museums can create more inclusive and equitable spaces
- A workshop on how to develop social justice-themed exhibitions
- A tour of a museum that is doing innovative work in the area of social justice
The 2025 AAM conference will be an important opportunity for museum professionals to learn about and share best practices for promoting social justice and equity in museums. The conference will also provide a platform for museum professionals to advocate for social justice and equity in the museum field.
There are a number of reasons why social justice is an important component of the 2025 AAM conference. First, museums are increasingly being recognized as important institutions for social change. Museums can play a vital role in promoting understanding and empathy, challenging stereotypes, and inspiring people to take action on social justice issues.
Second, the museum field is becoming increasingly diverse. As the museum field becomes more diverse, it is important to ensure that museums are welcoming and inclusive to all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
Third, social justice is a critical issue facing our society today. Museums can play a vital role in addressing social justice issues by raising awareness, providing a platform for dialogue, and inspiring people to take action.
2. Inclusion
Inclusionis a key component of the 2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference. As the museum field becomes increasingly diverse, it is important to ensure that museums are welcoming and inclusive to all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. The conference will feature a number of sessions and programs that will explore ways to create more inclusive and equitable spaces in museums, including:
- Universal Design: Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. Museums can use Universal Design principles to make their spaces more accessible to people with disabilities, including those with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities.
- Diversity and Inclusion Training: Diversity and Inclusion training can help museum staff to understand and address the needs of diverse audiences. Training can cover a range of topics, such as unconscious bias, cultural competence, and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
- Community Engagement: Museums can engage with their communities to identify and address the needs of underserved populations. Community engagement can take many forms, such as community advisory boards, focus groups, and outreach programs.
- Inclusive Exhibitions: Museums can create inclusive exhibitions that are welcoming and accessible to all visitors. Inclusive exhibitions may include features such as audio description, tactile exhibits, and sign language interpretation.
By creating more inclusive and equitable spaces, museums can better serve their communities and fulfill their mission of providing access to art, culture, and history for all.
3. Diversity
Diversity and inclusion are essential to the success of any organization, and museums are no exception. A diverse and inclusive museum workforce is better able to serve the needs of a diverse and inclusive community. Museums with diverse and inclusive workforces are also more likely to be innovative and creative, as they bring a wider range of perspectives and experiences to their work.
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the museum field. The AAM has developed a number of resources and initiatives to help museums create more diverse and inclusive workplaces, including the AAM Center for the Future of Museums, the AAM Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, and the AAM Social Justice Committee.
The 2025 AAM conference will continue this commitment to diversity and inclusion. The conference will feature a number of sessions and programs that will explore the need for diversity and inclusion in the museum workforce, including:
- A keynote address by a leading expert on diversity and inclusion in the museum field
- A panel discussion on how museums can create more diverse and inclusive workplaces
- A workshop on how to develop diversity and inclusion initiatives
- A tour of a museum that is doing innovative work in the area of diversity and inclusion
By highlighting the need for diversity and inclusion in the museum workforce, the 2025 AAM conference will help to create a more diverse and inclusive museum field. This will benefit museums, their staff, and the communities they serve.
4. Collections
Museum collections have the power to promote social justice by raising awareness of important issues, challenging stereotypes, and inspiring people to take action. The 2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference will explore the role that museum collections can play in promoting social justice, with a particular focus on the following four facets:
- Representation: Museum collections can be used to represent the diversity of human experience and challenge stereotypes. By including objects and stories from a wide range of cultures and perspectives, museums can help to create a more inclusive and equitable society.
- Interpretation: Museums can use interpretation to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of the social and historical context of their collections. By providing multiple perspectives and encouraging critical thinking, museums can help visitors to develop a more nuanced understanding of the past and present.
- Engagement: Museums can use their collections to engage visitors in dialogue about social justice issues. By hosting public programs, workshops, and other events, museums can create a space for people to come together and discuss important issues.
- Action: Museums can use their collections to inspire visitors to take action on social justice issues. By partnering with community organizations and supporting social justice initiatives, museums can help to make a difference in the world.
By examining the role of museum collections in promoting social justice, the 2025 AAM conference will help museums to develop new and innovative ways to use their collections to create a more just and equitable world.
5. Exhibitions
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference is the largest annual gathering of museum professionals in the world. The 2025 conference will focus on the theme of “Museums and Social Justice.” One of the key aspects of this theme is the role that museums can play in using exhibitions to promote social justice.
- Representation: Museums can use exhibitions to represent the diversity of human experience and challenge stereotypes. By including objects and stories from a wide range of cultures and perspectives, museums can help to create a more inclusive and equitable society. For example, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., uses its exhibitions to tell the stories of African Americans from all walks of life, challenging the stereotypes that have often been perpetuated about African Americans in museums.
- Interpretation: Museums can use interpretation to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of the social and historical context of their exhibitions. By providing multiple perspectives and encouraging critical thinking, museums can help visitors to develop a more nuanced understanding of the past and present. For example, the Museum of the Holocaust in Washington, D.C., uses its exhibitions to teach visitors about the Holocaust and its impact on the world. The museum’s exhibitions use a variety of interpretive techniques, such as artifacts, photographs, and videos, to help visitors understand the Holocaust from multiple perspectives.
- Engagement: Museums can use exhibitions to engage visitors in dialogue about social justice issues. By hosting public programs, workshops, and other events, museums can create a space for people to come together and discuss important issues. For example, the Brooklyn Museum in New York City hosted an exhibition on mass incarceration in 2018. The exhibition featured artwork by incarcerated artists and explored the impact of mass incarceration on communities of color. The museum also hosted a series of public programs in conjunction with the exhibition, which allowed visitors to engage with the issue of mass incarceration in a deeper way.
- Action: Museums can use exhibitions to inspire visitors to take action on social justice issues. By partnering with community organizations and supporting social justice initiatives, museums can help to make a difference in the world. For example, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., partnered with the Equal Justice Initiative on an exhibition about lynching in America. The exhibition traveled to several cities across the United States and helped to raise awareness about the history of lynching and its impact on African Americans.
By using exhibitions to promote social justice, museums can help to create a more just and equitable world. The 2025 AAM conference will provide museum professionals with the tools and resources they need to develop and implement effective social justice exhibitions.
6. Community engagement
Museums are increasingly recognizing the importance of community engagement as a way to promote social justice. Community engagement can take many forms, but it always involves building relationships with community members and working together to address shared goals. Museums can use community engagement to:
- Raise awareness of social justice issues: Museums can use their exhibitions, programs, and events to raise awareness of social justice issues and their impact on communities. For example, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, uses its exhibitions to tell the story of the civil rights movement and its continuing relevance today.
- Provide a platform for community dialogue: Museums can provide a safe and welcoming space for community members to come together and discuss social justice issues. For example, the Museum of the City of New York hosted a series of community dialogues on race and policing in the wake of the killing of Eric Garner.
- Support community-led initiatives: Museums can provide resources and support to community-led initiatives that are working to address social justice issues. For example, the Brooklyn Museum partnered with the Center for Anti-Violence Education to develop a program that provides art therapy to survivors of violence.
- Advocate for social justice: Museums can use their voice and influence to advocate for social justice policies and initiatives. For example, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has advocated for increased funding for arts and culture programs that serve underserved communities.
Community engagement is an essential part of the American Alliance of Museums conference 2025. The conference will feature a number of sessions and programs that will explore ways that museums can engage with their communities to promote social justice. These sessions will provide museum professionals with the tools and resources they need to develop and implement effective community engagement programs.
7. Partnerships
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference 2025 will emphasize the importance of partnerships between museums and other organizations to promote social justice. This is because museums can achieve greater impact by working with other organizations that share their goals. Partnerships can help museums to:
- Increase their reach: By partnering with other organizations, museums can reach a wider audience and amplify their message. For example, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, partnered with the Equal Justice Initiative to develop a traveling exhibition on lynching in America. The exhibition has traveled to several cities across the United States and has helped to raise awareness about the history of lynching and its impact on African Americans.
- Access new resources: Partnerships can provide museums with access to new resources, such as funding, expertise, and volunteers. For example, the Museum of the City of New York partnered with the Center for Anti-Violence Education to develop a program that provides art therapy to survivors of violence. The partnership has allowed the museum to provide a valuable service to a community that it would not have been able to reach on its own.
- Build stronger relationships with the community: Partnerships can help museums to build stronger relationships with the communities they serve. By working with other organizations, museums can learn about the needs of the community and develop programs that are responsive to those needs. For example, the Brooklyn Museum partnered with community organizations to develop a program that provides free art classes to children in underserved communities. The program has helped to build a strong relationship between the museum and the community and has provided children with the opportunity to experience the arts.
The AAM conference 2025 will provide museum professionals with the tools and resources they need to develop and implement effective partnerships. The conference will feature a number of sessions and programs on partnership development, including:
- A keynote address by a leading expert on partnerships and social justice
- A panel discussion on how museums can develop effective partnerships
- A workshop on how to write a partnership agreement
- A networking reception where museum professionals can meet with potential partners
By encouraging museums to partner with other organizations, the AAM conference 2025 will help to create a more just and equitable society.
8. Advocacy
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference 2025 will provide opportunities for museum professionals to advocate for social justice. This is important because museums can play a vital role in promoting social justice by raising awareness of important issues, challenging stereotypes, and inspiring people to take action.
There are a number of ways that museum professionals can advocate for social justice. One way is to speak out about important issues. Museum professionals can use their voices to raise awareness of social justice issues and to challenge stereotypes. They can also use their voices to advocate for policies that promote social justice.
Another way that museum professionals can advocate for social justice is to develop and implement programs that promote social justice. Museums can use their exhibitions, programs, and events to educate the public about social justice issues and to inspire people to take action. For example, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, uses its exhibitions to tell the story of the civil rights movement and its continuing relevance today. The museum also offers a variety of educational programs that promote social justice.
Museum professionals can also advocate for social justice by partnering with other organizations. By working with other organizations, museums can amplify their message and reach a wider audience. For example, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has partnered with the Equal Justice Initiative to develop a traveling exhibition on lynching in America. The exhibition has traveled to several cities across the United States and has helped to raise awareness about the history of lynching and its impact on African Americans.
Advocacy is an important part of the American Alliance of Museums conference 2025. The conference will provide museum professionals with the tools and resources they need to advocate for social justice. The conference will feature a number of sessions and programs on advocacy, including:
- A keynote address by a leading expert on advocacy and social justice
- A panel discussion on how museums can advocate for social justice
- A workshop on how to develop an advocacy campaign
- A networking reception where museum professionals can meet with potential partners
By providing opportunities for museum professionals to advocate for social justice, the AAM conference 2025 will help to create a more just and equitable society.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section addresses common questions and misconceptions regarding the American Alliance of Museums Conference 2025.
Question 1: What is the theme of the 2025 conference?
The theme of the 2025 conference is “Museums and Social Justice.” This theme reflects the growing recognition of the role that museums can play in promoting social justice and equity.
Question 2: When and where will the conference be held?
The conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from May 17-20, 2025.
Question 3: Who should attend the conference?
The conference is designed for museum professionals from all disciplines, including curators, educators, administrators, and board members.
Question 4: What are the benefits of attending the conference?
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about new trends in the museum field, network with colleagues, and share ideas. The conference also offers a variety of professional development opportunities, including workshops, seminars, and tours.
Question 5: How can I register for the conference?
Registration for the conference will open in early 2025.
Question 6: What is the cost of attending the conference?
The cost of attending the conference will vary depending on the type of registration and the membership status of the attendee.
We hope this information has been helpful. Please visit the conference website for more information.
American Alliance of Museums Conference 2025
The American Alliance of Museums Conference 2025 is a must-attend event for museum professionals from all disciplines. The conference offers a unique opportunity to learn about new trends in the museum field, network with colleagues, and share ideas. To make the most of your experience, consider the following tips:
Plan your schedule in advance. The conference offers a wide range of sessions, workshops, and tours. Take some time to review the conference program and identify the sessions that you are most interested in attending.Network with other attendees. The conference is a great opportunity to meet and network with other museum professionals from around the world. Make sure to introduce yourself to people at the registration desk, during sessions, and at social events.Take advantage of the professional development opportunities. The conference offers a variety of professional development opportunities, including workshops, seminars, and tours. These opportunities are a great way to learn new skills and enhance your knowledge of the museum field.Visit the exhibit hall. The exhibit hall is a great place to learn about new products and services for museums. You can also meet with representatives from a variety of organizations and institutions.Attend the keynote speeches. The conference features several keynote speeches by leading experts in the museum field. These speeches are a great way to learn about new trends and ideas in the field.Take time to explore Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. is a vibrant city with a rich history and culture. Take some time to explore the city’s many museums, monuments, and other attractions.
By following these tips, you can make the most of your experience at the American Alliance of Museums Conference 2025.
Key takeaways:
- Plan your schedule in advance.
- Network with other attendees.
- Take advantage of the professional development opportunities.
- Visit the exhibit hall.
- Attend the keynote speeches.
- Take time to explore Washington, D.C.
Conclusion:
The American Alliance of Museums Conference 2025 is a valuable opportunity for museum professionals to learn, network, and grow. By following these tips, you can make the most of your experience and take your career to the next level.
Conclusion
The American Alliance of Museums Conference 2025 is a must-attend event for museum professionals from all disciplines. The conference provides a unique opportunity to learn about new trends in the museum field, network with colleagues, and share ideas. The 2025 conference will focus on the theme of “Museums and Social Justice,” reflecting the growing recognition of the role that museums can play in promoting social justice and equity.
The conference will offer a variety of sessions, workshops, and tours on topics such as:
- The role of museums in addressing social justice issues
- How museums can create more inclusive and equitable spaces
- The importance of diversity and inclusion in the museum workforce
- The role of museums in promoting social justice through their collections and exhibitions
- How museums can engage with their communities to promote social justice
- How museums can partner with other organizations to promote social justice
- How museums can advocate for social justice
The conference will also provide opportunities for museum professionals to network with colleagues from around the world and learn about new products and services for museums. By attending the conference, museum professionals can gain the knowledge and skills they need to create more inclusive, equitable, and socially just museums.
The American Alliance of Museums Conference 2025 is a valuable opportunity for museum professionals to learn, network, and grow. By attending the conference, museum professionals can make a difference in their communities and help to create a more just and equitable world.
