AMM 2026 Recap: How Museums Hold and Challenge “Truths”
Hello from the Land of Lincoln! Senior Consultant Sarah Owens recently attended the Association of Midwest Museums Conference in Chicago, where nearly 500 museum professionals from eight states gathered to explore this year's theme, We Hold These Truths. As our nation celebrates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, AMM used this moment in history to explore what it means to be trustworthy stewards of civil society, our collective histories, shared humanity, and the environment that sustains us. Conference sessions explored the following questions:
What “truths” are we holding steadfast in our work, and which ones are we challenging?
In what ways do these “truths” represent our organizational values and influence our choices?
How are we demonstrating that we have the public’s best interests at heart as keepers of “truths”?
The most powerful takeaways from these sessions touched on all three of these questions:
We hold steadfast to the “truth” that we are stronger together. Build relationships with other museums and cultural organizations. Learn from each other. Start meeting with others in your field several times a year and tour each other’s institutions. Chances are if you are running into an issue, others are facing the same struggle.
We challenged the ”truth” that museums are static institutions that act in a vacuum. A museum’s community relevance and connection does not need to be based solely within a museum’s collection. In actuality, museums and their employees are community builders who live within a larger ecosystem of local government, affiliation groups, neighborhood organizations, clubs with special interests, and other umbrellas our audiences gather under.
A clear example of a museum breaking out beyond its walls to bring their mission to new audiences was a film series created by the German American Heritage Center and Museum of Davenport Iowa. This institution partnered with local government for promotion and an independent theater for a venue, creating a programming series that brings in audiences and community who have not previously been aware of the Heritage Center.
To address the conference’s third question—"how do we demonstrate that we have the public’s best interests at heart”?—the proof is in the engagement. Throughout the conference, we celebrated each other’s successes and milestones reached around attendance and fundraising goals. Examples of museums succeeding to connect with the public were plentiful and celebrated, and stories of growth were shared from many museums—including large expansion efforts from several organizations such as the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and Springfield Museum of Art.
In addition to taking advantage of America’s 250th anniversary, the conference capitalized on its location with an unconventional kickoff session nodding to Chicago’s history as the birthplace of modern improv. The keynote address kicking off the 3-day in-person portion of the conference leaned into the principles of this decades-old art form and applied them to the mission-driven work of museums. Run by local improv group Malarky Comedy, the keynote kicked off the conference on the right foot with laughter and connection.
Malarky Comedy in action at AMM 2026
Sarah had the privilege of facilitating a lively conference session alongside educator Zoe Tyler from the Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago. The session, From Follower to Friend, focused on brainstorming ways to motivate visitors, members, and “followers” to support museum missions more deeply and meaningfully. Together in our session discussion, we explored practical strategies for strengthening existing audience relationships and generating engagement with new audiences. Participants connected with each other and shared examples of how museums can increase their visibility throughout the audience pipeline, with ideas ranging from “dog days” and “dog memberships” at gardens and arboreta to social media contests in partnership with local cultural organizations. It was energizing to hear so many creative approaches to developing an audience pipeline and to see attendees connecting over their own successes and challenges.
Conference attendees work together at Sarah’s ‘From Followers to Friend’ session
As museums continue to navigate changing attendance patterns, fundraising pressures, and an uncertain future, the willingness of professionals to learn from one another and work together remains one of our field's greatest strengths. We’re grateful to everyone who participated in the From Followers to Friend session and to the Association of Midwest Museums for creating a space where meaningful conversations can lead to practical solutions. We are excited to continue these conversations and help museums expand their reach and build stronger relationships with their audiences—from followers to friends.
