In 2025, we see wildfires and floods, accelerated by climate change; and DEI rollbacks and anti-trans backlash, accelerated by politics. The urgent causes that the museum community faces are long-standing and hard to fix. What next? How can building projects advance these efforts?
In a first-ever Building Museums joint keynote, thought leaders Sarah Sutton, Joel Sanders, and Jonathan Alger will take the stage. Sarah Sutton and Joel Sanders will discuss barriers, solutions, and paths forward from the perspectives of their innovative practices. Sarah Sutton, an influential expert in environmental sustainability for museums, will share the work of Environment & Culture Partners’ projects as examples of collaborative work to benefit the field. Joel Sanders, architect and professor, will share the MIXmuseum initiative, projects and research conducted over the past six years dedicated to making museums better meet the needs of the diverse audiences they hope to attract.
Jonathan Alger, moderator, is Managing Partner of the design firm C&G Partners and creator of the podcast and newsletter Making the Museum.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize the depth and breadth of climate action in the cultural sector, and how that connects to and reflects larger social issues.
- Understand the dimensions of inclusion, how they’re expanding for the sector, how that connects to and reflects larger social issues
- Explore inspirational examples from committed senior practitioners today; feel hopeful for continued advances; understand where to find examples among peers; and recognize resources available for their work and ways they can directly engage in advancing the work
- Recognize how environment and inclusion foster the well-being of staff and visitors, which is critical to the operation of museums and the sustainability of the sector.
