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Wednesday, March 5
 

8:30am CST

Ready, Aim, Build!
Wednesday March 5, 2025 8:30am - 4:30pm CST
TBA
NOTE: Pre-registration required. Submitting a form does not guarantee registration for the workshop. Attendees will receive confirmation of acceptance and payment information, if selected. Additional fees are required.

During this full-day workshop, our multidisciplinary collective of museum experts provide a roadmap of best-practices to guide you through your museum capital project with lessons gleaned from decades of experience in projects like yours. Delivered through a mix of presented content, targeted activities, and open dialogue, our industry experts in institution planning, design, engineering, costing, and construction will lead you through the critical steps of a successful capital project–from inception through to opening day and beyond. As always, the session includes a special guest speaker from an institution who has been in your shoes before! Leave with an intimate knowledge of a time-tested process that will lead to success on your next project. Box lunch provided to participants.
Speakers
JA

Jame Anderson

Vice President, SmithGroup
Jame has nearly 30 years of experience in museum architecture and exhibition design. Jame specializes in the intersection of physical space and guest experience and has spent half of her career in-house at major museums including the Smithsonian Institution and the National Gallery... Read More →
SG

Sarah Ghorbanian

Principal, SmithGroup
Sarah is a seasoned Project Manager and Museum Planner with 25 years of experience in cultural facility design, master planning, and construction oversight. She has led award-winning projects at institutions like the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art. Sarah has managed significant... Read More →
MC

Monteil Crawley

Senior Principal, SmithGroup
Monteil Crawley is an architect and designer specializing in cultural spaces that honor diverse narratives and blend storytelling with innovative design. Recognizing the vital role of cultural institutions in shaping our collective understanding, Monteil strives to create environments... Read More →
CW

Christopher Wood

Cultural Studio Leader, SmithGroup
Chris Wood is an architect and Vice President with the SmithGroup in Washington, DC where he directs the firm’s Cultural Studio of architects and engineers focusing on museums, interpretive centers, archives, performing arts centers, and historic sites. Over the course of his 25... Read More →
ST

Sarah Thompson

Director of Production, G&A
Sarah specializes in experience design project management for museums and cultural projects. She applies her technical knowledge and strategic thinking to build productive working relationships and effective workflows across interdisciplinary teams. She champions every project’s... Read More →
ME

Maria Elena Gutierrez

President and Founder, Chora-Group
Maria Elena brings a powerful blend of management expertise and financial acumen, honed over years of leadership in both the private and nonprofit sectors. As a co-leader at Chora, she spearheads business development and fundraising strategies with precision and foresight. Before... Read More →
RS
JO

Jared Oldroyd

Division President, Clark Construction
Jared Oldroyd is a Division President at Clark Construction Group responsible for monumental work in the Mid-Atlantic Region. During his career at Clark, he has served in a leadership role in the construction of many award-winning cultural projects, including Museum of the Bible... Read More →
EN

Etienne Nell

Associate Director, Cumming
Etienne Nel oversees cost management out of Cumming’s Chicago office. With over two decades of experience supporting cultural, commercial, hospitality, high-rise, and master plan construction projects, Nel is a Quantity Surveyor that employs cost control, estimation, and reporting... Read More →
Wednesday March 5, 2025 8:30am - 4:30pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Workshop

11:00am CST

The Visitor Center and Museum at the Gateway Arch
Wednesday March 5, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am CST
The Museum at the Gateway Arch
Explore the award-winning Gateway Arch Museum, an integral part of the revitalized Gateway Arch National Park. Located beneath the iconic Gateway Arch, this state-of-the-art museum offers a dynamic and immersive experience that tells the story of westward expansion, the cultural and historical forces that shaped the nation, and the innovative design of the Arch itself. Led by museum and National Park Service professionals, the tour will delve into the process of transforming this underground space through a $380 million public-private partnership. Discover how the museum’s redesign blends contemporary architecture, interactive exhibits, and sustainable strategies to create a world-class destination.
Please, plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled tour start time. Participants will first have to pass through airport level security. Tram rides to the top of the Arch are NOT included in this tour. Please make separate arrangements to ride the tram.
Wednesday March 5, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am CST
The Museum at the Gateway Arch 11 N 4th Street St. Louis, Missouri 63102
  Pre-Conference Tour

12:00pm CST

Tour: Old Courthouse LIMITED
Wednesday March 5, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm CST
Old Courthouse
Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the historic Old Courthouse, as it nears the final stages of its remarkable renovation. This transformative project is the crowning achievement of the $380 million CityArchRiver initiative—the largest public-private partnership in National Park Service history. Led by representatives from the National Park Service and the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, this preview offers a first look at the revitalized spaces and innovative exhibits that bring new life to this iconic landmark. Learn about the meticulous preservation efforts, the inspiration behind the updated interpretation, and the exciting enhancements that will make the Old Courthouse a must-visit destination for generations to come.
Wednesday March 5, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm CST
Old Courthouse 11 N 4th Street St. Louis, Missouri 63102
  Pre-Conference Tour

1:00pm CST

Tour: Soldiers Memorial Military Museum LIMITED
Wednesday March 5, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm CST
Soldiers Memorial Military Museum
Soldiers Memorial Military Museum opened in downtown St. Louis in 1938 as a memorial to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War I. Over the decades following its opening, the scope of memorialization increased as we lost service members. The exhibition galleries, originally built to hold the “relics of war,” also increased in scope and number of artifacts. By 2014, public concern had grown over the condition of the artifacts that had been on perpetual display, the lack of accessibility to the building, and the overall sad state of the building and its memorial grounds from decades of deferred maintenance.
With the support of local philanthropists, the City of St. Louis transferred operations to the Missouri Historical Society in 2015. In February 2016, the museum was closed and underwent a +$30 million renovation. It reopened on Veterans Day 2018. Learn about the museum’s dramatic transformation, while retaining its historic charm and integrity, from the Project Manager, Lead Architect, Landscape Architect, and Accessibility Consultant.
The tour will begin in the museum’s assembly hall with an introduction to the building and to the tour guides who were involved with the project. Visitors will then move throughout the museum and outdoor space with the four different tour guides addressing their areas of expertise. Visitors will have time to self-explore the exhibition galleries following the guided tour.
Wednesday March 5, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm CST
Soldiers Memorial Military Museum 1315 Chestnut St, Saint Louis, MO 63103
  Pre-Conference Tour

2:00pm CST

Tour: Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum LIMITED
Wednesday March 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm CST
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
Join Meredith Malone, curator, for an interactive tour of the Kemper Art Museum on WashU's Danforth Campus. The tour will explore the Museum's architectural history and how it shapes the ways the permanent collection and exhibitions are displayed. Participants will learn about the building's design by Pritzker-Prize winning architect Fumihiko Maki and a recent expansion by the architectural firm KieranTimeberlake that was part of WashU's East End Transformation capital project.
Wednesday March 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm CST
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, MSC 1214-203-208, St. Louis, MO 63130
  Pre-Conference Tour

2:00pm CST

Tour: Missouri Botanical Garden Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center LIMITED
Wednesday March 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm CST
Missouri Botanical Garden
Explore the Missouri Botanical Garden’s stunning Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center. Learn about the vision and impact of Garden’s capital campaign and the careful planning that brought this project to life. Discover how biophilic design principles were incorporated to create a space that connects visitors with nature, promotes well-being, and sets a new standard for sustainability. Plus, discuss with staff the lessons learned since the Center opened- how it enhances the visitor experience, supports the mission, and shapes future initiatives. The tour concludes with a guided walk through the Visitor Center, where you’ll see its vibrant plant displays, innovative design features, and spaces that inspire connection and discovery.
Wednesday March 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm CST
Missouri Botanical Garden 4344 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63110
  Pre-Conference Tour

4:30pm CST

First Time Attendee Reception LIMITED
Wednesday March 5, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm CST
Economy Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
First-Time attendees are invited to this networking reception featuring light refreshments and an opportunity to meet and mingle with Building Museums™representatives and fellow First-Time attendees. The Opening Reception will start following the First-Time Attendee Reception. Due to security protocols at the Economy Museum, RSVP is required and space is limited.

Please note, all visitors over 18 must present a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, upon arrival. X-ray screening and metal detection are required for all who enter the building.
Wednesday March 5, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm CST
Economy Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 1 Federal Reserve Bank Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Reception

6:00pm CST

Opening Reception LIMITED
Wednesday March 5, 2025 6:00pm - 7:30pm CST
Missouri History Museum
Join friends and colleagues to kick-off Building Museums™at Missouri History Museum. During the reception, explore some of the Museum’s newest exhibits including the 1904 World’s Fair, Gateway to Pride, and Collected, which opens March 2025. The Missouri Historical Society is currently in the process of developing a series of new signature core exhibits at the Missouri History Museum. These experiences will introduce visitors to a St. Louis they have never met and are the perfect introduction to this vibrant city.

Transportation sponsored by The Projects Group
Please note, buses will be available to transport guests from the Hyatt Regency to the Missouri History Museum. Additional transportation options include Uber/taxi, carpooling, and MetroLink. Parking is available at the Missouri History Museum and on nearby streets.
Wednesday March 5, 2025 6:00pm - 7:30pm CST
Missouri History Museum 5700 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112
  Reception
 
Thursday, March 6
 

7:30am CST

Breakfast
Thursday March 6, 2025 7:30am - 9:00am CST
TBA
Thursday March 6, 2025 7:30am - 9:00am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Meal/Break

9:00am CST

Keynote Address
Thursday March 6, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am CST
TBA
Thursday March 6, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  General Session

10:15am CST

Coffee Break
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:15am - 10:45am CST
TBA
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:15am - 10:45am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Meal/Break

10:45am CST

Building the Dot Experience: Inclusive Design at the American Printing House
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
The American Printing House (APH) is undergoing a large capital project that involves both a complete renovation and expansion of the current building, which houses a tactile graphics and braille embossing factory, staff offices, recording studios for audio books, and more. As part of this campaign, The Dot Experience, a complete redesign of a previous on-site museum has been undertaken and in design and construction. Given the over 160 year long pivotal nature of APH within the blind and print-disabled community, it is imperative that the museum not only be accessible but fully inclusive to the widest possible audience.

This session will present and explore the journey of building a fully accessible museum, including earlier learning opportunities, the incredible amounts of collaboration between stakeholders such as the design partner, fabrication, accessibility experts, inclusive design consultants, client stakeholders, the disability community advisory group, and so much more. We will enumerate the various phases of the project and the ways in which the design of this museum responds to and centers a multimodal approach to storytelling, artifact presentation, factory tours, media presentation, and interactivity in both physical and digital forms.

We will also explore the rich suite of prototyping tactics used in co-creation and validation of various experiential design approaches. We will explore and share how we carefully thought through considerations about when to involve community groups, experts, consultants, and other partners to maximize an authentic approach and gain project efficiencies along the way.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand how early integration of accessibility and inclusion in project planning minimizes costs, enhances visitor experiences, and ensures consistent, deliberate implementation across all visitor-facing offerings.
  2. Apply inclusive design as a methodology to conceive, design, implement, and operate experiential offerings that effectively include 25% more of the population—specifically disabled individuals, along with their friends, families, care companions, and related communities.
  3. Explore how iterative prototyping, reimagining traditional approaches, and thoughtfully designing the built environment can create inclusive museum experiences that enhance visitor satisfaction, increase accessibility, and drive institutional objectives such as visitation, repeat visits, earned revenue, and community engagement.
  4. Understand the importance of fostering an authentic commitment to inclusivity and accessibility throughout the ideation, design, build, and operational phases, recognizing that this dedication goes beyond budget considerations to create truly accessible and inclusive visitor experiences.
  5. Examine how prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility not only differentiates organizations by fostering a sense of belonging for traditionally underserved visitors but also drives tangible business returns, inspiring further investment in this meaningful and impactful work.

Moderators
JH
Speakers
BJ

Ben Jett

Creative Team Director, Solid Light
Ben Jett, Creative Team Director at Solid Light, leads with exceptional design acumen and a passion for storytelling. For more than 20 years, Ben has translated client needs into compelling educational environments and immersive experiences. His high standard of excellence and innate... Read More →
CT

Corey Timpson

Principal, Prime Access Consulting Inc.
Corey is an internationally recognized experience designer and strategist. He was the Vice President and Project Director for the design-build of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights where he led the creation of the world’s most inclusively accessible cultural venue. Corey's practice... Read More →
avatar for Sina Bahram

Sina Bahram

Principal, Prime Access Consulting Inc.
Sina is a blind computer scientist, consultant, researcher, speaker, and entrepreneur. He works with executive management, policy makers, engineering teams, content creators, designers, and others to promulgate accessibility and inclusive design throughout an organization. In 2012... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

10:45am CST

Designing for Welcome: Planning for a Seamless Visitor Experience from Construction to Completion
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
When first designed, the previous visitor center for the Missouri Botanical Garden served around 250,000 visitors a year. Thirty-five years later, that number had grown to over one million. As a global leader and a local anchor institution, a modest renovation would not be adequate to maintain the status of the Garden or support future growth. The Garden engaged Ayers Saint Gross to design an iconic visitor center: the state-of-the-art Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center represents a bold vision for the Garden and its mission “to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life.”

To ensure continuous visitor operations and stable revenue during construction, the Missouri Botanical Garden and Ayers Saint Gross collaborated closely with the contractor, Alberici Constructors, on a complex three-phased design and implementation process. The team constructed a new permanent building shell that was fit out as a temporary visitor center large enough for critical operational elements. The temporary space featured customized signage and wayfinding reflecting the Garden’s mission and was later transformed into an event center.

The client and design team also worked thoughtfully to promote equity and accessibility for arriving visitors, by incorporating universally accessible design and subtle grade changes to the front entry and landscape and improving the center’s physical and visual connectivity to the garden. Additional design choices around visual transparency and daylighting, operational considerations, material selections, and interpretation ensure the visitor center serves as a gateway to the garden, providing an immersive welcome to visitors of all kinds.

Learning Objectives
  1. Assess funding and phasing options to minimize operational impact and maintain visitor engagement.
  2. Explain how to incorporate accessibility as a central piece of early design thinking.
  3. Evaluate how facilities programming can support and enable institutional mission and goals.
  4. Explore how the visitor experience can be enriched through integrated design and embedded interpretation.
Moderators
AB

Adam Bridge

Principal, Ayers Saint Gross
Adam Bridge, a principal in the architecture studio, specializes in designing cultural institutions and heritage sites deeply rooted in their landscapes and history. Over the past decade, he has led multidisciplinary teams on complex projects from immersive art landscapes, UNESCO... Read More →
Speakers
DP

Deniz Piskin

Vice President Facilities and Construction, Missouri Botanical Gardens
Mr. Deniz Piskin is currently serving as Vice President, Facilities and Construction at the Missouri Botanical Garden where he oversees all aspects of construction, facilities maintenance and repair. Deniz has over 30 years’ experience working in the facilities and construction... Read More →
MV

Michael Vergason

Principal, Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Ltd.
Michael has 45 years of experience in creating memorable places in public and private sectors. He founded Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Ltd. in 1987, and as the lead design principal he is responsible for numerous projects that show a particular sensitivity to site and context... Read More →
MK

Michelle Kollmann

Principal, Ayers Saint Gross
Monteil is a thoughtful designer and planner with over 18 years of experience, focusing on cultural institutions for more than a decade. Leading efforts to plan, program, design, and document multiple significant cultural projects of all scales in the past several years. Monteil has... Read More →
GN

Glenn Neighbors

Principal, Ayers Saint Gross
Glenn Neighbors, a principal at Ayers Saint Gross, brings over 30 years of design expertise in architecture and planning. He focuses on revealing a project’s unique nature and creating individual and memorable identities for academic and cultural institutions. Glenn values simplicity... Read More →
TC

Trisha Cobb

Project Manager, Alberici
Trisha Cobb was Alberici’s Project Manager for construction of the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Utilizing her strong technical background and communication skills, Trisha manages construction activities and works closely with craft personnel, trade... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

10:45am CST

Pre-Design or In-Design: Two Strategic Master Planning Approaches
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Master plans are significant, time-consuming and costly undertakings for museums. They can vary in scale; however, overall, master planning strategies should consider the same elements such as an institution’s strategic plan goals, future vision, market potential, organizational capacity, revenue potential, operating expense impacts, and fundraising potential.

This session will provide an overview of two different master plan strategies for two different institutions. The approach for the Florence Griswold Museum was to undertake a strategic master plan pre-design; the other approach for the Museum of the Rockies was master planning in design by 45 Architecture and Olson Kundig. Both have yielded actionable master plans.

We will present and discuss the benefits and challenges of both approaches to provide insights for other institutions and boards considering and/or currently undertaking master plans. Topics covered will include: inheriting, rethinking and redirecting a past capital program towards a revised (and much broader!) vision for the institution; transitioning from a traditional visitation model to the “business of experiences”; benefits of developing a strategic business plan in tandem with real-time master planning; and navigating master planning with a varying number of stakeholders. If we build it, will they come?

Learning Objectives
  1. Summarize critical steps needed for a successful master planning process.
  2. Identify what expertise is needed based on the situation, whether pre-design or in-design.
  3. Describe how to manage varying challenges during a master planning process such as getting board approval and budget constraints.
  4. Compare two differing master plan strategies and describe how both can be effective.
  5. Describe that each institution will have its own set of issues and challenges but critical master planning steps are the same.
Moderators
EK

Elena Kazlas

Founder & Principal, Elevativ
Elena has over 25 years of experience providing market and economic insights for museums and other attractions. Prior to working as an advisor, Elena worked for an aquarium and educational attraction developer, IDEA, Inc. and was part of the project management team for the successful... Read More →
Speakers
CD

Christopher Dobbs

Executive Director, Museum of the Rockies
Chris has over 25 years of experience in museums and a strong background in executive leadership, strategic planning, fundraising, education, and exhibit development. From 2004–2013 he was executive director of the Noah Webster House and then directed the Connecticut River Museum... Read More →
avatar for Joshua Campbell Torrance

Joshua Campbell Torrance

Executive Director, Florence Griswold Museum
Joshua started his career at Woodlawn Museum, Gardens & Park in Ellsworth, ME, then continued to the Bennington Museum in Bennington, VT and the Webb Deane Stevens Museum in Wethersfield, CT. In 2023, he joined the Florence Griswold Museum as its fifth executive director and is leading... Read More →
JH

Justin Helmbrecht

Principal, Olson Kundig
Justin contributed to the recent development of the Museum of the Rockies Master Plan, integrating design insights from the Olson Kundig team. With nearly 20 years of experience, Justin has worked closely with a variety of cultural institutions to design award-winning projects including... Read More →
MG

Michael G. Yusem

Project Executive, DBI Projects
Michael Yusem is an architectural designer, strategist and design manager specializing in delivering meaningful experiences through highly crafted built environments. Focusing on complex cultural sites including UNESCO World Heritage and US National Historic Landmarks, Michael’s... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

10:45am CST

The Art of Vibration Control – Don’t Let Construction Rock Your Museum!
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
This session will provide a focused discussion of successful management and monitoring of construction vibrations during renovations and additions to collections-based museums. Two case studies of museum expansions will be presented as real-world examples, along with lessons learned, challenges, and triumphs. Effective yet practical protection of collections from construction vibrations is a critical component of the design and pre-construction phase, the museum’s advance planning, and the contractor’s execution of the project.

Current best practices that museums worldwide are using for vibration control will be summarized. Attendees who will benefit from this session include museum staff, particularly conservation, registration, facilities; design architects and engineers; construction managers and general contractors; and exhibition production teams. Attendees will come away with strategies for how to evaluate, plan for, and successfully mitigate vibration risks to museum buildings and collections during a construction project.

Learning Objectives 
  1. Understand the fundamentals of vibrations and how they can affect people, buildings, and museum collections (artworks/artifacts).
  2. Identify potential vibration risks for museum buildings/collections.
  3. Examine how to plan for, measure and monitor vibrations during construction activities.
  4. Incorporate vibration control best practices into the design and pre-construction phase of projects.
  5. Explore how to mitigate risk of potential vibration-related damage to museums and collections by strategic planning and vibration monitoring during construction activities.
Moderators
SU
Speakers
avatar for Arne Johnson

Arne Johnson

Principal Structural Engineer, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE)
Arne has 34 years of structural engineering experience at WJE focusing on forensic evaluation, testing/monitoring, and repair of structures of all types, especially for museums and cultural heritage institutions. Johnson has practiced and published widely on the management of vibrations... Read More →
BB

Bridget Bush

Senior Project Manager, Anser Advisory
Bridget has 21 years of experience in art museum planning, design, and construction. She has worked with the Art Institute of Chicago, Speed Art Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum, Clark Art Institute, Chicago Children’s Museum, and the Joslyn Art Museum on masterplan, renovation, and... Read More →
CS
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

10:45am CST

Crafting a Plan for Institutional Growth
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
*This session will be a hands-on workshop. Attendance is limited to thirty (30) people. The content covered in this workshop is specifically intended for museum professionals. Workshop attendees must be registered for the 2025 Building Museums Symposium. Interested attendees should RSVP in the conference app.

This workshop focuses on the importance of strategy and strategic planning when initiating a capital project. Sometimes seen as a tick-box exercise to satisfy donors or “nice-to-have,” a well-executed strategic planning process and a solid strategic plan provides institutions with a roadmap for navigating their way through major change initiatives, helping them stay on course at every turn and unexpected crossroads. Most importantly, a participatory planning process engages an institution’s most important stakeholders in crafting a shared future vision that will inform every stage of potential building projects.

Using case studies from small to mid-sized museums and from professional experience as strategic planners and architects, workshop facilitators will walk participants through all stages of a capital project strategic planning process, from initial feasibility and ideation through deep stakeholder engagement to identify key decision-points around concepts and key assets that will lead to a compelling vision and successful case for support and generate momentum toward funding and ultimately realizing a new building project.

The workshop will model a strategic planning process for the Mummers Museum to demonstrate the different directions a comprehensive and inclusive approach to planning can take an institution. At the same time, workshop participants will be asked to reflect on their own institutions and will come away with a sketch of a strategic planning process targeted toward their unique situation.

Learning Objectives
  1. Define strategic institutional goals; identify key personnel; discuss listening and visioning processes with stakeholders; establish initiatives to meet institutional goals
  2. Understand current funds and income available; identify additional sources of funds, consider market analysis; plan to accurately estimate future capacity; plan and implement a capital campaign
  3. Connect with potential users to identify program functions of the new facilities necessary to achieve institutional goals; plan for space needs of program function; evaluate what scale of capital project can meet program and budget.
  4. Identify additional expertise needed; define roles of strategic planner, architect, exhibit designer, other specialty consultants; plan scenarios for different sequences and combinations of consultants
Moderators
avatar for Steven Falkowski

Steven Falkowski

Senior Associate, Jacobswyper
Steven is inspired by the role design can play in building and rebuilding communities and relationships for the purpose of elevating the human experience of life on Earth. With this in mind, he looks to the work of Lebbeus Woods, Ursula K. Le Guin, Samuel Mockbee, and Jan Gehl who... Read More →
Speakers
EG

Elizabeth Grant

Chief Program Officer, National Liberty Museum
Elizabeth Grant, PhD, has 20 years experience in history, art, and design education. Her professional history combines collections-based learning with community engagement practices, and she is particularly passionate about fostering co-creation and participatory learning experiences... Read More →
CM
AB

Aaron Billheimer

Director of Exhibitions, National Liberty Museum
Aaron has over 20 years’ experience working in museums of all sizes to plan, design and build exhibitions, and to inform the conceptualization and planning for upgrades and additions to museum facilities. In his current role, he is responsible for space planning, working closely... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Workshop

12:00pm CST

Lunch on Your Own LIMITED
Thursday March 6, 2025 12:00pm - 1:45pm CST
TBA
Thursday March 6, 2025 12:00pm - 1:45pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Meal/Break

1:45pm CST

Designed for Inclusion: How the New Memphis Art Museum Will Center Equity through Architecture
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Join us for an in-depth exploration of The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art’s groundbreaking relocation and transformation into The Memphis Art Museum. The visionary design behind this project exemplifies the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums' themes of Vision, Implementation, and Sustainability. This session will detail the architectural and strategic planning behind the museum’s new riverfront location, designed to integrate Memphis' history and geography into a vibrant cultural hub, attracting renewed engagement to the area.

We will delve into how the museum’s design fosters inclusivity and accessibility, from the new promenade for the community and welcoming, light-filled lobby to the expansive, street-level galleries, education spaces, and public gathering areas. Discover how the museum’s innovative features—such as the River Window, theater, and panoramic rooftop vistas—create a seamless, barrier-free experience that invites diverse audiences to engage with the arts and each other. Learn how thoughtful and innovative engineering supports this architecture and the owner’s goals for a sustainable facility.

The session is tailored for architects, engineers, museum staff, and cultural leaders interested in advancing sustainable and inclusive museum practices. Attendees will gain insights into effective implementation strategies, learn about integrating community-focused design principles, and explore how thoughtful innovation can drive both cultural and architectural transformation.

By attending, participants will come away with actionable knowledge on designing spaces that promote inclusivity and accessibility, fostering community connections, and enhancing visitor engagement. This presentation aligns with MAAM’s mission to build sustainable, inclusive museums and supports the values of empathy, curiosity, and innovation in the field.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand how to implement architectural strategies that enhance inclusivity and accessibility in museum design, including features that create a barrier-free experience for diverse audiences.
  2. Incorporate sustainable design practices and materials into museum projects, with a focus on energy efficiency, environmental impact, and long-term sustainability.
  3. Understand how to design museum spaces that promote community connections and engagement, including creating public gathering areas and integrating cultural elements that reflect local history and geography.
  4. Examine successful implementation strategies for large-scale museum relocations and renovations, including collaboration between architects, engineers, and museum staff, and addressing common challenges during the design and construction phases.
Moderators
JL

Joseph Lembo

Partner, Kohler Ronan Consulting Engineers
Joseph Lembo is a Partner at Kohler Ronan with over 30 years of experience in mechanical engineering and sophisticated building systems design. He plays a key role in strategic planning, corporate operations, and business development, while remaining actively involved in project design... Read More →
Speakers
JB

Jack Brough

Associate, Herzog & de Meuron
Jack Brough began his collaboration with Herzog & de Meuron in New York in 2009. He has contributed to a number of significant cultural and institutional projects in North America, such as the Parrish Art Museum. In 2011, he moved to Miami to monitor construction of the Pérez Art... Read More →
TW

Todd Walker

Founding Partner, archimania
Todd Walker is founding Partner of archimania and Partner-in-Charge of Design. He uses familiar themes in his architecture with respect for context, response to client, and attention to craft in new, inspired ways. He exposes his clients to creative design solutions, as he shares... Read More →
JD

Jennifer Draffen

Director of Collections, Exhibitions, and Publications, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Jennifer Draffen is the Director of Collections, Exhibitions, & Publications at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art which she joined in May of 2020. Her prior positions include Executive Director for Exhibitions and Registration at the Art Institute of Chicago and Director of Collection... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

1:45pm CST

Implementing Museum Galleries within Historic Spaces: Creating Synergy Between Buildings and Exhibits to Ensure Universally Accessible and Enhanced Visitor Experiences
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
The Old Courthouse, a designated “Level 1” historically significant building on the National Register of Historic Places, is a key destination within the Gateway Arch National Park. It is undergoing a major restoration to improve accessibility, climate control, temperature comfort levels and fire protection, and to significantly enhance the visitor experience with new exhibits in four main galleries, in synergy with these infrastructure alterations.

The protected status of the Old Courthouse required an approach to the gallery design that celebrated and protected the historic fabric and character of the building, whilst maximizing universal access and visitor immersion. A key design objective of this project was to “unclutter” the galleries to enhance the visibility of original building architecture and to deliver visitor experiences that continue the high level of universal design adopted throughout the Gateway Arch National Park redevelopment, including the neighboring Museum at the Gateway Arch.

This discursive session, including participants from architecture, exhibit design and client representatives, will explore the coordinated strategies, approaches, and process (creative, communication and technical) followed to design fresh museum experiences within a protected historic building, highlighting historic and accessibility techniques which can be widely applied to any historic building visitor experience revitalization scheme. The session will also explore the project's funding and partnership dynamics demonstrating the opportunities and challenges of project delivery within the context of public/private development.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand how to combine historic architecture with exhibit design components to allow renovated historic spaces to become integral to the overall visitor experience.
  2. Gain creative and technical know-how of ways to leverage historic architecture whilst creating thoughtful and impactful museum experiences with appeal to diverse visitor groups.
  3. Discuss how museum designers and architects can work collaboratively from the beginning of a project to deliver new visitor experiences within an historic building context.
  4. Explore how to design museum experiences in historic buildings with universal accessibility in mind through all project stages.
  5. Examine the complexities and strategies of a funding model in a project involving private and federal funding. 

Moderators
RM

Ryan McClure

Executive Director, Gateway Arch Park Foundation
Ryan McClure has served as Executive Director of Gateway Arch Park Foundation since July 2019 after serving as President of Boys Hope Girls Hope St. Louis, and prior to that, as the Foundation's Director of Communications and Activation. As Executive Director, McClure has led the... Read More →
Speakers
AG

Amy Gilbertson

Principal, Trivers Architects
Amy led architectural development of the project. Principal at Trivers, Amy has 20 years' experience focused on historic and civic projects. As a passionate advocate for modern interventions in historic structures, Amy has been selected or invited to speak about design for historic... Read More →
DD

David Donoghue

Designer and Director, Haley Sharpe
David led the interpretive design team at Haley Sharpe for the four new galleries at the Old Courthouse. David was previously an integral member of the Haley Sharpe design team for the creation of the visitor experience at the Museum at the Gateway Arch and Tram Lobbies. For more... Read More →
JS

Jeremy Sweat

Superintendent, Gateway Arch National Park
Jeremy managed the project from the client’s side, working closely with all the partners involved. Jeremy is superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park, with responsibility for the Arch, Arch grounds and the Old Courthouse. He was previously the Regional Chief of Planning for... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

1:45pm CST

Revitalizing the Yale Peabody Museum: Re-connecting with University & Community
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
In Spring 2024, the Yale Peabody Museum reopened its doors to welcome visitors with a new addition and extensive renovations of the entire building inclusive of galleries, research facilities, collections storage, and administrative areas. Comprising twenty-three galleries and more than 170,000 square feet, the renovation is the largest undertaking in the Museum’s history.

The new design is integral to the Museum’s DNA, its academic research, and its exhibition mission to display research and findings, engaging its scholars, researchers, students, and community.

Since the Museum’s reopening attendance has skyrocketed, yet the building never feels crowded. The Museum feels brighter and is more accessible and widely welcoming. Public spaces are strategically located throughout the building to provide better operations. Galleries have been designed to provide gathering space for class groups around iconic objects with multiple vantage points as never seen before. In addition to expansive circulation, there are also smaller rest areas for reflection throughout the Museum. Classrooms and research labs are located amongst the galleries, strengthening the connectivity between programs, exhibitions, and visitors.

Attendees will be inspired to see how a heritage museum could be reimagined into a more inclusive, modern institution that places its unique identity at the forefront.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand how to articulate an institution’s DNA and use it to guide its future identity and experiential relevance.
  2. Examine the complex collaboration required between Institution, Architect, and Exhibit Designer
  3. Plan future-proofing for exhibits and programs by planning design for flexibility
  4. Identify challenges of renovating a Heritage Museum to meet modern day sustainability requirements.
  5. Apply strategies in planning that optimize operations, improve visitor circulation, and increase and diversify attendance.

Moderators
SP

Stephen Petri

Senior Principal, Reich&Petch Design International
Stephen Petri is graduate architect, with expertise in exhibition design, and project management. He has over 25 years of international R&P museum experience, including eight years as Director of Design and Project Manager at the Royal Ontario Museum, where he completed projects for... Read More →
Speakers
AS

Andrew Santaniello

AIA Associate Principal, Centerbrook Architects & Planners
Andrew Santaniello is a seasoned architect with 29 years of experience in the design profession. He earned his Bachelor and Masters in Architecture from Norwich University in 1995 and 2001. He has served on design teams for museums, houses of worship, classroom buildings, laboratories... Read More →
avatar for Cathy Lazo

Cathy Lazo

Associate & Senior Designer, Reich&Petch Design International
Cathy is a seasoned Project Manager, Senior Designer, and Registered Interior Designer with over 15 years of experience at R&P Design International. She has expertly designed and managed a diverse portfolio of complex exhibition projects, navigating the challenges of multiple stakeholders... Read More →
CN

Chris Norris

Director of Public Programs, Yale Peabody Museum
Chris Norris is Director of Public Programs at the Yale Peabody Museum, with responsibility for education, exhibitions, and visitor experience. He received his doctorate in Zoology from the University of Oxford in 1992 and has worked in natural history collections for more than 30... Read More →
avatar for Kailen Rogers

Kailen Rogers

Associate Director of Exhibitions, Yale Peabody Museum
Kailen Rogers has seventeen years of exhibition development experience across the New York Public Library, MIT Museum, and the Yale Peabody Museum. She leads the Peabody’s exhibitions department and, during the museum's renovation and expansion, she oversaw content development with... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

1:45pm CST

The Frick Collection Balancing Act: Renovating and Expanding a Historic Landmark to Maximum Impact while Minimizing Change
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
The Frick Collection in New York City is completing its first major renovation and expansion since opening to the public as a museum in 1935. Designed by Selldorf Architects in collaboration with Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, the project provides unprecedented access to the original 1914 home of Henry Clay Frick, enhances the visitor experience with new galleries, amenities, and ADA access and restores the 70th Street Garden. Conceived to address pressing institutional and programmatic needs, the plan creates critical new resources for permanent collection display, special exhibitions, conservation, education, and public programs, while upgrading visitor amenities and overall accessibility.

Designated as a New York City landmark, the project’s design underwent a robust public approvals process and started construction in 2021. One of the key challenges of the design was to maintain the original intimate and domestic character of the visitor experience while introducing critical infrastructure and space for enhanced and new programs. Faced with a very tight site on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, new construction had to be strategic and almost surgical, including below-grade excavation and reorganization of existing space.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand design strategies for contextual expansion and interventions that balance institutional identity with future growth.
  2. Describe ways in which historic buildings can be upgraded to be more accessible, welcoming and sustainable.
  3. Demonstrate how contemporary technology can be utilized to assist in design and construction for the modernization of early 20th century historic buildings.
  4. Identify contingencies to consider and plan for relating to budget, schedule, program, and technical feasibility, when undertaking an ambitious project in an historic structure.
Moderators
avatar for Oliver Link

Oliver Link

Partner-in-Charge, Selldorf Architects
Oliver Link joined Selldorf Architects in 2011 and was made Partner in 2020. Initially serving as Project Manager at the outset of the project in 2016, and later as Partner-in-Charge through its completion, Oliver has played a pivotal leadership role in the expansion and enhancement... Read More →
Speakers
CW

Carolyn W. Straub

Associate Director for Capital Projects, The Frick Collection
Carolyn Straub has been the Associate Director for Capital Projects for The Frick Collection since 2017 where she has been managing all aspects of their major renovation and enhancement construction project, the first in the museum’s 90-year history. Previously, Carolyn was an Associate... Read More →
RS

Richard Southwick

Partner & Director of Historic Preservation, Beyer Blinder Belle
Richard Southwick is the Director of Historic Preservation at Beyer Blinder Belle and has guided the revitalization of many of New York's most celebrated historic buildings, as well as international sites of cultural significance. Notable projects include The Frick Collection, Metropolitan... Read More →
RV

Robert V. Hedman

Partner, Kohler Ronan Consulting Engineers
A partner at Kohler Ronan and co-head of the firm’s mechanical department, Bob Hedman has over 25 years of experience designing innovative building systems. He has served as Project Manager for The Frick Collection since 2016. During his career, he has gained significant expertise... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

1:45pm CST

Beyond Happy Talk: Not for profit means business (Part 1)
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
*This session will be a two part hands-on workshop. Attendance is limited to thirty (30) people. If you register for part one, you are autmoatically registered for part 2. The content covered in this workshop is specifically intended for museum professionals. Workshop attendees must be registered for the 2025 Building Museums Symposium. Interested attendees should RSVP in the conference app.

Join us for a critical discussion on the importance of rigorous feasibility studies in ensuring appropriately scaled and sustainable museum expansion projects. "Beyond Happy Talk" examines how grounded, data-driven feasibility assessments can mitigate the optimistic biases often present in early project stages, leading to more realistic and viable expansion and renovation projects. This panel will emphasize the necessity of a robust evaluation of current state (facilities and organization) market potential, operational impacts, capital requirements and fundraising feasibility, ensuring museum projects are tailored to audience needs and philanthropic resources. The panel will also discuss the need for realistic space programming and planning related to the operation of the building, assessing and developing capacity to match the vision of the project.

Hear from leading experts in museum planners and leaders, architects, and designers as they share best practices and case studies where thorough feasibility studies have led to successful, sustainable museum expansions. Learn how adopting a realistic approach early in the planning process can transform museum clients into more informed and proactive partners for architects and designers, ultimately benefiting the cultural institutions and the communities they serve.

We believe that the current state assessment, visioning study, financial feasibility study, and initial fundraising feasibility study are best intertwined and developed together in an iterative process. Each successive phase informs the next to arrive at a right-sized project for your museum. Incorporating the future operation of the museum into planning is essential to bring the vision to life and ensure financial sustainability.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand the rigorous structured approach to feasibility studies, including detailed exploration of each phase's purpose, research questions, and methodology.
  2. Evaluate the current state of an organization, including its facilities, organizational health, and market position, as a foundation for strategic decisions.
  3. Explore methods for developing and aligning visions for renovation, expansion, or growth with an organization's mission and resources.
  4. Dive deep into the methodology for evaluating capital requirements, impact to operating and conducting effective fundraising feasibility studies, with an emphasis on aligning capital goals with realistic funding opportunities.
  5. Apply concepts to a hypothetical or real-world scenario, enhancing understanding and retention, during a hands-on activity focused on fundraising feasibility.

Moderators
avatar for David Greenbaum

David Greenbaum

Director of Culture and Museums, Gensler
David Greenbaum is an expert architect focused on the design of museums, performing arts venues, visitor attractions, institutional, and mixed-use projects. In a 40-year career that includes multiple projects of national significance for the Smithsonian Institution, The National Gallery... Read More →
Speakers
KK

Kristine Klassen

Chief Operating Officer, Chazen Museum of Art
Kristine is an experienced museum administrator with over 20 years in the non-profit and public sector. She finds satisfaction in connecting operating budgets to strategy and supporting organizations in building financial literacy. She holds an MA in Art History and an MBA from the... Read More →
ME

Maria Elena Gutierrez

President and Founder, Chora-Group
Maria Elena brings a powerful blend of management expertise and financial acumen, honed over years of leadership in both the private and nonprofit sectors. As a co-leader at Chora, she spearheads business development and fundraising strategies with precision and foresight. Before... Read More →
RS
avatar for Jean Ortega

Jean Ortega

Deputy Director, The Bass Museum of Art
As Deputy Director of The Bass, Jean is a results-driven leader with a proven track record of driving organizational excellence and transformative growth. With expertise spanning nonprofit executive management, financial accounting, strategic planning, DEAI implementation, fundraising... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 3:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Workshop

3:00pm CST

Coffee Break LIMITED
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:15pm CST
TBA
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:15pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Meal/Break

3:15pm CST

Transforming a Beloved Family Home into a Historic Treasure
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
This session explores the transformation of the Taylor-Mesilla property from a private residence to a public historic site. Located on the historic Mesilla Plaza, this 150-year-old adobe structure represents more than four centuries of New Mexican history and culture.

Attendees will learn about the advocacy campaign that brought $3.1m in funding secured from 2024 New Mexico Legislature. This case study offers valuable lessons for museum professionals dealing with similar transformations of private historic properties into public museums.
A collaborative effort involving multiple divisions of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Taylor-Mesilla project spans for two years per the donation agreement, from November 2023 through November 2025. It involves historic preservation of a 150-year-old adobe structure, building and infrastructure renovations, accessibility accommodations, accessioning a vast collection of art and artifacts, and developing the visitor experience.

The session will highlight how the project team navigated the complexities of historic preservation, including balancing community interest with preservation needs, while creating a meaningful public resource that honors the Taylor family legacy and the rich cultural heritage of southern New Mexico.

Learning Objectives
  1. Analyze and implement project management processes for managing complex museum transformation projects.
  2. Evaluate innovative approaches to in-situ collection management during a renovation.
  3. Identify key considerations in transforming a private historic property into a public museum.
  4. Understand DCA’s effective legislative advocacy strategy for historic preservation.

Moderators
BB

Bob Beatty

Principal, The Lyndhurst Group
I am president and founder of the Lyndhurst Group, a leadership and project management firm serving the history, museum, and nonprofit realm. The core of my practice are the lessons of a quarter century of work in the field: strengthening community through sustainable public humanities... Read More →
Speakers
MB

Matt Barbour

Interim Director of Division of Historic Sites, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
Barbour, Interim Director Historic Sites, has served the citizens of New Mexico since 2002, first working with the Office of Archaeological Studies. He joined the Historic Sites Division in 2013 and in 2016, was promoted to Regional Manager. During his time as regional manager, he... Read More →
EW

Emily Wilson

Instructional Coordinator Supervisor, New Mexico Historic Sites
Emily Wilson graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Art in Anthropology-Cultural focus with a certificate in museum studies. She interned at Ohio History Connection and the Cincinnati Museum Center and most recently served as the Curator and Director of the Pueblo Heritage... Read More →
AM

Alexandra McKinney

Instructional Coordinator Supervisor, Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site
Alexandra McKinney is the Instructional Coordinator Supervisor at the Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site. She has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of New Mexico and a master’s degree in public history from the University of West Florida. She is a proud... Read More →
KM

Kate Macueun

Director of Collections, Museum of International Folk Art
Kate Macuen has been both a museum administrator and collections steward for almost 20 years, specializing in preventative conservation and source community accessibility. She is the Director of Collections at the Museum of International Folk Art, where she oversees all aspects of... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

3:15pm CST

Designing and Planning for Neurodiversity
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:30pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
The future of museums requires us to think about equity in visitor experience. By understanding who is currently excluded (i.e. neurodivergent visitors who have different sensory thresholds), we will demonstrate the opportunity for museums to expand the diversity of visitors and improve upon their emotional engagement.

Attendees will gain insights into the challenges faced by neurodivergent visitors, who make up approximately 15-20% (~50-60 million Americans) of the population. They will learn about the significant impact of sensory overload and underload on museum attendance and revenue. The session will provide practical strategies for creating sensory-friendly spaces that cater to a broader audience.

Aligned with the symposium’s focus on equity and inclusion, we will discuss the future of museums through the lens of equitable visitor experiences, emphasizing the importance of designing for neurodiversity. Further to this, we will demonstrate how Grace Farms has valued lived experience as expertise to drive change within their cultural institution.
This session is designed for museum professionals, including curators, exhibition designers, and architects, as well as advocates for inclusive design and accessibility. It is also relevant for anyone interested in improving visitor experiences and promoting diversity in cultural institutions.

Learning Objectives
  1. Discuss sensory overload and underload experienced by neurodivergent visitors.
  2. Examine common challenges encountered when designing for neurodiversity, including: spatial layouts, material patterns, acoustics, and lighting conditions.
  3. Explore opportunities for supporting design for new construction and/or new exhibitions.
  4. Discuss opportunities to expand visitorship by removing barriers to neurodivergent audiences within existing buildings. 

Moderators
GG
Speakers
CT

Chelsea Thatcher

Chief Strategy Officer and Founding Creative Director, Grace Farms
As Founding Creative Director and Chief Strategic Officer, Chelsea galvanizes a diverse set of collaborators together across artistic disciplines to enhance our CEO and Founder, Sharon Prince’s vision for Grace Farms. Chelsea has been a key contributor to Grace Farms Foundation... Read More →
MG

Madeleine Granland

Inclusive Design Consultant, Buro Happold
Madeleine Granland is an Inclusive Design Consultant at Buro Happold. She recently completed research that focused on going beyond the minimum when designing for neurodiversity in museums and galleries. Madeleine brings global perspectives from work in Australia, Europe, USA, and... Read More →
VB

Vani Birnbaum

Lived Experience
Vani Birnbaum is the proud and loving mother of three boys, aged 8, 7, and 5, one of whom is on the spectrum. She grew up in the midwest, studying art history at Kent State before moving to NYC to pursue a career in fashion and working at a range of fashion-related start ups including... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:30pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

3:15pm CST

Envisioning the Perry Center: Honoring Indigenous Heritage Through Design and Collaboration at Shelburne Museum
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:30pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Located in Vermont’s Lake Champlain Valley, Shelburne Museum is the largest art and history museum in northern New England and a foremost public resource for visual art and material culture. Its 45-acre campus comprises 39 buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum.

A new building will be constructed in 2025, devoted to the exhibition and stewardship of the Perry Collection, over 200 Native American masterworks predominately from Plains, Prairie, and Southwest peoples, adding to the Native American materials already stewarded by Shelburne Museum. The Perry Center represents a significant initiative to collaborate with Indigenous nations, scholars and culture bearers to present a model of stewardship for Indigenous creative culture and presentation to a broader audience.

Designed by Annum Architects of Boston in collaboration with Two Row Architects of Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Canada, the 11,000 sf building, its siting, and landscape are referential to traditional Native American structures. The design process has been informed and guided by input from representatives of the local Abenaki Nation and from other Tribal members nation-wide who participated in a series of pre-design Talking Circles.

Learning Objectives
  1. Identify the ethical and legal considerations when working with Native American collections, including NAGPRA guidelines, and demonstrate an understanding of culturally sensitive preservation techniques and collaboration with Indigenous communities.
  2. Explain the importance of effective communication and participatory decision-making with a variety of stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, and apply strategies for fostering long-term, respectful partnerships and resolving conflicts.
  3. Explain how to collaborate with Indigenous knowledge holders to develop accurate and respectful cultural interpretations, avoiding appropriation, and will demonstrate the ability to integrate Indigenous storytelling into design practices.
  4. Assess how Indigenous cultural values, environmental stewardship, and respect for traditional lands can be integrated into campus and site development, and propose strategies for creating inclusive community spaces that honor Indigenous traditions.

Moderators
avatar for Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard

Principal, Annum Architects
Steven Gerrard has been a key design innovator at the firm for over 20 years, leading projects for not-for-profit, cultural, and educational clients. His hands-on approach to design is marked by a dedication to crafting thoughtful architecture through creativity and teamwork. Steve’s... Read More →
Speakers
ER

Elizabeth Randall

Practice Director, Reed Hilderbrand
Elizabeth (EB) is fascinated by the ability of cultural and natural history to inform a site’s contemporary use, interpretation, and transformation. EB’s resolution of large conceptual ideas into tangible, elegant details has shaped the design and construction of projects across... Read More →
MH

Matthew Hickey

Partner, Two Row Architect
Matthew Hickey is Mohawk, Wolf clan, from the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve. Receiving his Masters of Architecture from the University of Calgary and his Bachelor of Design from the Ontario College of Art and Design, his Mohawk background continues to have a significant... Read More →
TD

Thomas Denenberg

Director, Shelburne Museum
Thomas Andrew Denenberg is the director of Shelburne Museum. Prior to moving to Vermont in 2011, he served as the chief curator and deputy director of the Portland Museum of Art (Portland, Maine), curator of American art at Reynolda House (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), and curator... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:30pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

3:15pm CST

From Renovation to Reimagined
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:30pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Last year, The Columbus Museum in Georgia, one of the largest art and history museums in the Southeastern US, completed an ambitious transformation project that placed visitor experience at its forefront. The reimagined museum serves as a model of how a building project can further institutions’ goals of creating a stronger sense of belonging in visitors and reaching a wider segment of the community, such as younger visitors and multi-generational families.

In this session, we’ll explore the intricacies of this reimagining, including: the process of identifying why, what, and how The Columbus Museum could be transformed from the museum ‘on the hill’ to a welcoming environment for all without the construction of a new building; lessons learned from managing multiple exhibit design teams on the gallery redesign; the reimagining of the museum's entrance as a place of visitor-first approaches to introducing both content and amenities; the fundraising challenges and opportunities including the museum's unique partnership with the local school district; and how to use the notion of ritual-building to make a museum more profoundly integrated and emotionally interwoven into people’s everyday lives.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand how to leverage partnerships with local stakeholders to increase visibility, donations, and community impact
  2. Discuss how to make museum visits more personalized and meaningful
  3. Explore how to augment existing site conditions using design principles from retail and hospitality to make entrance and orientation experiences more inclusive and dynamic 
    Attendees will learn how to create rituals around museum visits that encourage repeat visitation
  4. Understand how to transcend the traditional educational missions of cultural institutions by responding to the needs of families and other constituents with amenities that solve visitor needs.

Moderators
AF

Amelia Falco

Creative Director, Local Projects
Amelia Falco leads projects as a Creative Director, with a focus on experiential retail. Prior to joining LP, she led creative on large retail, brand and experiential projects, including the Adidas 5th Avenue flagship store in New York City and Beijing, NBA Flagship Store, Nintendo... Read More →
Speakers
DJ

Derek Jones

Principal, Perkins + Will
The son of academic parents, Derek grew up in a Los Angeles home steeped in scholarly inquiry. His mother emigrated from Beijing at the age of 16, and as a boy, Derek frequently traveled with his parents to Japan and China. Later, while pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts in Japan, the... Read More →
LS

Lonny Schwartz

Principal, The Design Minds
Lonny Schwartz is the principal and founder of The Design Minds, with more than 25 years of experience designing museum exhibitions. The Design Minds' is a content-based design firm providing interpretive planning, exhibit and graphic design, and content development. Mr. Schwartz... Read More →
MR

Marianne Richter

Executive Director, The Columbus Museum
Marianne Richter has focused on connecting The Columbus Museum with the communities of the Lower Chattahoochee Valley in Georgia and Alabama since she began her tenure as Director of The Columbus Museum in 2015. The extensive collections of American art and regional history and significant... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:30pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

3:15pm CST

Beyond Happy Talk: Not for profit means business (Part 2)
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:30pm CST
TBA
*This session will be a two part hands-on workshop. Attendance is limited to thirty (30) people. If you register for part one, you are autmoatically registered for part 2. The content covered in this workshop is specifically intended for museum professionals. Workshop attendees must be registered for the 2025 Building Museums Symposium. Interested attendees should RSVP in the conference app.

Join us for a critical discussion on the importance of rigorous feasibility studies in ensuring appropriately scaled and sustainable museum expansion projects. "Beyond Happy Talk" examines how grounded, data-driven feasibility assessments can mitigate the optimistic biases often present in early project stages, leading to more realistic and viable expansion and renovation projects. This panel will emphasize the necessity of a robust evaluation of current state (facilities and organization) market potential, operational impacts, capital requirements and fundraising feasibility, ensuring museum projects are tailored to audience needs and philanthropic resources. The panel will also discuss the need for realistic space programming and planning related to the operation of the building, assessing and developing capacity to match the vision of the project.

Hear from leading experts in museum planners and leaders, architects, and designers as they share best practices and case studies where thorough feasibility studies have led to successful, sustainable museum expansions. Learn how adopting a realistic approach early in the planning process can transform museum clients into more informed and proactive partners for architects and designers, ultimately benefiting the cultural institutions and the communities they serve.

We believe that the current state assessment, visioning study, financial feasibility study, and initial fundraising feasibility study are best intertwined and developed together in an iterative process. Each successive phase informs the next to arrive at a right-sized project for your museum. Incorporating the future operation of the museum into planning is essential to bring the vision to life and ensure financial sustainability.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand the rigorous structured approach to feasibility studies, including detailed exploration of each phase's purpose, research questions, and methodology.
  2. Evaluate the current state of an organization, including its facilities, organizational health, and market position, as a foundation for strategic decisions.
  3. Explore methods for developing and aligning visions for renovation, expansion, or growth with an organization's mission and resources.
  4. Dive deep into the methodology for evaluating capital requirements, impact to operating and conducting effective fundraising feasibility studies, with an emphasis on aligning capital goals with realistic funding opportunities.
  5. Apply concepts to a hypothetical or real-world scenario, enhancing understanding and retention, during a hands-on activity focused on fundraising feasibility.

Moderators
avatar for David Greenbaum

David Greenbaum

Director of Culture and Museums, Gensler
David Greenbaum is an expert architect focused on the design of museums, performing arts venues, visitor attractions, institutional, and mixed-use projects. In a 40-year career that includes multiple projects of national significance for the Smithsonian Institution, The National Gallery... Read More →
Speakers
KK

Kristine Klassen

Chief Operating Officer, Chazen Museum of Art
Kristine is an experienced museum administrator with over 20 years in the non-profit and public sector. She finds satisfaction in connecting operating budgets to strategy and supporting organizations in building financial literacy. She holds an MA in Art History and an MBA from the... Read More →
ME

Maria Elena Gutierrez

President and Founder, Chora-Group
Maria Elena brings a powerful blend of management expertise and financial acumen, honed over years of leadership in both the private and nonprofit sectors. As a co-leader at Chora, she spearheads business development and fundraising strategies with precision and foresight. Before... Read More →
RS
avatar for Jean Ortega

Jean Ortega

Deputy Director, The Bass Museum of Art
As Deputy Director of The Bass, Jean is a results-driven leader with a proven track record of driving organizational excellence and transformative growth. With expertise spanning nonprofit executive management, financial accounting, strategic planning, DEAI implementation, fundraising... Read More →
Thursday March 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:30pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Workshop

4:30pm CST

Exhibitor Reception
Thursday March 6, 2025 4:30pm - 6:30pm CST
Exhibitor's Hall
Unwind after a day of sessions with a drink and hors d’oeuvres in the Exhibitor’s Hall at the Hyatt Regency. Meet and network with service providers, engineers, architects, and museum professionals.
Thursday March 6, 2025 4:30pm - 6:30pm CST
Exhibitor's Hall 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Reception
 
Friday, March 7
 

7:15am CST

Breakfast
Friday March 7, 2025 7:15am - 8:45am CST
TBA
Friday March 7, 2025 7:15am - 8:45am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Meal/Break

8:45am CST

Lessons Learned: Hindsight is 20/20
Friday March 7, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
As experienced capital project professionals, we know that the successful project balances program, schedule, and budget. We know that comprehensive planning during the pre-design and schematic phases is an investment that controls costs during construction and occupancy. We know how to engage stakeholders in all phases of project development. We are vigilant about keeping our eyes on the prize.

After we open our needed and well-planned facilities, a new type of discovery unfolds as our buildings and landscapes are handed to visitors, staff, collaborators, collections, and communities. Sometimes, we delight in happy accidents: spaces, finishes, and systems that facilitate unplanned activities in mission-advancing ways. Other times, we realize blind spots in our planning process: Facilities that interrupt smooth operations. Daylighting these situations is a resource to projects still on the boards. As one of last year's Lessons Learned panelists said, "We made these mistakes so you don't have to."

Project professionals who helped open facilities at institutions that have been critically acclaimed will generously share with the Building Museum community unexpected delights and challenging conditions encountered in the years since their world-class spaces opened to the public. Panelists will explore the opportunities and challenges, the resources deployed to advance or mitigate these conditions, and future institutional plans, all in the context of how this work allows their museum to serve its audiences. A discussion among the panelists and the moderator will delve deeper into the applicability of these lessons learned to the museum building projects at large.

Learning Objectives
  1. Build operational planning into the design and construction process
  2. Partner with client team members, at all levels of the institution, to secure a balance for vision, design, construction, and operations
  3. Apply tested strategies for resolving post-occupancy challenges
  4. Develop individual building components in relationship to an institution’s overall comprehensive plan
Speakers
avatar for Jacqueline Bershad

Jacqueline Bershad

VP Planning & Design, National Aquarium
Jaqueline Bershad, Vice President of Planning & Design at the National Aquarium, is a licensed, LEED certified architect with 25 years of experience in the design of museums, exhibit experiences, zoos and aquaria. Her team is responsible for all capital planning, capital improvement... Read More →
CS

Carolyn Schmidt

Deputy Director and Controller, St. Louis Art Museum
Carolyn Schmidt is responsible for the daily operations of the Saint Louis Art Museum, including investment and treasury management. Carolyn joined the museum in 2006. Her first task was to develop the finance plan for the museum’s $130 million David Chipperfield designed expansion... Read More →
BG

Brett Gaillard

Head of Capital Projects, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Brett Gaillard is the Head of Capital Projects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where she oversees the planning of all capital construction and infrastructure projects and helps guide the long-term vision and design of these projects for The Met’s 2.2 million square foot main building... Read More →
AW

Amy Weisser

Deputy Director, Strategic Planning and Projects, Storm King Art Center
At Storm King Art Center, Amy Weisser incubates projects focused on the institution’s strategic growth. She is the project director for Storm King’s capital project, opening in May 2025. Weisser has worked with the Obama Presidential Center, led exhibition development for the... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  General Session, Plenary

9:45am CST

Coffee Break
Friday March 7, 2025 9:45am - 10:00am CST
TBA
Friday March 7, 2025 9:45am - 10:00am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Meal/Break

10:00am CST

A Bold Vision: Honoring the Community from the Ground Up
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
The heart of the Sam Centre is community building; a mission deep-rooted in the culture of the Calgary Stampede since its inauguration in 1912. Known as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, for more than a century Stampede has successfully drawn people together for the annual 10-day rodeo event.

The new Sam Centre is a hybrid platform where all activities represent Stampede’s core mission. Calgary Stampede Foundation's (CSF) understanding of their brand identity and clarity about who they are extends through the unique concept for the building, exhibitions, collections, programs, and events.

The CSF had a dream to celebrate and share the Stampede experience year-round. Comprised of 30,000 square feet of space under a large, enclosed roof, the building welcomes visitors to participate in a range of themed exhibits and displays. Sam is also a venue for public education programs and events, and houses a portion of the Stampede collections and archives. In addition to its educational activities, it is an attraction designed to give visitors an immersive experience. Like Stampede, Sam is intended to be fun!

In this session, CSF will talk about their community-based identity and how it was translated into a bold concept for Sam Centre. Diamond Schmitt Architects will talk about how this concept was understood and adapted to an architectural design that expresses the spirit of Stampede. GSM will discuss how the powerful brand identity was translated into exhibition experiences that honor that community in a fresh and new way.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand how to apply mission and identity objectives across the many facets of a complex project
  2. Explore strategies on how to respond to project challenges and impacts of external factors while remaining focused on core project values
  3. Understand how a community and brand identity can be represented in varied ways through architecture, exhibition design and programming
  4. Reflect on lessons-learned by an institution that grew and evolved through the creation of a unique offering for its community.
Moderators
ED

Eric Demay

Managing Partner & Executive Producer, GSM Project
GSM Project is a studio specializing in the ideation, design, and production of engaging visitor experiences. As executive producer, Eric encourages our studio to push the boundaries of exhibition design, shaping experiences that transform how visitors perceive the world in new and... Read More →
Speakers
CL

Christine Leppard

Exhibits and Experience, Sam Centre for the Calgary Stampede Foundation
Christine Leppard, PhD, is the Manager, Exhibits and Experience, Sam Centre for the Calgary Stampede Foundation. Sam Centre opened in May 2024 as a new destination that immerses and involves the community in Calgary’s Stampede story. In her role, Dr. Leppard is responsible for developing... Read More →
PT

Peggy Theodore

Principal & Project Architect, Diamond Schmitt Architects
Peggy is a Principal with Diamond Schmitt with expertise in specialized design and project management. She is a designer, project manager, and team builder. An ardent collaborator, who recognizes the importance of teamwork in achieving the best solutions to difficult design challenges... Read More →
HK

Helmut Klassen

Museum Planning & Design Specialist & Assoicate, Diamond Schmitt Architects
Helmut’s expertise includes functional programming, feasibility planning, and architectural design for collection-based museums, galleries, and archives across Canada. His projects at Diamond Schmitt include the Ingenium Collections and Conservation Centre in Ottawa, the new collection... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

10:00am CST

HueCultures: Building Community and Greater Connectivity
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Museum Hue is leading an unprecedented research initiative, HueCultures, that investigates the unique identities, experiences, pedagogies, and sites of museums founded and led by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and all People of Color. This first-of-its-kind study, which includes a digital map, directory, report, and online platform, identifies their intersectionalities, challenges, and distinctive impacts. Museum Hue seeks to raise awareness of these trusted institutions and their innovative methodologies through an online database that encompasses their history, geographic location, and community significance. This research study and online platform will be used to share findings of their vast and layered practices as a way to further preserve and expand them. It is also intended to be used as a guide to provoke new thinking for the role of museums to the wider sector.

The research findings demonstrate how institution building has been an essential part of liberation and increased agency that helps sites to share their histories, elevate creative practices, strengthen cultural ties, and enrich their communities. The HueCultures initiative also provides opportunities for museum professionals working at these institutions to connect and learn from one another; building relationships for a stronger network that facilitates trust and comradery.

The panel will include the team behind the HueCultures research and museum leaders who have served as advisors on the initiative to highlight the community-based expertise that guide cultural spaces founded and led by people of color. Panelists will share how this research grounds, connects, and distinguishes these institutions as crucial heritage sites in communities.

Learning Objectives
  1. Examine ways museums and arts entities are contributing and cultivating an arts ecosystem, sharing space and skills.
  2. Explore existing partnerships between for profit and nonprofit organizations for the greater good
  3. Discuss HueCulture’s digital map, directory, and report
  4. Explore HueCultures and how it can be used in the real world
  5. Share how the digital map can inform and transform the built environment. Past partnership with AIA on the role of architects. 

Moderators
SC

Stephanie Cunningham

Executive Director, Museum Hue
Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham is the Executive Director of Museum Hue. Under her leadership, Museum Hue launched HueArts, a research initiative that includes maps, and reports of arts entities founded and led by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and all People of Color across NYC's... Read More →
Speakers
BJ

Barbara-Shae Jackson

Senior Research Associate II, Slover Linett at NORC
Barbara-Shae Jackson, PhD, is a social scientist specializing in the intersection of race, the arts, and equity. She collaborates with cultural organizations on projects that address community needs, museum outcomes, and issues of equity, place, and belonging. Her work has partnered... Read More →
LY

Lisa Yancey

President, Yancey Consulting
Lisa Yancey is a strategic organizational development consultant and social entrepreneur who specializes in institutional planning, impact practices, policies, and engagement, and social impact business planning. She is the President of Yancey Consulting, which offers a range of long-term... Read More →
SL

Silvermoon LaRose

Assistant Director, Tomaquag Museum
Silvermoon Mars LaRose is a citizen of the Narragansett Tribal Nation and the Assistant Director of the Tomaquag Museum. She has worked in tribal communities for over 20 years, serving in the areas of health and human services, education, and humanities. As a public servant, Silvermoon... Read More →
JS

Jennifer Scott

Founding Executive Director and Chief Curator, Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem
Jennifer Scott is the founding Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem - New York’s first museum dedicated to civil rights. Through her work of 25 years as a curator, anthropologist and public historian, she explores connections between museums... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

10:00am CST

Making Time, Building Trust: Tekαkαpimək Visitor Contact Station’s Celebration of Wabanaki Cultural Knowledge at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Situated in the present and traditional homeland of the Penobscot Nation, Tekαkαpimək Contact Station is a stunning 7,900 square-foot building and 23-acre landscape atop Lookout Mountain in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine. This session celebrates the intercultural and interdisciplinary process that shaped its architecture, galleries, and landscape.

Tekαkαpimək — pronounced deh gah-gah bee mook, Penobscot for “as far as one can see” — arose from a partnership between a Wabanaki Advisory Board and Elliotsville Foundation, in consultation with the National Park Service. Tekαkαpimək is a work of collaborative design and construction, intentionally imbued with Wabanaki knowledge.

Design team members will reflect on Tekαkαpimək’s realization. In 2019, Elliotsville Foundation, which gifted monument lands to the United States, engaged members of the Wabanaki Confederacy - Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe (Sipayik and Motahkomikuk), and Penobscot Nation. A feedback session about an initial architectural concept burgeoned into five years of exchanging ideas and stories. The project integrates new commissioned works by Wabanaki writers and artists throughout; and its construction served as an opportunity for upskilling local trades and apprentices. Tekαkαpimək’s bold architecture and landscape reflect trust built among native and non-native communities, deepening the creative process and lifting collective success.

Learning Objectives
  1. Appreciate the interplay of nature and heritage in shaping visitor experiences for institutions whose missions are strongly rooted to place.
  2. Articulate the particular care Indigenous communities deserve and require as participants in cultural projects with a mission, program offerings, or visitor experience on native lands. Identify timing and techniques that contributed to project success, while also acknowledging and evaluating missteps.
  3. Initiate opportunities for stakeholders outside of an institution's leadership and staff to contribute to a shared future, not only through feedback and engagement but by means of self-expression, co-creation, and communal care. Discuss when and how to engage communities impacted by projects during the planning and design phase.
  4. Empower institutions and design teams to create projects that leverage community strengths, grow capacities, catalyze skills, inspire innovations, and encourage new leaders to step forward.
  5. Value decolonized action, highlighting the importance of sharing power in a genuine partnership that leads to benefit-sharing with indigenous communities.

Moderators
GJ

Gary J. Stern

Owner's Representative & Project Manager, Elliotsville Foundation for Tekαkαpimək Contact Station
President of Portland, Maine-based Stern Consulting International, Gary J. Stern has served as Elliotsville Foundation's project manager, owner's representative, and liaison with the Wabanaki Advisory Board for the newly completed Tekαkαpimək Contact Station in Katahdin Woods and... Read More →
Speakers
JS

Jennifer Sapiel Neptune

Artist & Lead Exhibits Writer, Tekαkαpimək, Penobscot Nation
As an artist, anthropologist, educator and member of the Penobscot Nation, Jennifer has integrated her myriad skills to intertwine the past and the present, giving life to the future of her community. She has won national awards for her work, specializing in ash and sweetgrass baskets... Read More →
TS

Todd Saunders

Principal Architect, Saunders Architecture
Todd Saunders is a Norway-based Canadian architect known to infuse his contemporary buildings with an artistic sensibility that is deeply in tune with the uniqueness of northern terrains. He is recognized for constructing buildings that acknowledge and understand vernacular histories... Read More →
SG

Shaun Gotterbarn

Project Architect, Alisberg Parker Architects
Shaun Gotterbarn is the Director of Architecture at Alisberg Parker Architects, having joined the firm in 2012. A graduate of the Roger Williams University School of Architecture, he began his career at a design firm specializing in historic preservation. With Alisberg Parker Architects... Read More →
JG

John Grove

Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture, Principal Landscape Architect
John Grove is a partner and principal of Cambridge-based landscape architecture practice Reed Hilderbrand. He is responsible for numerous culturally sensitive and technically complex works, including a recent expansion for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and... Read More →
JB

Jane Beattie

Principal Interpretive Planner, Tuhura Communications
Jane Beattie is an independent interpretive and visitor experience planning consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has over 30 years of experience in program and exhibit content development, sustainable tourism, and guide training. Her projects facilitate heritage sites... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

10:00am CST

Revealing the Hidden: Making a Stored Collection Accessible
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Works on paper, including photographs, drawings, and prints, account for one-third of the Chrysler Museum of Art’s collection, but these works had rarely been seen by visitors. This panel discussion will provide insight into why the Chrysler, located in Norfolk, Virginia, decided to transform its previously back-of-house archive space into a dynamic new amenity for staff and visitors, and how it did so while maintaining the preservation of the archive.

Opening to the public in Fall 2024, the 2,100-square-foot Goode Works on Paper Center includes a dedicated space to house a growing collection of more than 10,000 works and a study room that significantly improves public access to the collection. Previously, when visitors, artists, students, and scholars requested to view these works, art handlers were required to retrieve them from storage, place them on carts to transport them to a common area and ensure that a docent and security officer were present. The design of the new Center creates public-facing accessibility to the space, provides room for classes and study groups, and enables museum staff to perform collections care and recordkeeping in the space.

Learning Objectives
  1.  Learn how to make back-of-house functions more visible and accessible to the public
  2. Discover how to select archival storage furnishings for high performance and future growth
  3. Examine how to handle security during construction while remaining operational
  4. Understand the process of working with a primary donor who provided funding for design, construction, and operations, and art objects
  5. Explore the operations of a works-on-paper archive and integral study room"

Moderators
TW

Thom White

Design Principal, Work Program Architects
In 2010, Thom White co-founded Work Program Architects, where he currently leads a team with a shared passion for community-focused collaboration, placemaking, and innovative design. He has earned a reputation for outstanding work in various project types and developed a specialty... Read More →
Speakers
DF

Dana Fuqua

CFO & Deputy Director for Operations, Chrysler Museum of Art
Dana Fuqua joined the Chrysler Museum of Art in 2006 as Deputy Director for Operations, managing Accounting, Human Resources, and Facilities departments. She implemented new payroll software and a merit-based benefits program, and successfully oversaw the Museum's $24 million renovation... Read More →
DD

Devon Dargan

Chief Registrar, Chrysler Museum of Art
Devon Dargan manages the Chrysler Museum of Art’s team of registrars and preparators that implement an average of 20 shows a year and care for a collection of 31,000 objects. She joined the museum in 2012 as the Collections Registrar where she was first tasked with coordination... Read More →
EN

Erik Neil

Macon and Joan Brock Director, Chrysler Museum of Art
Erik H. Neil joined the Chrysler Museum of Art in 2014, revitalizing its exhibition program and reinforcing the institution's community focus. As Director, he has curated several diverse exhibitions that traveled nationwide, each featuring new scholarship and raising the museum's... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

10:00am CST

What I Would’ve Told My Younger Self About Building a Museum
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Building a museum is more than designing walls and curating artifacts; it’s about envisioning a living, evolving institution that connects with people. I would’ve told my younger self to brace for the pivots—those unexpected turns that reveal deeper layers of complexity in both design and mission. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s recent transformation teaches that conceptualizing a museum isn’t a linear journey. Beginning with a discovery phase in 2019, the team navigated hundreds of virtual meetings, making critical decisions about content, design, and logistics, in the midst of a global pandemic. This project was a testament to the power of adaptability and collaboration among diverse teams, including architects, exhibit designers, and community members.

Creating meaningful, relevant exhibits is more than aesthetic design; it is about understanding the science, connecting it to the local community, and reflecting on humanity’s impact on nature. The hurdles faced—from aligning vision with budget constraints to engaging stakeholders at every level—underscored the importance of flexibility and resilience. Ultimately, a museum isn’t just a building; it’s a dynamic space that invites inquiry and inspires action, forever evolving to remain relevant and impactful.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand that any significant project requires strong leadership to drive the vision and strategy. Learn how having someone at the helm is crucial to navigating challenges, setting priorities, and ensuring alignment with broader goals, especially when addressing complex issues such as climate change and science literacy.
  2. Recognize the importance of a clear and compelling vision that incorporates a community-centered approach, builds trust, and emphasizes humanity’s impact on the natural world. Effective leaders integrate current knowledge and research into public-facing efforts to foster understanding and inspire action.
  3. Explore how architecture and exhibit design intertwine to create engaging and educational environments that align with the visionary approach.
  4. Understand how well-designed spaces can facilitate inquiry-based learning and enhance visitor experiences, making complex topics more accessible and relevant.
  5. Identify the crucial role of exhibit and experience design in effectively communicating complex concepts and engaging diverse audiences. Learn how using authentic elements, such as real specimens and artifacts, can create compelling narratives that promote scientific literacy.
  6. Understand strategies for designing experiences that connect visitors emotionally and intellectually to themes like nature, science, and the human role in sustainability.
  7. Gain insight into the financial planning and funding strategies essential for supporting transformative projects. This includes understanding budget constraints, development efforts, and securing funding to achieve educational and community goals.
  8. Learn how financial considerations influence the scope and scale of projects, from the quality of exhibits to the reach of educational programming.

Speakers
CC

Caitlin Colleary

Associate Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology Adjunct Assistant Professor, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
As the driving force behind the creation of new exhibits at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Dr. Caitlin Colleary combines her expertise as a leading vertebrate paleontologist with a visionary approach to exhibit design. Since joining the museum in 2020, she has played a crucial... Read More →
RR

Robin Reid

Senior Integrated Producer, G&A
Specializing in integrated experience design, robin has spent over 20 years leading award-winning, internally recognized media and immersive experiences. She firmly believes that the most successful, engaging experiences are ones where creative development intentionally listens to... Read More →
GS

Gavin Svenson

Chief Science Officer, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Serves as the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Chief Science Officer, a role to which he was promoted in 2022. Dr. Svenson has been a driving force in the creation of new strategies to support the Museum’s mission and a bold reinvention of its campus and exhibits in an expanded... Read More →
JH

Joshua Haney

Global Architecture Leader, DLR Group
Josh leads an architecture studio of more than 600 design professionals. He is responsible for elevating the firm’s architecture practice and collaborates with professionals across all of the firm’s global locations to establish standards and ensure consistency across integrated... Read More →
MD
SW

Sonia Winner

President & CEO, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
She is the visionary and driving force behind its ambitious $150 million transformation. Over a decade in the making, this project is a complete reimagining of the museum’s campus and exhibits, introducing an interactive, inquiry-based experience that engages deeply with the community... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

11:30am CST

Buildy Awards Luncheon
Friday March 7, 2025 11:30am - 1:00pm CST
TBA
The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) is excited to announce this year’s Building Museums™ Symposium’s Buildy Award. The Buildy Award recognizes museums’ leadership and exemplary accomplishment through the planning, construction, and life after opening of a museum renovation or building project. The award recognizes the museums as an institution, their directors and staff, and the building/design construction teams whose completed museum construction projects demonstrate high achievement in the lessons of the Building MuseumsTM Symposium: careful, creative planning and diligent implementation leading to institutional sustainability.
Friday March 7, 2025 11:30am - 1:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  General Session

1:15pm CST

Building the Obama Presidential Center – YES WE CAN!
Friday March 7, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
The Obama Presidential Center (OPC), scheduled to open in 2026 in Chicago's historic Jackson Park, will be a transformative community hub designed to inspire, empower, and connect people to drive change. This dynamic campus will include iconic structures such as the Museum Tower, the Forum, and a branch of the Chicago Public Library, all integrated within a thoughtfully designed landscape. The 19-acre site will also feature a community vegetable garden, athletic facilities, winding wooded paths, and other public spaces like a sledding hill and playground.

At the heart of the OPC is its mission to honor the Obama Presidency while creating a space for civic engagement and future-forward story-making. Unlike traditional presidential libraries that focus on preserving the past, the OPC will serve as a lively platform for shaping new narratives.

Colleagues from the Obama Foundation, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, and Owner Representatives will delve into key aspects of the center’s development. This session will explore topics ranging from the conceptual vision of the OPC to the complexities of its design, construction, and eventual operations. Attendees will gain insights into unique challenges like the creation of a vertical museum, the implementation of an Exhibits program in parallel with the OPC Campus, the development of advanced security designs, and the curation of a robust commissioned art program. Additionally, the panel will discuss how the historical elements of Jackson Park are reflected in the center’s design, seamlessly integrating the past with the vision for the future.

This session will illuminate how the OPC is poised to serve as an economic anchor, a cultural beacon, and a resource for civic engagement, both locally on Chicago’s South Side and for visitors worldwide.

Learning Objectives: 
  1. Understand the complex nature of vertically designed museums and strategies for engaging visitors, while maintaining security, ticketing and operational needs of the museum.
  2. Examine key considerations when contemplating a new museum campus in a historic park.
  3. Understand the integration of a world-class art installation with the building’s exterior envelope.
  4. Examine challenges and strategies in implementing physical and electronic security for a campus-wide presidential center.

Moderators
JL

John Lupinos

Senior Project Manager, Anser Advisory
John is a project management professional at Anser Advisory with 30 years of experience, primarily in large cultural projects such as the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park in Chicago, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the PG&E Hexavalent Chromium Cleanup Program in California (the... Read More →
Speakers
LC

Lina Chiu

Principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative
Lina entered the architecture and interior design field in 2000 and has since garnered extensive experience in a wide variety of project types. She is multi-disciplinary and works consistently among different practice areas, including mixed-use developments, residential, hospitality... Read More →
ON

Otto Nicholson

Executive Vice President, Clayco
Otto leads the development and execution of Clayco’s large projects from conceptual design to turnover; and has personally led over $2 billion in new construction with the company. Otto uses Clayco’s integrated model and progressive design-build to work collaboratively with clients... Read More →
LW

Lindsay Washburn

Director of Exhibitions Planning, Obama Foundation
Lindsay is an accomplished museum professional with expertise leading the development, design, and production of large-scale, complex exhibition projects ranging from the history of chocolate to the science of flight. Prior to joining the Obama Foundation, she held roles bringing... Read More →
LH

Lori Healey

Senior Vice President and Executive Project Officer, Obama Foundation
Lori Healey joined the Obama Foundation in December 2020 as Senior Vice President and Executive Project Officer for the Obama Presidential Center. She oversees the development of the 19.3-acre campus in Jackson Park, which will include a Presidential Museum, Auditorium, Restaurant... Read More →
RF

Roark Frankel

Director of Planning and Delivery, Obama Foundation
Roark is a lifelong Chicagoan who has worked in the construction and project management fields for over 40 years. As an "Owner's Representative," he has been involved in the development of several Chicago civic institutions and cultural organizations, including the Spertus Institute... Read More →
ER

Evan Ripley

Architect, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
Evan joined Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (TWBTA) in 2002. He has been a leader on the Architecture team designing and managing the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) since the initial design competition in 2016. Prior to the OPC Evan completed several large-scale institutional... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

1:15pm CST

Designing to a Place: Architecture and Exhibit Design for the New Milwaukee Public Museum
Friday March 7, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
The new Milwaukee Public Museum represents a transformative approach to museum design, one that harmonizes site, building and exhibit design to tell the story of a place deeply rooted in cultural and natural history. This presentation will explore how the design process for the museum has been meticulously tuned to engage the rich heritage of Milwaukee and Wisconsin at large.

At the heart of the approach is an authentic engagement with the community, inaugurated by the ‘Wisconsin Wonders’ tour. This initiative facilitated dialogues across the state, gathering diverse perspectives on what makes Wisconsin unique. These insights informed both the architectural concepts and exhibit narratives and helped to create and strengthen relationships that continue to be a part of the museum.

The design of the museum intertwines landscape and architecture and directly connects the vibrant city of Milwaukee to the history of its land and peoples. Its architecture blends contemporary design with materials and forms that echo the region’s history. The exhibit design, developed in tandem with the building and landscape, enhances this narrative by embedding immersive exhibit experiences, the museum's diverse collections, local storytelling and participatory engagement that bring Wisconsin’s natural and cultural wonders to life.

Together, these elements create a museum that is more than a repository of artifacts; it is a living, breathing homage to the spirit of Wisconsin, reflecting the symbiosis between place, landscape, architecture, and exhibit storytelling. This presentation will offer insights into how these design strategies culminate in a museum experience that is uniquely of and for its place.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand how synchronizing architectural design with exhibit planning creates a cohesive storytelling experience.
  2. Explore how community engagement strategies shape museum design to authentically represent local voices and identity.
  3. Examine how place-based design approaches use local materials, forms, and narratives to root museums in their geographic and cultural context.
  4. Evaluate the impact of a collaborative, multidisciplinary design process involving architects, exhibit designers, and the public in creating unique museum experiences.

Moderators
CL

Chris Ludwig

Architect, Kahler Slater
Chris is a Senior Designer on the Education + Culture Team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is known for his design expertise. He has traveled nationwide for complex educational projects, and has contributed locally to cultural landmarks like the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra-Bradley Symphony... Read More →
Speakers
HD

Helen Divjak

Senior Curator, Thinc Design
Helen is a Brooklyn-based storyteller, investigator, and cultural navigator with over twenty years' experience creating visitor experiences with museums and institutions in the US, UK, and Asia. Before her time with Thinc, Helen worked for London's National Army Museum, the London... Read More →
JP

Jarrett Pelletier

Design Principal, Ennead Architects
Jarrett is a Design Principal at Ennead Architects. He designs spaces that celebrate cultural identity, foster community engagement, and address complex functional needs for leading academic and cultural institutions. His design process emphasizes collaboration and inclusivity, beginning... Read More →
KS

Katie Sanders

Chief Planning Officer, Milwaukee Public Museum
As CPO at MPM, Sanders is tasked with overseeing the Future Museum project, including planning and lobbying efforts, design, construction, exhibit fabrication, and more. Prior to joining MPM, she served as executive director of nonprofit Safe & Sound and held development roles with... Read More →
DM

David Malda

Design Principal, GGN
David Malda is a key design leader at GGN. His work explores the role of landscape in connecting people to each other through experiences of the land. Narrative and engagement informs his designs, resulting in projects with impacts that extend beyond their sites. David’s emphasis... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

1:15pm CST

Infrastructure Needs of Museum Facilities: Updates on a IMLS National Study
Friday March 7, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
In Fall of 2023, the Institute of Museum and Library Services commissioned a Congressionally-mandated study to understand the state of infrastructure of museums and public libraries across the United States, particularly those located in rural, underserved or disaster-prone areas. The research design specifically considers the challenges that arise across museum types, including those with living collections, that have historical landmark or designation status, or that maintain collections with specific preservation needs.

This session will contribute knowledge to the conference themes by providing a set of up-to-date findings about current needs for museums so that the field, funders, and policymakers can direct resources and investments to the greatest areas of need that will support sustainability of our nation’s cultural assets.

Learning Objectives 
  1. Understand the goals and scope of the study and why the study is being undertaken. 
  2. Examine key areas of research within the study and how the data collection efforts will generate new information for the entirety of the museum field.
  3. Explore how the study will advance understanding of museum facilities' conditions and needs at a national level.
  4. Learn about the timeline for the release of the final findings and opportunities to provide feedback to shape final reporting. 

Moderators
EP
Speakers
LH

Laura Huerta Migus

Deputy Director of the Office of Museum Services, Institute of Museum and Library Services
Laura Huerta Migus was appointed Deputy Director, Office of Museum Services, in July 2021. She comes to IMLS following her tenure as Executive Director of the Association of Children's Museums (ACM) in Arlington, Virginia, the world's largest professional society promoting and advocating... Read More →
MB

Matthew Birnbaum

Director of the Office of Research and Evaluation, Institute of Museum and Library Services
Matt Birnbaum has been directing IMLS’s Office of Research and Evaluation since 2016 and previously served as its evaluation officer beginning in 2011. Upon his arrival to Washington, DC in 2004, he created an evaluation function at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

1:15pm CST

Mastering the Art of Board Dynamics: Lessons from the Museum Field
Friday March 7, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Strong leadership and a well-structured governance framework are pivotal to the success of any museum project. Whether you’re in the early planning stages, in the midst of development, or preparing for a public opening, managing a museum board effectively can make or break an organization’s long-term sustainability. This session brings together seasoned experts with experience in both managing and serving on boards to explore the critical challenges and strategies involved in board governance for museum projects.
Through insightful discussions, participants will gain a deeper understanding of key topics such as ensuring role clarity and relationship-building, managing risk, and navigating the complexities of decision-making during crucial stages of museum development. We will also address the importance of strategic planning from the outset and as a continuous process, which helps the board and museum management stay focused on the mission, vision, and goals of the organization.

In this session, you’ll learn how to harness the collective expertise of your board to create a cohesive, engaged, and functional team that supports your museum’s mission and drives the organization toward long-term success. This is a must-attend event for those looking to strengthen their board’s impact and ensure the sustainability of their museum projects from start to finish.

Learning Objectives
  1. Explore how to ensure the board clearly understands the building process, how they will contribute ideas, and ultimately, make important decisions throughout the project.
  2. Discuss steps to manage board team development that help build a cohesive and effective governing body.
  3. Evaluate board make-up and diversify with members who possess a wide range of skills and experience, allowing for well-rounded problem-solving, and robust decision-making.
  4. Gain knowledge of best practices in board governance, communication strategies, and compliance.
Moderators
AA

April A. Salomon

Senior Strategist, Gensler
With more than 20 years of experience in the museum field, April Salomon is a highly innovative Museum & Cultural leader with a proven track record in optimizing organizational performance by spearheading strategies for growth and efficiency. With a robust business background, she... Read More →
Speakers
KR

Kym Rice

Associate Professor Emerita, The George Washington University
Since 1996, Dr. Kym Rice has held numerous positions in the Museum Studies department at George Washington University, most recently as Director and Associate Professor, before retiring in 2022. A historian, curator, and long-time exhibition developer, she has worked with museums... Read More →
MM

Marise McDermott

President Emeritus, Witte Museum
Marise McDermott has over 30 years of experience in museums and cultural arts roles ranging from director, curator, editor, journalist, and board chair. Recently transitioning as President & CEO of the Witte Museum, she led the organization for 20 years, including a $100 million transformation... Read More →
avatar for Martha Morris

Martha Morris

Associate Professor Emerita, The George Washington University
As a museum professional with over 40 years of experience, Martha has concentrated on sharing best practices with current museum professionals as well as preparing the next generation of museum leaders. She has worked in art and history museums in positions at all levels. Her MBA... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

2:30pm CST

Coffee Break
Friday March 7, 2025 2:30pm - 2:45pm CST
TBA
Friday March 7, 2025 2:30pm - 2:45pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Meal/Break

2:45pm CST

An Iterative Adventure: Museum Strategic and Campus Planning Together
Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
The mission of the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) is to create a better world through inspiring curiosity, exploration, and engagement across history, science, culture, and the natural world. It combines a history/natural museum, science museum, planetarium, and nature center and has constantly evolved to serve the needs of the community in Western New York since 1912.

Long overdue for both, the RMSC elected to enter into strategic planning and campus master planning simultaneously. This decision inexorably linked the two processes together with the understanding that the organization could not approach a strategic plan without having a plan to upgrade the buildings, exhibitions, and campus, and could not approach a master plan process without understanding the needs of the changing community and developing the strategies to meet them.

This iterative, unconventional process required three groups—CambridgeSeven , Badfish Consulting and RMSC—to work together in consistent communication, museum and community-wide visioning, technical research into buildings and internal processes, stakeholder engagement, scenario planning, design, costing and phasing.

Project leads will share a case study of engaging Strategic Planning and Campus Planning as a single, concurrent process including the challenges, benefits, timelines and lessons learned in how to build momentum and urgency with the board, staff and community and government partners.

Learning Objectives 
  1. Investigate the benefits, challenges and considerations of strategic planning and campus planning as a concurrent  process in developing museum building projects
  2. Analyze the links between organizational strategy and built outcomes that will allow for rapid iteration around wide ranging scenarios that are common to many museums
  3. Plan a process to communicate, determine, visualize, and outline a framework for addressing pressing needs (like deferred maintenance, staff cohesion, visitor experience, etc.)
  4. Identify the role of interactive workshops for unlocking group decision making and collective ownership of ideas
  5. Apply the creative use of rich visualization to connect strategic intent, possible scenarios and initial ideas around built outcomes 

Moderators
avatar for Hillary Olson

Hillary Olson

President and CEO, Rochester Museum and Science Center
Hillary Olson is the President and CEO of the RMSC. She is a highly engaged leader with over 30 years of experience leading informal education organizations focused on science and cultural history. Before RMSC, Hillary worked at the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Franklin Institute... Read More →
Speakers
CM

Chris Muskopf

Principal, CambridgeSeven
Chris Muskopf, AIA, is a Principal and shareholder at CambridgeSeven. Chris applies his project management and design leadership skills to a variety of projects focused on waterfront work, academic and cultural/civic practice. His work combines an attention to specific technical challenges—such... Read More →
SM

Suzanne M. Piotrowski

President and Principal Consultant, BadFish Consulting
Dr. Suzanne M. Piotrowski is lead BadFish facilitator, coach and organizational change agent. In addition to her work with established leaders and organizations, she enjoys working with aspiring global leaders and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable and adaptive leadership and organization... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

2:45pm CST

Museums, Marvels, and Mythical Beasts: Conquering Complexity and Constraints
Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
A unique State agency client, multiple jurisdictional authorities, and the inevitable unforeseen conditions are obstacles easily overcome by a team prepared to protect the project vision! Join the Wisconsin History Center (WHC) project team to discuss how the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) intentionally crafted their approach within a state delivery structure not developed with museums in mind. Hear how a vision was crafted for the WHC as a hub of inspiration and exploration where people and communities connect to one another, across time, and through our shared American experiences. Learn how the team was intentionally built from WHS internal staff as well as external consultants to protect and realize this vision.

With groundbreaking behind them, the panel will lead a practical discussion of how museum organizations can prepare a vision and strategically build a team to successfully execute design and documentation while navigating the universal challenges museum organizations face on the path to a new innovative and inclusive experience. The team will speak to a project delivery process that navigates a challenging structure while crafting a successful building experience aligned to mission and vision.

Learning Objectives
  1. Understand the importance of and the complexities of harnessing community stories in the development of a 21st century museum.
  2. Discuss how to build a team both internally and externally that aligns with your organizational structure and project approach.
  3. Develop strategies to evaluate, prioritize, and right size a building program to achieve a unified vision within site constraints.
  4. Develop strategies to navigate a museum project through a multi- (at times-conflicting) stakeholder and agency process.

Moderators
GA

George Austin

Owner's Representative, AVA Civic Enterprises
George Austin is President of AVA Civic Enterprises, providing project development and leadership services to private and public sponsors and owners of complex development projects. Formerly the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Madison, Wisconsin, and with over... Read More →
Speakers
PS

Patrick Swindell

Principal & Creative Director, Ralph Appelbaum Associates, Inc.
Patrick is a Principal and Creative Director in RAA’s New York Studio, where he brings extensive experience leading global teams in designing and delivering cultural history, technology, and natural history exhibitions. His design approach is defined by the dynamic interplay of... Read More →
IR

Ivo Rozendaal

Senior Principal, SmithGroup
Humbled with the opportunity to lead clients through the development of their aspirational and catalytic projects, as an architect Ivo brings a thoughtful and intentional design process of collaboration and consensus. His portfolio focuses on cultural and destination community spaces... Read More →
MC

Monteil Crawley

Senior Principal, SmithGroup
Monteil Crawley is an architect and designer specializing in cultural spaces that honor diverse narratives and blend storytelling with innovative design. Recognizing the vital role of cultural institutions in shaping our collective understanding, Monteil strives to create environments... Read More →
WM

Wes Mosman Block

Deputy Director & Chief Operating Officer, Wisconsin Historical Society
Wes is the Deputy Director & Chief Operating Officer of the Wisconsin Historical Society and leads the Society’s operations and long-range planning across Wisconsin. Wes excels leading cross-disciplinary teams through complex projects, and for more than a decade has led the public... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

2:45pm CST

Teaming up for Transformation: New Core Galleries at the Missouri History Museum
Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
The Missouri History Museum is in the middle of a decade-long transformation, promising to introduce visitors to a St. Louis they’ve never met. The Museum will accomplish this through the development of three new permanent exhibits set to open to the public over the course of four years. With an eye toward the future, the Museum undertook a rigorous process to prequalify a group of potential exhibition design, media, and fabrication partners for these future renovation efforts. Their unique approach focused on developing strong teams to help produce these projects over the course of several years. The Museum team was presented with many challenges, ranging from budget and schedule management, to finding new ways to engage visitors in a deeper dive into the stories they thought they knew.

This session will: discuss early decisions on each exhibit’s development strategy and the pre-bid partnership research process; provide a case study of the first completed gallery, The 1904 World’s Fair; and explore how the Museum distilled their learnings from The 1904 World’s Fair to optimize their approach for the other two exhibits.

Learning Objectives
  1. Discuss strategies and processes for developing a strong team of collaborative partners invested in the Museum’s vision.
  2. Create a nimble process so that one phase of work can inform and improve execution of a second phase as well as future projects.
  3. Understand how to use a budget management process to maximize the visitor experiences.
  4. Recognize resources the museum already has to support new project budgets.
Moderators
ND

Nicole D'Orazio

Director of Exhibitions, Missouri Historical Society
Nicole has been with the Missouri Historical Society for 11 years. As Director of Exhibits and an Exhibit Designer, she has been an informative member of the Museum team throughout the development of this transformative renovation project. She helped determine each project's general... Read More →
Speakers
CB

Cathlin Bradley

Vice President, Partnership Strategies, kubik maltbie
Cathlin Bradley has worked in the museum industry for 20 years, holding a variety of roles in museums and the firms that serve them. With a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from the University... Read More →
EC

Emily Clark

Senior Exhibit Designer, Missouri Historical Society
Emily has been with the Missouri Historical Society for 5 years. As an Exhibit Designer she has been an active member of the Museum team throughout the development of this transformative renovation project. She participated in the pre-bid partnership research process and led the design... Read More →
JK

John Kasman

Vice President, PGAV Destinations
With over 30 years of shaping unforgettable guest experiences, John Kasman has become a leading force in destination design. As Vice President at PGAV Destinations and a licensed architect, John blends his passion for interpretive design with a keen eye for detail, bringing a wide... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout

2:45pm CST

Transformation of The National WWII Museum from Local Museum to National Cultural Institution: A Masterclass in Master Planning
Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA
Feedback Survey
Conceived by renowned military historian Stephen Ambrose and Dr. Nick Mueller, then Vice Chancellor at the University of New Orleans, the original D-Day Museum opened in 2000 with exhibits and oral histories telling the stories of American troops who stormed Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944. The Museum’s early success led to it being designated by Congress as the official WWII museum of the United States in 2004, sparking ambitious expansion goals and a national design competition.

Facing typical constraints of budget and scale, the architects (Voorsanger Mathes LLC) proposed a multi-phased development plan allowing for flexible, staged growth. Over twenty years, the approach made funding more feasible while increasing public interest and engagement, successfully facilitating multiple grand openings, generating sustained excitement and continuous national press, and creating unique fundraising opportunities through the naming of events and pavilions within the Museum's newly expanded campus. Although the phased approach would eventually cost more due to rising construction costs, it provided essential flexibility and adaptability allowing the expansion to survive Hurricane Katrina and a global pandemic.

The National World War II Museum is a masterclass in how careful, patient architectural planning, interpretive engagement, community involvement, clear understanding of future audiences, and phased strategic fundraising can converge to transform a revered local museum into a cultural institution of national significance.

Learning Objectives
  1. Explore the importance of master planning to the success of a long-term multi-phase project and how a museum can be constructed over time based on the initial master plan.
  2. Understand how measured planning that defines revenue opportunities can lead to long-term financial stability.
  3. Understand how to design for inevitable changes over the long haul e.g. technology becoming obsolete, new infrastructure becoming existing, funding impacting sequencing of master plan construction. 
  4. Learn how setting interpretive goals for the visitor experience and following this mission with respect to future audiences will expand the reach of the institution.
  5. Examine the importance of master-planning central building systems to provide for later phases.
  6. Understand the benefits of keeping the team together over 20 years.
  7. Examine the methods and strategies employed to achieve national museum designation for a small regional institution.

Moderators
SE

Scott Evans

Vice President of Capital Projects and Facilities, The National WWII Museum
Scott Evans is a licensed architect with 20+ years of design and construction experience ranging from high-end residential design to large-scale commercial projects. Prior to joining The National WWII Museum in 2023, Scott was Principal at Mathes Brierre Architects – one of the... Read More →
Speakers
AM

Aaron Martin

Principal, Altieri
Aaron Martin began working on The National WWII Museum project the first week he joined Altieri in 2007. He became Project Manager/Lead Mechanical after completion of Phase 4 in 2009. Aaron leads some of Altieri’s most challenging projects including WWII, all the firm’s current... Read More →
KN

Kari Nystrom

Principal, Altieri
Kari Nystrom joined Altieri after receiving her Bachelor of Architectural Engineering from Penn State in 1988. The firm’s first woman principal, she began working on The National WWII Museum project in 2004. Kari’s exceptional design and project administration expertise drives... Read More →
avatar for Martin Stigsgaard

Martin Stigsgaard

Principal, studioSTIGSGAARD
Martin Stigsgaard has 25+ years of experience in architecture, master planning, and design for large-scale, complex museums and residential projects. While at Voorsanger Architects, he was Lead Designer for The National WWII Museum, leading the team and project’s development through... Read More →
RM

Robert Malootian

Senior Exhibit Design Director, Gallagher & Associates
Robert Malootian has been developing story-driven transformative experiences for 30+ years. With a BFA in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design, Robert joined Patrick Gallagher in 1991. He has led the design of many award-winning projects and been involved with all... Read More →
Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm CST
TBA 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO 63102
  Breakout
 
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