The value of museums to society transcends their traditional focus on collecting, preserving, and interpreting. At their best, museums are vital infrastructure, sustaining healthy, inclusive, and resilient communities by enriching education systems, bolstering economies, strengthening societal cohesion, improving peoples’ well-being, and beyond. It is this social & community impact—the changes in the lives of people—that truly exemplifies the power of museums and the people who work within them to change the world. How can more museums harness this power, building thriving, relevant institutions that people consider essential? Join thousands of museum professionals from around the world in Denver in 2023 to explore the many ways museums are integrally weaving themselves into their communities, creating a better world for all.
As William Gibson has famously observed, the future is already here, it is just unequally distributed. Colorado is already living pieces of our common future: on the forefront of climate change, demographic transformation, and Indigenous equity. In Denver, connect with museum people from around the globe and learn how museums are helping their communities address these issues and more through inspiring content in four unique, thematic tracks centered on museums’ social impact: people, planet, power, and possibility. In addition, participate in a full day of practical, hands-on workshops and sessions that will introduce you to key concepts, frameworks, and practices associated with identifying, measuring, and sharing your institution’s social impact from leaders within and beyond the museum field.
