Small Museum Association Conference 2025: Full Schedule

8:30am EST

Breakfast

Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:30am - 10:15am EST

Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:30am - 10:15am EST
Ballroom Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Keynote

9:00am EST

Keynote, Veronica Gallardo - "Small Museum but Mighty!"

Tuesday February 18, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am EST

Ballroom

Join Veronica Gallardo, Director of the Surratt House Museum with the Maryland-National Capital Park Planning
Commission, as she presents "Small Museum but Mighty!"

"Small Museum but Mighty!" is a powerful reminder of the unique advantages and superpowers that small museums possess. Join the keynote speaker to learn how to harness your superpower of working at a small museum, where we are able to connect deeply with the community, foster creativity, and tell unique stories. Our impact on these institutions is significant, proving that size does not determine influence. Let's Make it Happen!

Tuesday February 18, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am EST
Ballroom Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Keynote

Subject Keynote, Breakfast, Tuesday Morning

10:15am EST

20+ Programs, Seven Exhibits, Four Months, Three Staff, and an Osprey on a Flagpole: Pooling Skills and Using Community Resources

Tuesday February 18, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am EST

Salon A

With a staff of just twelve year-round staff members comprising departments of one, collaboration with colleagues and community partners make it possible for the Antique Boat Museum (ABM) to host 20+ different education programs on and off the water for all ages as well as plan, produce, and install seven new exhibits on a minimal budget. ABM’s Educator Molly Voth and Curator/Collections Manager Caitlin Playle will share some of their collaborations, big and small, and tips and tricks for successful results. There will be an opportunity for attendees to swap tips and tricks at the end.

Speakers

Caitlin Playle

Curator/Collections Manager, Antique Boat Museum

Caitlin Playle is the Curator/Collections Manager at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY. Caitlin has 10 years of experience in collections and museum event management.

Molly Voth

Educator, Antique Boat Museum

Molly Voth is the Educator at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY. Molly has 10 years in teaching and education.

Tuesday February 18, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am EST
Salon A Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Session

10:15am EST

Government Accountability Office Focus Group

Tuesday February 18, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am EST

Lakeside 2

Tuesday February 18, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am EST
Lakeside 2 Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Meeting

10:15am EST

Leveraging Digital Tools to Promote Access to Collections

Tuesday February 18, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am EST

Lakeside 1

Discover how museums, historic houses, and living history sites can leverage digital tools to promote access and engagement with their collections. This panel presentation will provide practical insights from the McFaddin-Ward House Museum on implementing virtual tour systems, managing digital projects, and integrating new platforms during extended closures. Attendees will learn actionable strategies for using technology to enhance audience outreach and foster collaboration in their own institutions.

Speakers

Dan Rael

Co Founder, Business Development, CatalogIt

Dan is a Co-Founder of CatalogIt, with a strong background in anthropology and archaeology. As an avid collector for most of his life, his passion for preserving and organizing collections has been a driving force behind CatalogIt's development.

Rayanna Hoeft

Museum Services Program Specialist, Texas Historical Commission

Rayanna Hoeft is the Museum Services Program Specialist at the Texas Historical Commission and holds an MA in History with a concentration in public history from Texas State University. Previously, she served as Director of Education at the McFaddin-Ward House Museum, where she led... Read More →

Todd Hoeft

Co-Owner, PrimeSite Web Solutions

Todd Hoeft, Co-Owner of PrimeSite Web Solutions, has developed web applications and systems for over a quarter century. His passion for history and historical institutions led him to enter the industry, where he combines his technical expertise with a deep appreciation for the pa... Read More →

Victoria Tamez

Curator of Collections, McFaddin-Ward House Museum

Victoria Tamez earned her undergraduate degree in Integrated Digital and Public History from Our Lady of the Lake University and her graduate degree in Heritage and Museum Sciences from Texas Tech University. She currently works as Curator of Collections at the McFaddin-Ward House... Read More →

Tuesday February 18, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am EST
Lakeside 1 Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Session

10:15am EST

Repatriation and Its Impact

Tuesday February 18, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am EST

Salon B

Small Nashville Museum repatriates 255 artifacts to West Mexico and creates an exhibit to to inform visitors and grow community partnership.

Speakers

Lauren Bufferd

Parthenon Director, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Parks and Recreation Department

Lauren Bufferd is the Director of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee which is part of the Metro Parks and Recreation Department. Originally an archivist at the Chicago Public Library, Bufferd has a 30 year career in management of museums and libraries.

Bonnie Seymour

Registrar and Assistant Curator, Parthenon

Bonnie Seymour is the Registrar and Assistant Curator of the Parthenon. She has a Bachelors of Art in Classical Civilization and Art History from the University of Rhode Island, and a Masters in Museology from Harvard.

Tuesday February 18, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am EST
Salon B Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Session

11:15am EST

Maryland State Museum Meeting

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:15am - 11:30am EST

Salon A

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:15am - 11:30am EST
Salon A Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Meeting

11:15am EST

Coffee Break

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm EST

Salon B

Laura Applebaum Sponsored Coffee Break

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm EST
Salon B Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday

11:30am EST

Making a Collection Happen: Two Case Studies

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EST

Salon A

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to start a collection? Hear from the founding director of Springsong Museum, a new museum in Silver Spring, Maryland, about the process of shaping what the future of the permanent collection will look like. Next hear from Angie Barry and Ashley Williams, the first curator and current curator of the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum in Quincy, Florida, who helped build the collection and the plans for the future.

Speakers

Rebecca Henson

Founder, Executive Director, Springsong Museum

Rebecca Henson is the Founder and Executive Director of Springsong Museum, a community museum inspired by writer and biologist Rachel Carson currently in development in Silver Spring, Maryland. Rebecca has degrees in History from Vanderbilt University and Politics, Policy, and Society... Read More →

Angie Barry

Founder/Director, AB Museum Consulting, LLC

Based in Maryland, Angie Barry helps museums develop strategic plans and collection policies, coordinates multi-year exhibition projects, and has written successful federal and private foundation grants. For 15 years, Barry served as the Associate Director & Curator at the Gadsden... Read More →

Ashley Williams

Curator of Exhibitions & Collections, Gadsden Arts Center & Museum

Ashley Williams has worked in art museums, academic art galleries, and a children’s museum, and is currently the Curator of Exhibitions & Collections at the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Art History from the University of South... Read More →

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EST
Salon A Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Session

11:30am EST

Making Touch Objects For Museum Exhibits

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EST

Lakeside 2

Information in museums is predominantly presented visually, behind glass, or roped off, excluding visitors who are Blind or Low Vision along with anyone who learns best through touch. This session describes two case studies about creating touch objects that align with the interpretive goals of recent museum exhibits. We found that mixed groups of blind and sighted visitors benefit from tactile interpretations of exhibit content because they can experience the exhibits together.

Speakers

Cheryl Fogle-Hatch

Founder, MuseumSenses LLC

Cheryl Fogle-Hatch, Founder, MuseumSenses LLC, helps museums develop multisensory experiences. She leverages her research experience and her lived experience as a blind person to design touch objects for museums.

Stefanie Koseff

Accessibility Researcher, NYU Ability Project

Stefanie Koseff, accessibility researcher at the NYU Ability Project, creates tactile media using a digital embroidery machine. Her work has been exhibited at the Poster House, and she is contributing to an upcoming exhibit at the Intrepid Museum.

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EST
Lakeside 2 Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Session

11:30am EST

Revitalizing the Outdated: Reimagining the Visitor Experience for the 21st Century

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EST

Lakeside 1

Learn how the Jonathan Hager House has spent the last 5 years developing a plan to update and renovate an outdated exhibit space for the modern era. Discover how this small municipal museum has dealt with challenges including lack of staff, funding, and resources to create a vision and purpose for a new visitor center.

Speakers

Kay Manuel Osmer

Recreation Assistant, City of Hagerstown, Parks & Recreation, Jonathan Hager House Museum

Kay Manuel Osmer, M.A. in Public History, was a part-time guide and curator for the Jonathan Hager House for 4 years and continues to guide the progress of the site as a full-time Recreation Assistant for the City of Hagerstown, Maryland.

Tuesday February 18, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EST
Lakeside 1 Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Session

12:30pm EST

Lunch

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm EST

Ballroom

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm EST
Ballroom Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday

2:00pm EST

Community Voices: Conducting Oral History Projects in Small Museums

Tuesday February 18, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Salon B

Have you ever wanted to capture your community's voices for historical record but did not know where to start? Critically engage with the processes and practices needed for a small museum to take on an oral history project and how to successfully conduct one.

Speakers

Geneva Gillis

Curator, Haldimand Museums at the Cayuga Heritage Centre

Geneva Gillis is a Curator with Haldimand Museums at the Cayuga Heritage Centre in Cayuga, Ontario, Canada. She holds a Masters in History from McMaster University, a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, and is currently pursuing her PhD in History at McMaster... Read More →

Tuesday February 18, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Salon B Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Session

2:00pm EST

Where Does the Bus Even Park? Overcoming Logistical Challenges of Field Trips in Small Museums

Tuesday February 18, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Lakeside 2

Any museum, no matter the size, must learn to overcome the logistical challenges of bringing students to the institution. Join Liberty Hall Museum’s Education Coordinator, Hannah Gaston, and Education Assistant Michaela Piepoli as they share the strategies and effective practices they use when coordinating school trips, with the goal that participants will feel more empowered and more educated about how to recognize and prepare for their own institution’s field trip challenges. The panelists will explore questions including: How do you tell the buses where to drop off or park?; How do you get local schools to know about your institution and programs?; How do you make historic rooms accessible for students with physical disabilities in non-ADA compliment spaces?; and more.

Speakers

Hannah Gaston

Education Coordinator, Liberty Hall Museum

Hannah M. Gaston is the Education Coordinator at Liberty Hall Museum in Union, NJ, and a guest lecturer in the Seton Hall University Museum Professions program. She holds a B.A. in History from Elmira College and an M.A. in Museum Education from Seton Hall University.

Michaela Piepoli

Education Assistant, Liberty Hall Museum

Michaela Piepoli is the Education Assistant at Liberty Hall Museum in Union, NJ. She received her Bachelors in History from Kean University in 2023, where she researched the role of bystanders in Holocaust survivor testimonies with the director of Kean’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies... Read More →

Tuesday February 18, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Lakeside 2 Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Session

2:00pm EST

“Whatever Happened to the Communications Museum?” or Saving a Collection from Organizational Disaster

Tuesday February 18, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Salon A

The John Rivers Communication Museum at the College of Charleston housed a significant collection of communication technology artifacts, but fell into disrepair due to funding issues and lack of organizational oversight. In 2020, archival staff at the College were asked to create a new exhibit, reimagining the museum’s legacy. This presentation will explore the museum’s history, the new exhibit's creation, and how overcoming major challenges can lead to professional growth.

Speakers

Catherine Stiers

Special Collections Exhibits and Outreach Curator, College of Charleston

Catherine Stiers is the Special Collections Exhibits and Outreach Curator at the College of Charleston. She graduated from the College of Charleston in 2017 with a B.A. in History, and earned an M.A. in Public History from North Carolina State University in 2019. Her professional... Read More →

Kelly Kerbow Hudson

Director of Special Collections and Archives, College of Charleston

Kelly Kerbow Hudson is an archivist and academic librarian with a background in special collections user services and management. Currently she is Director of Special Collections and Archives at the College of Charleston. Previously she was Head of Reader and Viewer Services at the... Read More →

Tuesday February 18, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Salon A Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday, Session

2:00pm EST

Unlocking the Mysteries of Your Organization’s Tax Return

Tuesday February 18, 2025 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST

Lakeside 1

Form 990. Your organization files one every year, but did you know that it can be a powerful informational tool? Jillian Decker and Conrad Deitrick will present a crash course in understanding nonprofit tax returns, both Form 990 and Form 990-PF. These returns become public, so it’s important to learn what you’re telling the world about your own organization, and all the juicy secrets you can find out about other organizations. We will provide a basic orientation to these highly informational returns, with specific emphasis on the information that is most useful to you—salary information, board composition, grant making history, size, and budget.

This session includes a one-hour presentation followed by a one-hour one-on-one review session

Speakers

Jillian Decker

Marketing Chair, State Theatre New Jersey

Conrad Deitrick

Tuesday February 18, 2025 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Lakeside 1 Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday

5:30pm EST

Banquet (Ticket Required)

Tuesday February 18, 2025 5:30pm - 9:00pm EST

Ballroom

Tuesday February 18, 2025 5:30pm - 9:00pm EST
Ballroom Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tuesday