SEMC Annual Report 2023

SEMC MISSION

The Southeastern Museums Conference is a networking organization that serves to foster professionalism, mutual support, and communication. A non-profit membership association, SEMC strives to increase educational and professional development opportunities and improve the interchange of ideas, information, and cooperation.

PROUD TO SUPPORT SEMC

MUSEUM LOGISTICS

CLIMATE STORAGE

DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION

CUSTOMS BROKERAGE

MOVING ART FORWARD SINCE 1989

NEW YORK MIAMI LOS ANGELES CHARLOTTE

INQUIRIES: INFO @ ATELIER 4 .COM

SEMC VISION

The vision of SEMC is to be essential to its members and the broader museum community.

Cathy Shannon, of E&S Gallery in Louisville, and Zinnia Willits, Table Talk 2023.

Engineering Philanthropy

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

Matthew S. Davis

GREETINGS SEMC MEMBERS:

It is an honor to address you once again as your president. I am constantly reminded about how vibrant, engaged, and inclusive our organization is as we work to “meet the moment” for our membership within their careers. As you will learn more about in this report, we have accomplished a great deal in the last year despite the headwinds of economic uncertainty and the lingering effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2023, SEMC was proud to relaunch the Jekyll Island Management Institute (JIMI) and initiated plans for the third Leadership Institute. We also welcomed close to 700 museum professionals to Louisville, Kentucky at our annual meeting and enjoyed a robust slate of events, sessions, and programming. We awarded our first internship through the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund and provided scholarship support to many of our members to assist them with their professional development. Finally, our members enjoyed a robust slate of virtual programs, meet-ups, and social engagements to foster additional networking and social interactions.

Looking forward, your SEMC council will finalize plans for our next strategic plan and will examine additional opportunities to engage our membership in new and inclusive ways. We are also working on new strategies for funding and philanthropy on behalf of our organization as we continue to grow and support our members. We hope you will mark your calendars for the next annual meeting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on October 21–23, 2024. This year’s theme is Museums: InnovateInspire and I look forward to an outstanding conference in Louisiana. Additionally, please plan to participate in one of our monthly virtual programs or social happy hours! We look forward to seeing you as we continue to work to fulfill our mission and support you. I would also like to thank our donors, industry partners, and sponsors for their financial support of SEMC and its programs. This is vital to our continuing success and the growth of our organization.

As SEMC continues to evolve, philanthropy will be a major component of our planning and operations. SEMC is, after all, a non-profit entity and relies solely on the funds raised from our annual meeting, donors, membership, and grants to provide the wonderful programming and professional development that we all enjoy. Let me encourage you to consider supporting SEMC through a financial gift to help us maintain and grow our organizational services now and in the future.

In closing, I would like to thank our outstanding Executive Director, Zinnia Willits, and her team for their tireless work to advance our organization and support our members. I would also like to thank our council, conference, and program committees, and each of our various volunteers for their work. We are indeed fortunate to have this wealth of talent and the future of SEMC remains bright!

I look forward to engaging with each of you as we all work to improve ourselves and our field.

Sincerely,

Matthew S. Davis SEMC President

Director of Historic Museums

Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA

The SEMC Council.

OUR HISTORY

1951: SEMC was established at a meeting in Norfolk, Virginia. It was agreed that the organization should include the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia. SEMC’s first task was to appoint a committee to get the Southeast included in a Congressional bill to appropriate money to provide places of safe-keeping for museum objects in case of war.

1956: Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia petitioned to join SEMC. The Council suggested they form their own organization, today known as the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums.

1959: First five-year plan and added Arkansas to the SEMC.

1960: Hosted two professional development workshops in North Carolina on museum training and historic house restoration.

1960s: Hired first SEMC staff with $25,000 foundation grant to carry out further training workshops; SEMC urged the American Alliance (formerly Association) of Museums to formulate a museum accreditation program.

1969: SEMC established a three-day annual meeting.

1970s: Local arrangements and program committees were established for the annual meeting; SEMC published a directory of educational resources.

1977: SEMC was officially incorporated; and exhibitors were added to the annual meeting.

1982: Moved the central offices of SEMC to Memphis.

1986: Moved SEMC offices to Baton Rouge.

1992: A full-time Executive Director and a Director of Office and Memberships services had been hired. Shortly after that, SEMC’s endowment was established to promote financial stability.

1996: The JumpStart Program began. This program flourished during the first decade of the 21st century and is now known as the Jekyll Island Management Institute (JIMI), offering an eight-day intensive museum training to museum professionals with two years’ experience or more.

2003: Moved the central offices of SEMC to Atlanta.

2005: SEMC established a Hurricane Katrina grant fund and awarded over $500,000 to museums and museum employees affected by the storm in Mississippi and Louisiana.

2010: SEMC established a partnership with Atlanta History Center where the SEMC office relocated.

2013: SEMC, the five other regional museum associations, and the American Alliance of Museums completed the first National Museum Salary Survey, the only comprehensive study of its kind for our diverse field.

2017: SEMC, the five other regional museum associations, five state museum associations, including Florida and Virginia, and the American Alliance of Museums completed the 2017 National Museum Salary Survey.

2019: With Association of African American Museums and National Association for Interpretation, SEMC co-sponsored NMAAHC’s Interpretation of African American History and Culture Workshop, presented in partnership with the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission.

2020: Throughout a year that included a global pandemic, leadership changes and postponement of the 2020 Annual Meeting due to health and safety concerns, SEMC persevered and continued to offer its members connection, communication, and consistency in a new virtual world. 2020 saw the launch of a virtual Leadership Institute: Leading for Today’s Challenges, as well as a successful virtual Program Series that offered over 600 attendees from across the county ongoing professional development in the face of great challenges.

2021: In 2021 SEMC continued to be nimble and pivot to meet the needs of its members during an ongoing pandemic. For the first time in its history, SEMC offered year-round virtual programs and a hybrid 2021 Annual Meeting which provided opportunities for the membership to attend professional training sessions either in-person or via a virtual conference platform (PheedLoop). 2021 also began a year-long evaluation of the Jekyll Island Management Institute which will be offered in 2023 and saw the launch of the Digital Empowerment Project for Small Museums,  a nationwide initiative organized by the six U.S. regional museum associations and dedicated to providing free, self-paced training resources for small museums.

2022: 2022 was a transformational year for SEMC — a blending of past, present, and future in terms of operational adjustment and forward movement. In April 2022 SEMC was able to safely offer the Leadership Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. This in-person launch included stellar faculty guiding a dynamic cohort of 16 individuals committed to peer-to-peer learning focused on empathetic, inclusive leadership in today’s changing world. The summer months of 2022 brought exciting new faces and initiatives to SEMC including the addition of Heather Nowak to the SEMC staff as the organization’s first Program Administrator. SEMC also received an exciting donation to create the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund, which will be a resource to fund paid internships at small museums for years to come. A busy fall included the completion of a multi-year evaluation of the Jekyll Island Management Institute (JIMI) with an open call for instructors

and applicants in preparation for the 2023 relaunch of the program. The 2022 Annual Meeting in Northwest Arkansas brought over 400 SEMC members together to network and learn how museums in the southeast are “Exhibiting Change.”

2023: In January 2023 SEMC was able to successfully relaunch the Jekyll Island Management Institute on Jekyll Island, Georgia after a two-year pause for evaluation during the pandemic. JIMI2023 included 17 stellar instructors guiding a dynamic cohort of 16 individuals committed to peer-to-peer learning. The refreshed curriculum focused on broadening the participants understanding of museum operations and current best practices of visitor-facing and behind-the-scenes work in museums incorporating diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, and the use of technology into all subjects. 2023 also saw continued focus on year-round professional development through monthly virtual programming. Through an application process, SEMC was able to offer the first stipend from the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund, to support a paid internship at the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center in Opelousas, Louisiana. A busy fall included opening the application period for the 2024 Leadership Institute and preparation and oversight of the 2023 Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky that brought almost 700 SEMC members together to network and learn around the theme, “Truth Builds Community.”

Now: In the coming year, SEMC will continue to produce monthly virtual programs that offer professional development on topics ranging from the use of artificial intelligence in museums to mentoring and career development to discussion of the American Alliance of Museums national accreditation program. We are excited to strengthen existing partnerships and form new ones, including continued collaboration on Launchpad programming with the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries geared toward student populations and emerging museum professionals. Other initiatives coming up in 2024 include the third SEMC Leadership Institute, a second round of applications for the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund, the application period for instructors and cohort of the 2025 Jekyll Island Management Institute, and of course SEMC2024 in Baton Rouge. The SEMC staff and Council will also complete work on the organization’s next Strategic Plan.

WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF SEMC2023?

“There were two parts that have stayed with me from SEMC2023. The first was how the message from the plenary panel was repeated and echoed throughout many of the sessions and presentations the following days. “Hush and listen” resonated with all of us, and it’s something I’ve taken back with me as a reminder to continue the work now that I’m back home. The second was how important a regional conference is for learning, working, and growing; the problems discussed along with the recommended solutions were immediately relevant, no cut and paste needed, and I really valued all of the lessons learned over those few days. I can’t wait to meet up with my new SEMC friends next year to see what’s new.”

IMPACT PLAN

In January 2020, SEMC launched its 2020–2023 Impact Plan which laid out a vision and operational road map for the coming years. Building on a solid foundation, this Plan was created through working sessions with SEMC Council, stakeholders, and strategic planning facilitators, and has offered thoughtful direction through the historic global pandemic of 2020–2022. While the overall goals remained the same, these challenging years necessitated adjustment to many of the strategies outlined in the Plan to meet the moment for SEMC members.

The SEMC Council began work on the next strategic plan in fall 2023. This work is being facilitated by Robert Bull of The Compass Group and has involved SEMC staff, Council members and past SEMC leadership in the discussions as well as input from the SEMC general membership and industry partners. The Council looks forward to sharing an evolved strategy that will guide our organization through the coming years (2025–2027) as SEMC moves toward its 75th anniversary in 2026.

Impact: SEMC members at all stages of their career find professional support and camaraderie from peer-to-peer networking and learning opportunities that provide meaningful connection, a means to deepen their knowledge of museums and strengthen their practice and skills and a platform to promote and support equity and diversity and lift fellow SEMC members.

Organizational Focus: Advance and encourage a diverse membership of individuals, museums, and Council leaders.

Rob Bull facilitates the SEMC Council’s strategic planning session.

OUR PAST YEAR HIGHLIGHTS

During the past year, staff and leadership worked hard to keep the SEMC mission and vision primary as we continued to make necessary adjustments, engage the membership through various methods of communication, and produce quality professional development programs and publications to acknowledge the ongoing challenges and successes museums are experiencing across our region.

Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) continued to navigate operational adjustments in 2023 due to longer-term impacts of the COVID19 pandemic and the natural progression of the organizational life cycle. Over these past years, SEMC has been nimble in its approach to member engagement, professional programming, networking (both virtual and in-person), and communication methods that span many digital platforms. 2023 was both a successful and challenging year for the Southeastern Museums Conference. The pace was fast and often filled with the ongoing uncertainties of the post-pandemic world. SEMC staff and leadership continued to focus on improving how we operate, communicate, support, gather and sustain, and we persevered.

We are pleased to share the following reflection on all SEMC accomplished as a professional organization in 2023. The SEMC staff, leadership, members, member museums, and industry

partners are strong, creative, and agile, and continue to show resilience, empathy, and determination to enact necessary changes to keep the field relevant, connected, and supportive of the communities they serve.

PROGRAMS

At the outset of 2023, COVID-19 finally shifted from the pandemic phase of unhindered spread of an infectious disease, to the endemic chapter of the coronavirus. As such, SEMC was able to confidently return to in-person programs including the 2023 Jekyll Island Management Institute and a robust Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. While it was wonderful to gather without fear of serious health risks, adjustments made during the challenging pandemic years continued to inspire SEMC staff and leadership to provide professional development opportunities throughout the year in the form of virtual programs and gatherings

Staying connected and engaged during the early days of pandemic isolation was so important, and SEMC resolved to continue monthly virtual programs (now part of our operational model) to bring the southeast museum community together and offer professional learning opportunities from the convenience of home or office. Year-round virtual programs further encourage peer-to-peer learning and camaraderie that is a hallmark of SEMC.

Accessible online training has become essential to SEMC’s mission; producing quality program offerings involves considerable time and expense for production and costs related to technology upgrades, accessibility, marketing, and event management. Operating support from SEMC partners will

continue to be critical to the continued success and execution of SEMC in-person and virtual programming.

In 2023 SEMC produced 11 virtual programs in collaboration with museum professionals from across the region that received over 600 views of the recordings. We also increased participation from non-members willing to pay nominal registration fees to access our content. Cultivation of virtual program attendees has been integrated into SEMC’s membership strategy.

SEMC continued The Launchpad series in partnership with the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries. The 2023 series included

SEMC Council members, Ahmad Ward, Matt Davis, Calinda Lee, Deitrah Taylor, Zinnia Willits, and Michelle Schulte.

a resume matching/review component as well as two virtual programs (Finding Your Seat: Assessing Organizational Culture and Building a Team Culture) that addressed career development for emerging museum professionals. SEMC/AAMG will continue this collaboration in 2024.

Our teams designed and produced a 2023 Annual Meeting that provided:

• 62 professional sessions, 3 workshops, a plenary session and a general session held at The Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, and several off-site locations. Sessions were divided into tracks including Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Education, Collections, Curatorial, Fundraising/Development, Leadership/ Administration, Technology, Exhibits, Emerging Museum Professionals, and Career Development.

• The 2023 Keynote address by Dr. Kevin W. Cosby, President of Simmons College of Kentucky, was well attended and live streamed to Facebook for virtual viewing. The recording is now available on the SEMC website.

• The PheedLoop platform was accessible to all SEMC2023 attendees to gather, post, network, and find the most up-to-date information on session locations, presenters, and times. PheedLoop email blasts noted any schedule changes and communicated announcements about transportation, food offerings, and the 2023 Expo Hall. Additionally, the PheedLoop Go! app provided attendees with access to up-to-date conference information from their phones.

• 57 companies that provide services to museums were represented in the 2023 Expo Hall and included representatives from NEH, IMLS and AASLH.

• SEMC2023 publication contest winners and Student Work in Museums poster projects were highlighted at the Annual Meeting and 2023 saw the relaunch of the Silent Auction.

• Attendees enjoyed evening events at different Louisville museums and sites including the Frazier History Museum, Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, E &S Gallery, Louisville Slugger Museum, Muhammad Ali Center, 21C Museum Hotel, KMAC Contemporary Art Museum, the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, Speed Art Museum and Kentucky Derby Museum. Additionally, sites including the Waterfront Botanical Gardens, Filson Historical Society, American Saddlebred Museum, International Museum of the Horse, Carnegie Center for Art and History, Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center, Historic Locust Grove, and Town Clock Church welcomed SEMC attendees for special excursions both pre- and post-conference.

• We offered walking and running tours of downtown Louisville as well as a bus tour of the City’s historic West End neighborhoods, a pre-conference workshop on community engagement organized by the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum and Reckoning with Our Racial Past initiative, and a volunteer opportunity for collections professionals to participate in a Handson-Help project at Riverside, the FarnsleyMoremen Landing.

• The SEMC Council came together in Louisville to work on the next strategic plan with Robert Bull of the Compass Group. SEMC2023 also saw the continuation of a dynamic roundtable discussion with Leadership Award recipients and Table Talk, a memorable evening session with direct conversation between a diverse group of participants that was important, necessary, and hopeful in terms of how our attendees interact as a SEMC community. The event was held at the E&S Gallery in Louisville’s West End.

• Michael Lachowski from the Georgia Museum of Art volunteered his time as the official SEMC2023 photographer and created an album of SEMC2023 memories accessible to all.

• The 2023 Annual Meeting featured 200 speakers representing all types and sizes of museums, facets of the field, and career levels.

• Attendees filled out an evaluation form for each session via a QR code thereby allowing SEMC2023 to be an almost paperless event. A post-conference evaluation was sent to all attendees. Data captured informs future sessions and assists the 2024 Annual Meeting planning and SEMC Program Committee work.

• SEMC2023 included comprehensive American Sign Language services to ensure a positive conference experience for attendees with hearing impairments.

• SEMC awarded 11 Travel Scholarships to cover the costs of Annual Meeting registration and travel expenses. 5 Registration Scholarships were also

awarded to participants of the Utopia Project PreConference Workshop through generous support from the Smithsonian Reckoning with our Racial Past (RWORP) initiative. In addition, we offered 21 reduced-rate registrations to those committing to at least three volunteer hours during the conference.

• The SEMC2023 Annual Meeting had a total of 681 registrants.

JEKYLL ISLAND MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (JIMI)

In 2023, collaborating with Council leadership, SEMC staff facilitated the successful relaunch of the Jekyll Island Management Institute. The program, which ran from January 17-24, 2023, on Jekyll Island Georgia was organized in partnership with the Jekyll

Table Talk participants at the SEMC annual meeting, 2023, Louisville.

The JIMI cohort of 2023 celebrates graduation at the Jekyll Island Club.

Island Authority (via donated session space) and support from Smithsonian Reckoning with Our Racial Past initiative and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – Office of Strategic Partnerships. Participants included 16 instructors and a facilitator, chosen from a pool of 50 applicants by a Selection Committee. Using a transparent evaluation system, a second JIMI Selection Committee narrowed a pool of 40 applicants to a diverse cohort of 16 individuals interested in filling knowledge gaps in museum management. Both instructors and cohort utilized the PheedLoop platform for sharing Institute materials and schedules.

The relaunch of the 2023 Jekyll Island Management Institute was a success due to purposeful, organized planning, an on-site location conducive to recharging, reflection and networking, talented and dynamic instructors, generous and encouraging supporters, Council

SEMC LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

leadership and partners and an amazing and diverse cohort. The next Jekyll Island Management Institute will be offered in January 2025. As firsttime JIMI Administrators, SEMC staff learned the realities of running this in-person program with many moving parts and a budget based on 2023 realities. Revenue and expenses can now be planned more accurately for future Institutes. Robust sponsorship, grants and partner support will be critical to sustainability of the program as will additional scholarships and travel stipends for future attendees. Using feedback from JIMI2023 and input and guidance from partner organizations and programs such as the Smithsonian’s Ethical Interpretation Workshop, as well as continued evaluation, consideration, focus on DEAI and sustainability of resources, JIMI will continue into its next twenty years with vigor, relevance and enthusiasm for the curriculum, the expertise of the instructors and the value of cohort-based networking and learning.

In summer 2023 SEMC opened a call for applications for the 2024 Leadership Institute set to run from April 7–12, 2024, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.

The program and curriculum were developed in partnership with the Association of African American Museums with additional support from the National Museum of African American History and Culture Office of Strategic Partnerships (NMAAHCOSP). The 2024 Institute Cohort was thoughtfully reviewed and selected by the Leadership Institute Selection Committee. All three Leadership Institute faculty will return for the 2024 program.

OTHER PROGRAMS

• In 2023 SEMC staff facilitated hybrid Council and Program Committee mid-year meetings in Louisville, Kentucky. At the mid-year meeting, the Council participated in an afternoon session with

The 2023 JIMI Cohort.

Robert Bull, President of the Compass Group, to discuss effective communication among SEMC staff and Council leadership.

• Many SEMC members participated in 2023  Museum Advocacy Day with representation from most southeastern states.

• This year SEMC continued to offer monthly virtual happy hours for members to drop in, relax and laugh with friends (old and new) from across the region.

FUNDRAISING

• In 2023, SEMC was the recipient of generous funding from the following partners to support programming (Virtual, JIMI, Leadership Institute, Annual Meeting) and general operations:

– Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation – National Museum of African American History and Culture – Office of Strategic Partnerships

– Smithsonian Our Shared Future, Reckoning with our Racial Past inititative – Kentucky Humanities

• In 2022 SEMC was the recipient of a $20,000 gift to create the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund to offer financial assistance to small museums in support of paid internships. This Fund continued to grow in 2023 and received over $5,000 in new donations. This past summer the Fund produced its first $1,000 stipend (through an application process) that was awarded to the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center in Opelousas, Louisiana to support a paid internship devoted to the creation of a tour guidebook for volunteers and employees.

• In 2023 SEMC received monetary gifts (ranging from $25 to $5,000) toward various programs, endowments, and operations from 30+ individuals generating over $15,000 in individual support. In December 2023, SEMC announced the Council

Cup Challenge, encouraging individual members to support the organization through monetary gifts and lead their state to win the Council Cup. This initiative produced genrous giving over a short period with North Carolina emerging as the winner of the 2023 Council Cup.

SEMC STAFF, LEADERSHIP AND OPERATIONS

• In 2023 SEMC offered three paid internship opportunities (sponsored by SEMC industry partners) to engage college students from Spelman College and Georgia College in the inner workings of running a museum professional organization. In addition, SEMC was offered the opportunity to host a full-time summer intern with funding provided through the Art History and Curatorial Studies Collective at Atlanta University. SEMC’s paid internship opportunities will continue in 2024.

• Throughout the year SEMC staff engaged more than 30 volunteers from across the region in projects from creating virtual programming to assisting with registration preparation and on-site work at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

• This fall SEMC added three new Council members with a wealth of experience who will continue to strengthen and diversify SEMC leadership.

• This past summer, the SEMC Council participated in the third SEMC Council Demographic SelfStudy. The data captured in this internal exercise assisted the Nomination Committee in the ongoing development of a Council that reflects diverse viewpoints, backgrounds, skills, experiences, and expertise. By completing this survey, Council members affirmed commitment to equity, transparency, and creating a representative leadership base. The purpose of the survey was to capture a snapshot of the demographics of the current SEMC Council and acknowledge that everyone brings personal and professional

contacts and life experience to SEMC, placing the organization in a stronger position to plan, manage risk, make prudent decisions, and take full advantage of opportunities. A diverse Council helps to attract and retain other talented Council members — and be in touch with the needs of the SEMC membership.

• Over the fall of 2023, SEMC transitioned its payroll and human resource services (including all benefits) away from the Atlanta History Center. SEMC is now part of Group Management Services (GMS); all payroll, HR and staff benefits (health, dental, vision and retirement) are under GMS. SEMC maintains its professional services arrangement with the Atlanta History Center for office space and financial oversight/controls.

COMMUNICATIONS

In 2023 SEMC staff produced a 2022 Annual Report, three editions (Winter/Spring, Summer, and Fall) of Inside SEMC, a monthly E-Newsletter, targeted emails to the membership, monthly acknowledgments

of member birthdays and multiple special E-News communications to launch and promote various programs. In addition, SEMC staff maintain consistent social media postings and engagement across all platforms.

• Working with both Goosepen Studio and Press and Banks Creative, SEMC continued to enhance its branding with professionally designed marketing materials and graphics to ensure that SEMC offerings are easily recognizable.

• This year we highlighted the terrific work of 12 emerging and mid-career museum professionals in the SEMC Ones to Watch program.

UPCOMING FOR 2024

The coming years will bring new challenges to SEMC regarding capacity, revenue generation and diversification, and sustainability. Through purposeful strategic planning and member engagement, SEMC will continue to navigate the challenges and remain nimble and ready to meet

Zinnia Willits, center. leads the leadership panel forum with 2023 professional award winners.

the moment and assist the southeast museum community in finding opportunities for positive change and forward movement.

In October 2024, the SEMC membership will convene at The Hilton Capitol Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the 2024 Annual Meeting (October 21–23). After a successful return to precovid attendance numbers at the 2023 conference we are anticipating another robust gathering in Baton Rouge. An opening plenary session (set for Monday, October 21) will engage panelists in a moderated discussion related to the 2024 conference theme, Museums: Innovate/Inspire and center attendees within the spaces, culture, and communities of Baton Rouge. Purposefully developed by the Baton Rouge local arrangements team, the theme focuses on innovation and inspiration. How should museums move forward in a rapidly changing world? How can staff continue to inspire visitors, donors, and a changing workforce? We are excited for attendees to continue to engage in direct dialogue, networking, and professional growth and development next fall in Baton Rouge.

In 2024, SEMC will continue to provide monthly virtual professional development offerings for members. Online programs will remain free for SEMC members with the help of industry partner sponsorships and support.

In addition to the forthcoming 2024 Leadership Institute (April 7–12, Louisville, Kentucky), other exciting projects for 2024 include completion of SEMC’s next strategic plan with Robert Bull of the Compass Group and a mid-year session for the SEMC Council focused on fundraising facilitated by Dave Paule of Our Fundraising Search. This spring/ summer applications will open for instructors and cohort members of the 2025 Jekyll Island Institute and there will be another call for member institutions to submit applications for internship support from the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund.

ONWARD

SEMC staff and stakeholders are committed to stabilizing finances and ensuring a sustainable relevant professional organization. SEMC has strong leadership, dedicated staff, and a loyal membership. We have gained considerable experience in planning for and navigating the adjustments needed to manage events, professional networking, learning and engagement during times of disruption. Generous funding from many SEMC partners including the Smithsonian Reckoning With our Racial Past, National Museum of African American History and Culture – Office of Strategic Partnerships, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the Association of African American Museums has helped us through several difficult and transitional years, providing critical support to move the organization toward a sustainable future. SEMC is grateful for these partnerships. Staff and leadership will continue to work hard to strategize and enact action steps that will benefit all SEMC members and support the mission and vision by strengthening museums and museum professionals in the southeast to build a more equitable future through education and creative collaborations that connect organizations to diverse communities and spark positive, inclusive change.

It is essential for museums to continue to adapt to the current realities and think ahead to building a fundamentally different future. As recent years have taught us, change can come quickly and powerfully. SEMC will be a resource as members continue to evolve, build a more equitable future for the field, and recognize this unique period in our shared history as a time that calls us to bring our best. I am proud of our SEMC community and its collective resilience as we continue to recover from pandemic challenges and grateful for all our members and partners.

Respectfully,

Zinnia Willits SEMC Executive Director

WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF SEMC2023?

“SEMC was a profoundly fulfilling journey for me, emphasized by the masterfully curated sessions that delved into engaging, relevant and thought-provoking topics. Beyond the rich content, what stood out was the immense kindness exhibited by every person that I met. As a first-time SEMC participant, the heightened sense of connectivity opened up the vast and welcoming nature of this community.”

THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 ANNUAL MEETING SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

National Museum of African American History and Culture – Office of Strategic Partnerships (General Conference Support)

Our Shared Future: Reckoning with our Racial Past (General Conference Support, Pre-Conference Workshop)

Solid Light (Lanyards, Plenary Session, Keynote Address, Evening Events)

GOLD SPONSORS

The Compass Group (Directors Luncheon and Reception)

Donna Lawrence Productions (Evening Events)

Odyssey Preservation Software (Directors Luncheon and Reception)

Our Fundraising Search (Expo Receptions)

Risk Strategies (Directors Luncheon and Reception)

SILVER SPONSORS

Atelier 4 (Conference Tote Bags)

Communications Electronic Design (Evening Events)

Charityproud (Expo Receptions)

Crozier Fine Arts (Awards Luncheon)

Donorly (Table Talk)

DLR Group (Education Session Track)

Kentucky Historical Society (Expo Receptions and Evening Events)

Louisville Tourism (Evening Events)

Riggs Ward (Expo Receptions) Signarama (Evening Events/Printing)

BRONZE SPONSORS

Bonsai Fine Arts (Conference T-Shirt)

ERCO Lighting, Inc. (Expo Receptions)

E & S Gallery (Table Talk)

Kentucky Humanities (American Sign Language Services)

Kentucky Museum & Heritage Alliance (Evening Events)

KNBA Architects (Evening Events)

The Design Minds, Inc. (Expo Receptions) USA Image (Opening Coffee Break)

Warner Museums (Expo Receptions)

Your Part-Time Controller (Expo Receptions)

ANNUAL MEETING SUPPORTERS

American Printing House for the Blind (Evening Events)

Riverside: The Farnsley-Moremen Landing (HHMAG Hands-On-Help)

South Union Shaker Village (Plenary Session)

EVENING EVENT/OFF-SITE TOUR/ PROGRAM/ WORKSHOP HOST

MUSEUMS AND SITES

21c Museum Hotel

American Saddlebred Museum, Lexington, KY

Anacostia Community Museum, Washington, DC

Carnegie Center for Art and History, New Albany, IN

Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, Louisville, KY

E & S Gallery, Louisville, KY

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, Louisville, KY

Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center, Clarksville, IN

Frazier History Museum

Historic Locust Grove, Louisville, KY

Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville, KY

Kentucky Science Center, Louisville, KY

KMAC Contemporary Art Museum, Louisville, KY

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Louisville, KY

Louisville WaterWorks Museum and Crescent Hill Reservoir, Louisville, KY

Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville, KY

Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing, Louisville, KY

Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY

Smithsonian Our Shared Future, Reckoning with our Racial Past Initiative, Washington, DC

The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, KY

The International Museum of the Horse, Lexington, KY

Town Clock Church, New Albany, IN

Waterfront Botanical Gardens, Louisville, KY

EXPO HALL INDUSTRY PARTNERS

1220 Exhibits

Art Display Essentials, a 10-31 Company

A4A

American Association of State and Local History

Art Sentry

Available Light

Boston Productions, Inc

Case Auctions

CatalogIt

Charityproud (Silver Sponsor)

Cinebar Productions

Collector Systems, LLC

Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts

Crozier Fine Arts (Silver Sponsor)

Delta Designs

Dmdg2

Donorly (Silver Sponsor)

Dorfman Museum Figures, Inc.

E & S Gallery (Bronze Sponsor)

ERCO Lighting, Inc. (Bronze Sponsor)

Exhibit Concepts, Inc.

Explus

Friesens

Gaylord Archival

Goosepen Studio & Press

Glasbau Hahn America LLC

HealyKohler Design

Hollinger Metal Edge

HW Exhibits

Institute of Museum and Library Services

Interactive Knowledge

Kentucky Museums Heritage Alliance (Bronze Sponsor)

Lucidea

MBA Design & Display Products, Inc.

National Endowment for the Humanities

Northeast Document Conservation Center

Odyssey Preservation Software (Gold Sponsor)

Patterson Pope

Porter Art Services

Relative Scale

Re:discovery Software, Inc.

Riggs Ward Design (Silver Sponsor)

Risk Strategies (Gold Sponsor)

Shibui Design

Solid Light, Inc. (Platinum Sponsor)

Southern Custom Exhibits of Alabama, Inc.

STQRY

Studio Art Quilt Associates

The Design Minds, Inc. (Bronze Sponsor)

TourMate Transformit

Universal Fiber Optic Lighting

USA Image (Bronze Sponsor)

Warner Museums (Bronze Sponsor)

Willis Towers Watson

Your Part-Time Controller (Bronze Sponsor)

SPECIAL PROJECT SUPPORTERS

Hutchinson Design Group (SEMC Internship Stiped)

Bonsai Fine Art (SEMC2023 #Truth Builds Community T-shirts)

Solid Light (Plenary Session Sponsors)

WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF SEMC2023?

“SEMC always provides an excellent look at the museum profession as a whole.  Being able to see what other institutions are doing well, where we struggle as an industry, and the best ways to persevere and move forward are perennial highlights of the SEMC Annual meeting. Personally, the opportunity to see colleagues from around the region and discuss the good, bad, and ugly of our own jobs, lives, etc. is the most edifying part of the meeting.”

“Making connections with museum peers experiencing similar challenges during sessions. I learn more from talking to others than listening to a lecture so the participatory sessions were very helpful.”

• Secure cloud-based solution

• iOS/Android apps with condition reporting

• Public Gallery for WordPress and Drupal

• Barcoding or QR code with batch location updating

• Free text search

• Customization to hide/show and order fields

• Customized reports

• Data migration services

• Controlled vocabularies; built-in Nomenclature, AAT, ULAN, ITIS

• 130 User-Defined Fields

• Location history and barcoding

• Loans and Exhibitions

• Crates and Shipping

• Entry, Exit, and Movements

• Accession and Deaccession

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

ANNUAL MEETING

American Printing House for the Blind/ The Dot Experience

Atelier 4

Bonsai Fine Art

Charity Proud Communications Electronic Design

Crozier

Design Minds

DLR Group

Donna Lawrence Productions

Donorly

Erco Lighting

E & S Gallery

Kentucky Historical Society

Kentucky Humanities

Kentucky Museum and Heritage Alliance

KNBA Architects

Louisville Tourism

National Museum of African American History and Culture – Office of Strategic Partnerships

Signarama

Smithsonian, Our Shared Future: Reckoning with our Racial Past

Solid Light

Solomon Group

South Union Shaker Village

Our Fundraising Search

Odyssey by History IT Risk Strategies

Riverside: The Farnsley-Moreman Landing

Riggs Ward Design

The Compass Group USA Image

Warner Museums

Your Part-Time Controller

ANNUAL MEETING SCHOLARSHIPS

Matthew Davis

Danielle Hatch

Heather Nowak

Ashleigh Oatts

Michael (Scott) Warren

ENDOWMENT (JANUARY 1, 2023 –DECEMBER 31, 2023)

Anonymous donation in honor of Graig Shaak

George Bassi

Charles (Tom) Butler

David Butler

Mary Hauser

Michael Hudson

Elise LeCompte

Darcie MacMahon

Nathan Moehlmann

Rosalind Martin

Doug Noble

Willam Paul, Jr.

Graig Shaak

Robert and Nancy Sullivan

Kristen Miller Zohn

Zinnia Willits

GENERAL OPERATING

Scott Alvey

Anonymous Donation in memory of Mr. Eddie Davis in honor of his son, Matthew Davis

Rebecca Bush

Matthew Davis

Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Hutchinson Design Group

Kentucky Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

Christa McCay

Heather Nowak

Lauren Pacheco

Catherine Pears

Susan Perry

Michelle Schulte

Michael Scott

Deborah Rose Van Horn

Ahmad Ward

Heather Marie Wells

Lance Wheeler

Crystal Wimer

2024 LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

Tafeni English

National Museum of African American History and Culture – Office of Strategic Partnerships

Smithsonian, Our Shared Future: Reckoning with our Racial Past

HANDUMY JEAN TAHAN INTERNSHIP FUND

Rebecca Bush

Elise LeCompte

Joy Tahan Ruddell

Joshua Whitfield

LA PAGLIA FUND

Elise LeCompte

MARTHA BATTLE JACKSON FUND

Angie Albright

Anonymous donation in memory of Emma Delean Taylor in honor of her daughter, Deitrah Taylor

Charity Counts, Zinnia Willits, and Darcie MacMahon in the 2023 Annual Meeting Expo Hall, Louisville.

THANK YOU TO OUR INSTITUTIONAL AND CORPORATE MEMBERS

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS

21c Museum Hotel Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky

A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery, Fort Pierce, Florida

Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts/ AEIVA, Birmingham, Alabama

Adsmore Museum, Princeton, Kentucky

Aiken County Historical Museum, Aiken, South Carolina

Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium, Birmingham, Alabama

Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama

Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Tuscumbia, Alabama

Albany Museum of Art, Albany, Georgia

Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, Louisiana

Altama Museum, Vidalia, Georgia

Anderson County Museum, Anderson, South Carolina

Andrew Jackson Foundation, Nashville, Tennessee

Andrew Low House Museum, Savannah, Georgia

Anniston Museum of Natural History, Anniston, Alabama

Appalachian State University Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Boone, North Carolina

Appleton Museum of Art, Ocala, Florida

Arkansas Air and Military Museum, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Little Rock, Arkansas

Arkansas National Guard Museum, North Little Rock, Arkansas

Arkansas State Parks, Little Rock, Arkansas

Arlington Historic House, Birmingham, Alabama

Art Bridges, Bentonville, Arkansas

Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, Florida

Art Museum of the University of Memphis (AMUM), Memphis, Tennessee

Artis–Naples, The Baker Museum, Naples, Florida

Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, North Carolina

Atlanta History Center, Atlanta Georgia

Attleboro Area Industrial Museum, Attleboro, Massachusetts

Augusta Museum of History, Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia

Bandy Heritage Center for Northwest Georgia, Dalton, Georgia

Bartow History Museum, Cartersville, Georgia

Baton Rouge Gallery – Center for Contemporary Art, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Beaches Museum, Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte, North Carolina

Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery, Nashville, Tennessee

Berkeley County Museum, Moncks Corner, South Carolina

Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw, Georgia

Bessie Smith Cultural Center, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Biblical History Center, LaGrange, Georgia

Billy Graham Library, Charlotte, North Carolina

Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, Alabama

Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, Tennessee

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Booth Western Art Museum, Carterville, Georgia

Boyle County Public Library, Danville, KY

C.Williams Rush Museum of African-American Arts & Culture, Kingstree, South Carolina

Caldwell Heritage Museum, Lenoir, North Carolina

Calhoun County Museum, St. Matthews, South Carolina

Calico Rock Community Foundation, Calico Rock, Arkansas

Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, North Carolina

Cape Fear Museum, Wilmington, North Carolina

Carnegie Center for Art and History, New Albany, Indiana

Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Decatur, Alabama

Carter-Coile Country Doctors Museum, Winterville, Georgia

Catawba Science Center, Hickory, North Carolina

Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, Georgia

Charlotte Museum of History, Charlotte, North Carolina

Cheekwood, Nashville, Tennessee

Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home, Rome, Georgia

Children’s Hands on Museum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio

City of Raleigh - Historic Resources & Museum Program, Raleigh, North Carolina

Clemson Area African American Museum, Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University’s Bob Campbell Geology Museum, Clemson, South Carolina

Coastal Georgia Historical Society, St. Simons Island, Georgia

Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, South Carolina

Computer Museum of America, Roswell, Georgia

Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, Louisville, Kentucky

Cook Museum of Natural Science, Decatur, Alabama

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville, Tennessee

Creative Liberties Artist Studios & Galleries, Sarasota, Florida

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas

Culture & Heritage Museums, Rock Hill, South Carolina

Customs House Museum and Cultural Center, Clarksville, Tennessee

Dade Heritage Trust, Miami, Florida

Daura Gallery – University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg, Virginia

David J. Sencer CDC Museum, Atlanta, Georgia

DeKalb History Center, Decatur, Georgia

Delta Cultural Center, Helena, AR

Department of Historic Museums, Georgia College, Milledgeville, Georgia

Discovery Park of America, Inc., Union City, Tennessee

Doris Ulmann Galleries and Berea College Art Collection, Berea, Kentucky

Drayton Hall, Charleston, South Carolina

Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, Florida

Earl Scruggs Center, Shelby, North Carolina

East Tennessee Historical Society, Knoxville, Tennessee

Edisto Island Open Land Trust, Edisto Island, South Carolina

Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University, Roanoke, Virginia

Finger Lakes Boating Museum, Hammondsport, New York

Florence County Museum, Florence, South Carolina

Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg, Florida

Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida

Folk Pottery Museums of NE GA, Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center, Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia

Loudoun Museum, Leesburg, Virginia

Louisiana Art & Science Museum, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana

Louisiana State University Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Louisiana State University Textile & Costume Museum, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Louisville Water Tower / Louisville Water, Louisville, Kentucky

Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida

LSU Rural Life Museum, Baton Rouge, LA

Magnolia Mound Plantation, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Maier Museum of Art, Randolph College, Lynchburg, Virginia

Mandarin Museum & Historical Society, Jacksonville, Florida

Marietta Museum of History, Marietta, Georgia

Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, Georgia

Marine Corps Museum Parris Island, Parris Island, South Carolina

Maritime Museum Louisiana, Madisonville, Louisiana

Marlboro County Museum, Bennettsville, SC

Matheson History Museum, Gainesville, Florida

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, Knoxville TN

Memorial Hall Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, Tennessee

Mennello Museum of American Art, Orlando, Florida

Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

Middleton Place Foundation, Charleston, South Carolina

Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina

Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, Jackson, Mississippi

Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience, Meridian, Mississippi

Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, Mississippi

Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, Inc., Meridian, Mississippi

Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Mississippi

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, J ackson, Mississippi

Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama

MOCA Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama

Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, Ridgeland, South Carolina

Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, Georgia

Morse Museum of American Art, Winter Park, Florida

Mosaic Templars Cultural, Little Rock, Arkansas

Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, Jekyll Island, Georgia

MoSH (Museum of Science and History) - Pink Palace, Memphis, Tennessee

Muscarelle Museum of Art, Williamsburg, Virginia

Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce , Puerto Rico

Museum & Gallery at Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC

Museum Center at 5ive Points, Cleveland, Tennessee

Museum of Art – DeLand, DeLand, Florida

Museum of Arts & Sciences, Daytona Beach, Florida

Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, North Miami, Florida

Museum of Design Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia

Museum of Durham History, Durham, North Carolina

Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Kentucky

Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Cherokee, North Carolina

Museum of the Mississippi Delta, Greenwood, Mississippi

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, Virginia

Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, New Orleans, Louisiana

Myriad Training and Consulting, Gainesville, Florida

National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta, Georgia

National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tennessee

National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, Virginia

SEMC2023 at the Louisville Slugger Museum.

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Pooler, Georgia

National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Louisville, Kentucky

National Sporting Library & Museum, Middleburg, Virginia

NC Division of State Historic Sites and Properties, Kinston, North Carolina

NELA Delta African American Heritage Museum, Monroe, LA

New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, Louisiana

Newcomb Art Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana

North Carolina American Indian Heritage Commission, Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, North Carolina

Northeast Document Conservation Center, Andover, Massachusetts

Northeast Georgia History Center, Gainesville, Georgia

Oak Alley Foundation, Vacherie, Louisiana

Office of Historic Alexandria, Alexandria, Virginia

Oglethorpe University Museum of Art (OUMA), Atlanta, Georgia

Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, Biloxi, Mississippi

Old State House Museum, Little Rock, Arkansas

Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, Opelousas, Louisiana

Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando, Florida

Orlando Museum of Art, Inc, Orlando, Florida

Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation, Brookneal, Virginia

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Pinellas County Historical Society/Heritage Village, Largo, Florida

Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, Florida

Posada Art Foundation, San Francisco, California

President James K. Polk State Historic Site/ NC Dept of Natural & Cultural Resources, Pineville, North Carolina

Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

River Discovery Center, Paducah, Kentucky

Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, Atlanta, Georgia

Rogers Historical Museum, Rogers, Arkansas

Roots 101

Salem Museum & Historical Society, Salem, Virginia

Sarasota Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida

Savannah River Site Museum, Aiken, South Carolina

SC Confederate Relic Room & Museum, Columbia, South Carolina

SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, Atlanta, Georgia

Schiele Museum, Gastonia, North Carolina

Scott Family Amazeum, Bentonville, Arkansas

Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Springdale, Arkansas

Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers, Florida

South Carolina Military Museum, Columbia, South Carolina

South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, South Carolina

South Union Shaker Village, Auburn, Kentucky

Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, Alabama

Spalding County Our Legacy Museum, Griffin, Georgia

Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia

Spotsylvania County Museum, Fredericksburg, Virginia

SQT Museum, Carrollton, Georgia

Sumter County Museum, Sumter, South Carolina

Swannanoa Valley Museum, Black Mountain, North Carolina

Swope Art Museum, Terre Haute, Indiana

Tampa Baseball Museum at the Al Lopez House, Tampa, Florida

Tampa Bay History Center, Tampa, Florida

Tampa Museum of Art, Inc., Tampa, Florida

Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, Virginia

Telfair Museums, Savannah, Georgia

Tellus Science Museum, Cartersville, Georgia

Tennessee River Museum, Savannah, Tennessee

Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, Tennessee

Texas Historical Commission, Austin, Texas

The Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida

The Charleston Museum, Charleston, South Carolina

The Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia

The Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Jacksonville, Florida

The Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Memphis, Tennessee

The Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture, Knoxville, Tennessee

The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, Kentucky

The Florida Holocaust Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida

The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

The Guntersville Museum, Guntersville, Alabama

The Mitford Museum, Hudson, North Carolina

The Museum, Greenwood, South Carolina

The National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA

The Parthenon, Nashville, Tennessee

The Ralph Foster Museum, Point Lookout, Missouri

The Speed Museum, Louisville, Kentucky

The Wolfsonian – FIU, Miami Beach, Florida

Thomas County Historical Society, Thomasville, Georgia

Thronateeska Heritage Foundation, Inc., Albany, Georgia

Torggler Fine Arts Center, Newport News, Virginia

Tryon Palace, New Bern, North Carolina

Tubman Museum, Macon, Georgia

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site (National Park Service), Tuskegee Institute, Alabama

Union County Heritage Museum, New Albany, Mississippi

University of Alabama Museums, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

University of Richmond Museums, Richmond, Virginia

University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, Florida

Upcountry History Museum–Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina

Virginia Beach History Museums, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Museum of Transportation, Roanoke, Virginia

Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum, Wilson, NC

Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia

Waterworks Visual Arts Center, Salisbury, North Carolina

Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc., Thomson, Georgia

Weatherspoon Art Museum UNCG, Greensboro, North Carolina

West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen, Louisiana

West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, Charleston, West Virginia

Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina

William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, Atlanta, Georgia

Windgate Museum of Art at Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas

Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, Alabama

Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, Kentucky

CORPORATE MEMBERS

Business Associate

Arts InCommunity (division of InCommunity), Atlanta, Georgia

Backlog, St. Louis, Missouri

Banks Creative, Charleston, South Carolina

Chickasaw Inkana Foundation, Tupelo, Mississippi

Cortina Productions, McLean, Virginia

Crystalizations Systems Inc, Holbrook, New York

CSR-Consulting, Solutions, Results, Atlanta, Georgia

DaVinci Development Collaborative, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia

DLR Group, Orlando, Florida

Helms Briscoe, Alpharetta, Georgia

Houser Walker Architecture, Atlanta, Georgia

Hutchinson Design Group, Alexandria, Virginia

K. Norman Berry Associates, Louisville, Kentucky

MuseumINSIDER, United Kingdom

William G. Pomeroy Foundation, Syracuse, New York

Willis Towers Watson - Fine Art, Jewelry & Specie, Potomac, Maryland

ZOMA, Matthews, North Carolina

Zone Display Cases, Charlesbourg, Quebec City, Canada

Corporate Friend

10-31, Inc., Columbia, New Jersey

1220 Exhibits, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee

A4A Designs, Louisville, Kentucky

Alexander Haas, Atlanta, Georgia

Art Sentry, Cleveland, OH

Association of African American Museums (AAAM), Washington, District of Columbia

Atelier 4, Charlotte, North Carolina

Available Light, Raleigh, North Carolina

Bonsai Fine Arts Inc, Glen Burnie, Maryland

Boston Productions, Inc., Norwood, Massachusetts

Brunk Auctions, Asheville, North Carolina

CatalogIt, Oakland, California

Charityproud, North Charleston, South Carolina

Christie’s, New York, New York

Cinebar Productions, Inc., Newport News, Virginia

Collector Systems, LLC., New York, New York

Communications Electronic Design, Louisville, Kentucky

Conserv, Birmingham, Alabama

Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Crozier Fine Arts, New York, NY

Cultural Heritage Partners PLLC, Richmond, Virginia

Displays Fine Art Services, Arlington, Texas

dmdg2, Savannah, GA

Donna Lawrence Productions, Louisville, Kentucky

Donorly, New York, NY

Dorfman Museum Figures, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland

E&S Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky

ERCO Lighting, Inc., Edison, New Jersey

Exhibit Concepts, Inc., Vandalia, Ohio

Explus, Inc., Sterling, Virginia

Friesens Corporation, Brunswick, Georgia

Frina Design, Lithia, Florida

Goosepen Studio & Press, Hickory, North Carolina

Haizlip Studio, Memphis, Tennessee

HealyKohler Design, Washington, District of Columbia

HW Exhibits, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Interactive Knowledge, Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina

Lucidea, British Columbia

MBA Design & Display Products Corporation, Exton, Pennsylvania

Monadnock Media, Inc., Hatfield, Massachusetts

Nabholz Construction Corporation, Conway, Arkansas

Odyssey by HistoryIT, Portland, Maine

Our Fundraising Search, Atlanta, Georgia

Patterson Pope, Inc., Norcross, Georgia

Porter Art Services, New Orleans, Louisiana

Relative Scale, Raleigh, North Carolina

Riggs Ward Design, Richmond, Virginia

Risk Strategies, New York, New York

SAQA Global Exhibitions, Beavercreek, Ohio

Solid Light, Inc, Louisville, Kentucky

Solomon Group, New Orleans, LA

STQRY, Rochester, NY

The Design Minds, Inc., Fairfax, Virginia

Tour-Mate Systems, Toronto Canada

Transformit, Gorham, Maine

Transport Consultants International, Lithia, Florida

Universal Fiber Optic Lighting USA, LLC., Sarasota, Florida

Upland Exhibits, Newton, Kansas

USA Image, Louisville, KY

USART, Orlando, Florida

Warner Museums, Birmingham, Alabama

Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC), Philadelphia, PA

Corporate Partner

Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Charleston, South Carolina

National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution–Office of Strategic Partnerships, Washington, District of Columbia

Smithsonian Institution/Reckoning with Our Racial Past, Silver Spring, Maryland

SEMC2023 at the Louisville Slugger Museum.

WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF SEMC2023?

“It was the friendliest conference and I truly felt I was with ‘my people.’ The people really make this conference what it is!”

SEMC COUNCIL

OFFICERS

MATTHEW S. DAVIS President matt.davis@gcsu.edu

Director of Historic Museums, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA

DR. CALINDA LEE Vice President sources.lee@gmail.com

Principal, Sources Cultural Resources Management, LLC, Atlanta, GA

DEITRAH J. TAYLOR Secretary dtaylorhistorian@gmail.com

Public Historian, Milledgeville, GA

SCOTT ALVEY Treasurer Scott.Alvey@ky.gov

Director, Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort, KY

HEATHER MARIE WELLS

Past President heathermarie.wells@crystalbridges.org

Digital Media Project Manager, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR

DIRECTORS

GLENNA BARLOW gbarlow@columbiamuseum.org

Curator of Education, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC (Term ended November 2023)

DR. ALEXANDER BENITEZ beniteza@portsmouthva.gov

Director of Museums and Tourism, City of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA (Term ended November 2023)

TAFENI ENGLISH tafeni.english@splcenter.org

Director, Alabama State Office, Southern Poverty Law Center/Civil Rights Memorial, Montgomery, AL

KATIE ERICSON kericso@emory.edu

Director of Education, Michael C. Carlos Museum, Atlanta, GA

NANCY FIELDS

Nancy.fields@uncp.edu

Director and Curator, The Museum of the Southeast American Indian, Pembroke, NC (Term ended November 2023)

ALICIA FRANCK

Alicia.franck@nationalww2museum.org

Vice President and Chief Development

Officer, The National World War II Museum, New Orleans, LA

DEBORAH ROSE VAN HORN

Deborah.vanhorn@gmail.com

Senior Curator, Walt Disney Imagineering, Lake Buena Vista, FL

BRIGETTE JANEA JONES  Brigette@arabiaalliance.org

Assistant Executive Director, Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, Stonecrest, GA

PAMELA D. C. JUNIOR pamela1junior@gmail.com

Former Director, Two Mississippi Museums, Mississippi Department of Archives & History, Jackson, MS

ROSALIND MARTIN rmartin@knoxart.org

Director of Education, Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN

MICHELLE SCHULTE  mschulte@lsu.edu

Chief Curator, LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA

SEMC STAFF

MICHAEL SCOTT mscott@solidlight-inc.com

Project Manager, Solid Light, Louisville, KY

(Term ended November 2023)

AHMAD WARD award@exploremitchelville.org

Executive Director, Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, Hilton Head Island, SC

SCOTT WARREN

Scott.warren@dncr.nc.gov

Director, President James K. Polk Historic Site, Pineville, NC

LANCE WHEELER

lwheeler@civilandhumanrights.org

Director of Exhibitions, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta, GA

HEATHER

ZINNIA WILLITS zwillits@semcdirect.net SEMC Executive Director

CARLA PHILLIPS cphillilps@semcdirect.net SEMC Manager of Communications and Member Services

NOWAK hnowak@semcdirect SEMC Program Administrator

A SNAPSHOT OF SEMC’S REACH IN 2023

SOCIAL MEDIA STATS

Facebook Followers: 2,637

Instagram Followers: 1,415

LinkedIn Group Followers: 1,596

SEMC MEMBERSHIP

Individuals

Institutions

Corporations

MEMBERSHIP

MEMBERSHIP

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

SEMC Endowment at end of FY23: $625,924

SEMC received $143,433 in contributions and grants in FY23

*Note FY23 is July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023

You can support SEMC through contributions toward SEMC General Operations; SEMC Endowment; SEMC Leadership Institute; Martha Battle Jackson Fund (supports sustainability of the Jekyll Island Management Institute/JIMI); Peter S. LaPaglia Scholarship Fund (supports JIMI tuition scholarships); Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund; and Legacy Society (Planned Giving) or other activities by donating online at www. SEMCdirect.net. SEMC created the Legacy Society to recognize the generosity of individuals who have included the Southeastern Museums Conference in their wills or estate plans. A planned gift will make a difference in the services of SEMC and the future development of the museum profession. For more information on planned giving please contact Zinnia Willits, SEMC Executive Director at zwillits@semcdirect.net

OPERATING REVENUE AND EXPENSES

revenue

Contributions

Membership Revenue

Registration and Tuition

Sales Revenue

Interfund Transfers

expenses

Insurance, Taxes, and Permits

Advertising/Publications

Professional Service/Sta

Travel (employee/non-employee)

Program Costs

Administrative Expenses

front cover: The Louisville Slugger Museum.

back cover: Kristen Miller Zohn and Elise LeCompte descent steps at the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum.