The Museum Association of New York (MANY) is excited to announce the 2022 Annual Conference “Envisioning Our Museums for the Seventh Generation.”

The Seventh Generation is a core value among the Indigenous nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora peoples. The principle, which is rooted in the preservation of Indigenous culture, underscores the importance of the human continuum. It advocates for informed, long-term decision-making that recognizes and draws from the past while laying the groundwork for the future.

The annual conference will be held in Corning, NY on April 9-12, 2022 on the ancestral lands of the Seneca. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and connect with colleagues in beautiful, unique museum spaces including The Rockwell Museum and Corning Museum of Glass. Conference plans include Saturday Workshops, Conference Capstones, special events, and more than a dozen sessions that will advance professional practice and develop leadership skills.

MANY is seeking session proposals that address the theme, that are engaging and interactive, and offer multiple perspectives. 

In addition to sessions that meet the “Envisioning Our Museums for the Seventh Generation” theme, we are looking for sessions about how museums:

• Change systems to address diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and justice

• Build financial stability

• Create digital access to collections and born-digital content

• Partner to share collections and resources

• Revisit foundational policies and procedures to adapt to change

• Break down barriers and convey that museums are for everyone

• Strengthen community engagement

• Employ and expand the use of technology

• Support staff leadership

• Reconstruct interpretation

• Expand board engagement and resource development

• Respond to pandemic-related challenges

We are also calling for proposals from emerging museum professionals and students for 10 x 10 sessions where EMPs and students can share their vision for the museum field through 10 PowerPoint slides in ten minutes. 

Proposals from organizations in the Southern Tier can include Saturday Workshops and Tuesday Capstone Programs. Workshop and Capstone Programs should offer attendees a closer look at museum practices, exemplary projects, hands-on learning opportunities, and offer perspectives from the leadership of organizations hosting the program.

All session proposals are due by 5 PM on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. Proposals will be reviewed by a committee of MANY board members and museum professionals from the Corning area. Lead presenters will be notified at the end of January and conference registration will open on Monday, February 7, 2022. 

For more information, visit nysmuseums.org/annualconference, email info@nysmuseums.orgor call 518-273-3400.