About Our Program
The Association of Midwest Museums welcomes members and colleagues to join us in Chicago for an interdisciplinary conference developed for professionals at any stage of their career.
We’ll kick off the event with a virtual day on Wednesday, July 22. Then, we’ll gather in-person at the Marriott Marquis Chicago, from Sunday to Wednesday, July 26-29 for sessions, networking, and museum exploration.
We’ve been working with Chicago museums to plan a robust, responsive program. Learn more:
- Schedule at a Glance
- Virtual Day
- Pre-Conference Workshops
- Pre-Conference Tours
- Keynote Session Coming Soon!
- Flash Talks
- Leadership Breakfast Coming Soon!
- Peer-to-Peer Sessions
- In-Person Networking
- In-Person Events
Call for Proposals
The 2026 Call for Proposals is closed. We had a near-record number of proposals – thank you to all who contributed their ideas to the process and congratulations to those who were selected to present in a variety of formats! This year’s sessions will help us:
- Unite and strengthen the museum collective
- Tap into our creativity and encourage collective problem-solving
- Offer insights, advice, and scalable solutions to address common challenges
- Encourage debate about practices or philosophies that could be holding us back
About the Theme – We Hold These Truths
As our nation celebrates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this is an ideal moment to explore what it means to be trustworthy stewards of civil society, our collective histories, shared humanity, and the environment that sustains us.
- What “truths” are we holding steadfast in our work, and which ones are we challenging?
- In what ways do these “truths” represent our organizational values and influence our choices?
- How are we demonstrating that we have the public’s best interests at heart as keepers of “truths”?
The Chicago 2026 Conference, “We Hold These Truths,” will explore how museums are navigating historic and new pressures while providing an opportunity to build professional skills and participate in problem-solving to prevail over their obstacles.
Center—or challenge—your truths. Get creative. Dwell in the possibilities. Emerge stronger.