2025 Conference Schedule
Monday, June 9
Tentative Schedule – Subject to change
Monday, June 9, 2025
Pre-Conference Workshops:
11:00am – 1:00pm
Out of Many, One: Engaging Your Community in America250
Moderator:
- Allison Campbell, Local History Services, Washington State Historical Society
Panelists:
- Dylan High, Statewide Partnerships Coordinator, Washington State Historical Society
- Aletheia Wittman, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Officer, Washington State Historical Society
- Lorraine Ralston, America250 Coordinator, Washington State Historical Society
Participating in America 250: WSHS staff will outline several statewide initiatives planned for 2026 that museums can choose to participate in.
Know Your Community: This workshop is designed to help organizations expand their work to serve more diverse audiences through a deeper understanding of their institutional history and the demographics of their community today.
Connect with Your Community: This session will provide examples of ways small history organizations can better connect with their communities using strategies that are engaging and relevant to diverse audiences.
Listen to Your Community: This workshop will introduce organizations to the basics of community survey and evaluation work, including the structure, tools, and framework to help them collect good data and build rapport within their community.
11:00am – 12:30pm
MOPOP’s Accessibility Journey
Presenter:
- Jacob McMurray, Chief Collections + Exhibitions Officer, Museum of Pop Culture
The Museum of Pop Culture has spent 25 years experimenting in the museum space. Founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and housed in an iconic Frank Gehry-designed building, it has evolved from a Jimi Hendrix Museum to the Experience Music Project, Science Fiction Museum, and finally, MOPOP. With a new mission, vision, and strategic plan, MOPOP is working to become more inclusive and accessible for visitors and staff. These efforts span every aspect of the museum, from front of house to behind the scenes. Chief Collections + Exhibitions Officer Jacob McMurray will share MOPOP’s accessibility journey—past efforts, current strategies, successes, challenges, and future goals.
1:30pm – 3:30pm
Strengthening Community Bonds through Events
Presenter:
- Lisa Jackson, Museum Director, Suquamish Museum
In this engaging session, Lisa will share her secrets to creating memorable events that leave attendees proud and connected to their community. Attendees will walk away with a clear roadmap to plan successful events from start to finish, equipped with a “to-do” list that they can apply to any event. With Lisa’s experience in planning 3-day Festivals, Parades, Conferences, and Fundraisers, this session is perfect for anyone interested in event planning, nonprofit management, or preserving cultural heritage through engaging, purpose-driven events.
1:30pm – 3:30pm
Top Tips for Exhibits
Presenter:
- Chris Erlich, Independent Curator
Award winning independent curator Chris Erlich will share her “Top Tips” for creating great exhibits, even on a shoestring budget. The resulting exhibits are easy for visitors to navigate and understand, pleasing to the eye, and give you the most bang for your buck. Using examples and demonstrations, she’ll show how planning and practice yield results. Featured methods and techniques covered include design basics, making labels, producing simple audio and video, and creating playful manipulatives.
3:45pm – 5:00pm
Museums & Main Streets Discussion (no cost)
Host:
- Dylan High, Washington State Historical Society
Museums and Main Street programs are both working to create more vibrant, stronger communities through historic preservation and cultural experiences. What are ways that we can work more effectively together to engage our local communities? Join us for an informal conversation to brainstorm and share experiences of Museum – Main Street collaborations.
5pm – 7pm