Museum Workers Advocacy Day 2025:
Claim Your Space
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What is MWAD?
The National Emerging Museum Professionals Network (NEMPN) hosts Museum Workers Advocacy Day annually, providing a platform for museum professionals from all sectors and levels of experience to come together and advocate for equitable industry changes.
This free event provides a crucial platform for museum workers to address challenges impacting their profession, participate in advocacy initiatives, and advocate for reforms that foster equity and fairness within the industry.
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2025 Theme
This year, the theme is "Claiming Your Space," a call to action that emphasizes the urgent need to create and protect inclusive spaces. The theme invites participants to engage in critical conversations about their rights, the value of their work, and the importance of creating spaces where marginalized voices—especially those of LGBTQ+ individuals, BIPOC communities, and people seeking mental health resources—are heard and respected. It challenges museum professionals to confront systemic barriers while advocating for reforms that promote equity, accessibility, and well-being that fosters a more inclusive and resilient museum community.
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How to Participate
Sign up for sessions hosted on Friday, March 14, 2025 and Saturday, March 15, 2025. All of these sessions are free to participate. Register at the link provided to receive reminder emails and the Zoom link.
Some sessions will be recorded for later access, but that is not guaranteed. NEMPN strongly encourages live participation to make the most out of the experience.
More ways to participate coming soon below on this page!
Program Schedule: Friday, March 14, 2025
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Moderator: Jessica Meis, NEMPN Director of Marketing & Communications
Participate in an informal meet-and-greet to connect with fellow museum professionals and board members of NEMPN. This is a great opportunity to build relationships and share ideas in a relaxed setting. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Presenters: Amber Dierking & Kieran Hickey of Queer Liberation Library (QLL)
Queer Liberation Library (QLL) is fighting to build a vibrant, flourishing queer future by connecting LGBTQ+ people with literature, information, and resources that celebrate the unique and empowering diversity of our community. A digital, non-profit, library accessible to anyone with a US address and an internet connection, QLL has been providing queer books for free to 99,000 members (& growing!) since opening on October 23rd, 2023.
Presenter Bios:
Amber (She/her) - In the immortal words of Evie Carnahan, “I am a librarian!” While not occupied with one library or another, Amber can be found growing edible plants on her balcony, throwing herself into the air at ice rinks, and listening to music way too loud. Known for laughing so hard she cries, Amber is also a big supporter of art (all varieties), a four day work week, and waking up a little bit but still having time to go back to sleep.
Kieran (he/they), Founding Idea-Haver - Queer librarian by day, queer librarian by night. In his spare time, Kieran likes to play music, climb rocks, read books, pet cats, and drink coffee. A Virgo. Tell them about your favorite grocery store.
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On your own or with museum colleagues.
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Presenters: Liz Levine, Martina Tanga, & Sierra Van Ryck deGroot
The 2023 Museums Moving Forward (MMF) Report on Workplace Equity and Organizational Culture in U.S. Art Museums found that it takes an average of twelve years to receive a promotion in an art museum. This finding prompted MMF to convene cultural workers across the country and delve deeper into the issue of career advancement, particularly for early career professionals. At MMF, we believe that data allows cultural workers to contextualize their personal experiences within broader structural contexts. If you’ve ever felt as if you just aren’t trying hard enough to achieve a long-term museum career, this session is for you!
This interactive session, led by three museum professionals with diverse career paths, will build on the findings from MMF’s 2023 Report and share new models of collaboration and care from across the sector — including a Career Advancement Care Manual, which is currently in development at MMF. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about how to use data as an advocacy tool and share their voices and experiences to enrich our understanding of the state of the field.
Presenter Bios:
Liz Levine is the Head of Programs at Museums Moving Forward, a research organization devoted to envisioning and creating a more just museum sector by 2030. She is a former museum worker and union organizer with a degree in Creative Writing from Ithaca College.
Martina Tanga is a curator and art historian with over a decade of Museum experience in both curatorial and education departments. She received her BA and MA from the University College London and her Doctorate from Boston University. She currently lives and works in Rome.
Sierra Van Ryck deGroot (she/her) the Assistant Educator, College and University Programs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has a BA in Art, Design, and Interactive Media, Fine Art, and Art History from Seton Hall University and a MSEd in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education.
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Presenters: Kelsey Brow and Michele Endean of NEMPN
Salary transparency and negotiation are essential for ensuring fair compensation in the museum field. This session will cover key topics such as where salary fits into job offers, effective negotiation strategies, resources for researching salary data, understanding your employment type and eligibility, as well as the all-important skill of reading a museum's 990. Attendees will leave with practical tools to advocate for their salaries and thereby contribute to broader change in the field.
Presenter Bios:
Kelsey Brow, co-president of NEMPN, is also the Executive Director of King Manor Museum (Queens, NY), which interprets the history of anti-slavery founding father Rufus King to foster critical thinking. She is particularly passionate about using the historic house space to talk about environmental justice and historical memory. Her professional background has led her to speak on pay equity in small museums, a topic she was especially honored to present at ICOM Kyoto in 2019.
Michele Endean is a consultant, advising companies and nonprofits on their strategy and operations. She loves creating immersive educational experiences, which has taken her from medical device engineering to product management and technology innovation consulting to museum exhibit design. She has spent time working with museums in exhibit design, educational program design and operations, and strategic planning.
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Presenter: Adelyn Castro-Stratulat
Join us for a zine making workshop led by museum educator and creative, Adelyn Castro Stratulat, focusing on disability representation. We'll create our own zines while discussing how art fosters visibility, and inclusion. Come together with other museum folks to share stories and explore the power of community through creative expression.
Presenter Bio:
Adelyn Castro-Stratulat (she/hers) is a sr. museum educator and creative with over a decade of experience in the education field. She is a self taught creative who shares a love for both history and the arts. Living with multiple invisible chronic illnesses has informed both their professional and personal life. When she is not teaching she can be found either sewing, crafting, writing letters to friends, at a museum or exploring different neighborhoods in NYC with their partner.
Program Schedule: Saturday, March 15, 2025
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Moderator: Michele Endean, NEMPN Treasurer
Participate in an informal meet-and-greet to connect with fellow museum professionals and board members of NEMPN. This is a great opportunity to build relationships and share ideas in a relaxed setting. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Presenters: Julia Butterfield and Roberto Chavez
Want to create an inclusive space for LGBTQ+ staff and interns at your institution, but don’t know where to start? Join us for a presentation by museum educators Julia Butterfield and Roberto Chavez. Learn how museums can better support, include, and advocate for LGBTQ+ staff and interns. Participants will hear case studies and strategies for developing more inclusive practices and fostering safe, welcoming workplace environments in cultural institutions.
This presentation is recommended for emerging museum professionals and recent graduates, managers and supervisors, and museum leadership.
This NEMPN Museum Workers Advocacy Day 2025 session was adapted from the New York City Museum Educators Roundtable (NYCMER) 2024 workshop called, “Centering Belonging: LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Museum Youth Programs”.
Presenter Bios:
Julia Butterfield (she/her) serves as the K-12 Program Coordinator at Historic Hudson Valley, planning and leading educational initiatives at the Philipsburg Manor and Sunnyside historic sites that support students and their teachers. She has worked on inquiry-based programs for all ages at The Allen Memorial Art Museum, The Gilder Lehrman Institute, The Museum of the City of New York, The Morris-Jumel Mansion, and the Frick Collection. Julia serves as the NYCMER Peer Group Coordinator for K-12 and Family Programmers.
Roberto Chavez (he/him) is a museum educator, poet, and LGBTQ advocate. In 2023, he joined the American Museum of Natural History. At work, Roberto is an Educator for Children and Family Learning and the Events Chair for AMNH PRIDE, the Museum Community Resource Group for LGBTQ+ staff and allies. He has previously worked at the Intrepid Museum (2021 - 2023), King Manor Museum (2021 - 2022), The New York Historical (2017 - 2021), the New York Transit Museum (2015 - 2021), and the Tenement Museum (2013 - 2015). In 2024, Roberto was a recipient of the Nancy Hanks Award for Rising Stars by the American Alliance of Museums. Outside of work, he serves as the NYCMER Peer Group Coordinator for Queer Peers and he serves on the Queering Committee for Queer GLAM Workers.
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Presenters: Aja Bain, Dr. Nonabah Sam, Dana Murray, and Mariah Lancaster
Staff and committee members of various membership associations share their experiences of how they came to participate in this work, what each association offers to support members, and how the forming of community can help you claim your space in the museum sector. Bring your questions!
Presenter Bios:
Aja Bain, Senior Manager, Professional Development and Publications, American Association for State and Local History
Dr. Nonabah Sam, Curator at the Ned Hatathli Museum at Diné College, Adjunct Professor in the School of Arts and Humanities at Diné College, member of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, & Museums EPN Council
Dr. Mariah Lancaster, Director, Veterinarian and Director of Congressional Affairs with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
Dana Murray is a collections specialist and registrar currently working towards her PhD in Information at the University of Toronto, Canada. A member of the Association of Registrars and Collection Specialists’ Advocacy Committee, and previous Chair of the Emergency Sub-Committee, she is passionate about the care and well-being of GLAM practitioners and strives to foster community building across the sector.
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On your own or with museum colleagues.
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Presenters: Hayden Corrodus
In today’s digital landscape, arts organizations and marketers use online platforms to amplify their work, connect with audiences, and drive engagement. However, these platforms also expose cultural institutions, artists, and marketing teams to online hate, abuse, and harassment.
This 45-minute webinar provides practical strategies to anticipate, mitigate, and respond to online abuse while fostering a positive and resilient digital presence for your organization and Staff.
Participants will gain insight into:
The scope and impact of online abuse in the arts sector
Preventative measures for managing digital risk
Best practices for handling harassment and protecting staff
How to balance free expression and community standards
Crisis response strategies when abuse escalates
This session is ideal for arts marketers, social media managers, and cultural leaders seeking proactive solutions to online harassment in the arts. The advice shouldn't be seen or interpreted as legal or psychological. All tactics are based on my experience within the sector.
Presenter Bios:
Haydn is a seasoned Social and Digital Marketing Consultant with 15+ years of industry experience specializing in the arts and non-profit sectors. He has worked with renowned brands like Coca-Cola, Unilever, and Campari Group, leading award-winning marketing campaigns. Haydn's expertise extends to the Arts and Culture, notably as a Tech Champion for the Arts Council England's Digital Culture Network and a tech fellow for Bloomberg Philanthropies. He has worked and consulted with 350+ international organizations, including the Southbank Center and the Brooklyn Museum, and delivered digital marketing-focused strategies and workshops for organizations like The Roundhouse, The Barbican, and the Royal Academy of Art.
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The BIPOC Space will be held for museum workers who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color), working to create a safe and inclusive space with fellow BIPOC museum colleagues. We hope to create this space for us to network, support, and uplift one another. Our mission is to provide support, resources, and a space to share our work and personal journeys as we navigate forward.
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Moderators: Sara Godin and Sheridan Small of NEMPN Community Committee
Do you have a problem that you're looking for support on how to handle? How can we come together try to solve individual or field-wide issues? This intimate gathering will follow our beloved Bubbles For Your Troubles format where we welcome folks to pour their hearts out about things that are truly grinding their gears in the museum field, personally, and beyond (no recordings or sharing out allowed!). Following the session NEMPN's Community Committee will put together an advice/resource list based off the conversation.
Moderator Bios:
Sara Godin (she/hers) is an LGBTQ+ museum professional who specializes in collections work and preservation. Her background in education informs her interest in the intersections of collections spaces and community access. She is currently the Registrar within the National Archives Presidential Library system. In her free time, she can be found playing video games, reading, crafting, and fencing.
Sheridan Small (she/hers) is a museum educator with eight years of experience in program facilitation and community engagement. She recently relocated from DC to Minneapolis. She believes strongly in advocating for a more inclusive, equitable museum field because only with a strong foundation can museums adequately serve the diverse public. In her free time, she can be found reading fiction, walking her dog Citra, or trying her hand at a new crafting project.