In our initial post about the State of Museums, we mentioned an open letter to AAM written by Alli Schell of the Marshall STEAM Museum & Friends of Auburn Heights. She has since graciously written a guest blog post sharing her thoughts about small museums, and the inherent challenges they face in the larger museum field. Small museums face their own unique challenges around racial equity work and Alli mentions some of the more pressing ones, particularly around Governance, Funding, and Responsiveness. Of course much more remains to be explored still, and we welcome feedback from the community on the thoughts shared here, and on the state of museums today.
– Museums and Race Steering Committee
Can Supporting Small Museums Solve Larger Problems in the Museum Field?
I believe they can.
But first, what is a small museum? I define it by limited capacity—such as in staffing, resources, funding, or scope. While there’s no definitive count of small museums in the U.S., a 2022 survey by the American Association of State and Local History found that 80% of private nonprofit history organizations have annual revenues under $200,000. If we extend that to all museum types, I feel it is safe to assume that the majority of U.S. museums are small. Additionally, small museums are often community-based and can play an important role in preserving diverse stories and histories.
Ten years ago, I attended my first American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference as a budding museum professional and someone who had recently, and fortunately, landed a job in a small museum (I was the only full-time staff member). I was eager to attend the one session dedicated to small museums, only to discover that in this case, “small” meant a full-time staff of 30. Flash forward to this year where I returned to AAM, this time as a speaker on a panel discussing the innovative spirit of small museums. The session was so packed that an overflow room had to be created, which is no wonder, it was the only designated small museum session at the entire conference.
While I left the panel feeling energized, I also came back from AAM feeling disappointed once again by the lack of awareness for small museums. For an organization that promoted itself as “the only organization representing the entire museum field,” there seemed to be a significant gap in its support for the very institutions that make up the majority of the museum landscape. Taking a deeper dive, I noticed that AAM’s leadership, articles and resources were lacking in small museum representation.
It spurred me to write an open letter to AAM to address this issue, proposing solutions that could elevate small museums (and frankly, all museums) in meaningful ways. If interested, you can read the open letter here. I am happy to report that since writing that letter, I’ve had productive conversations with AAM and that my intent here is not to criticize them but to spark a broader discussion: how can we, as a field, address these larger issues?
Ideas
Back to my opening question: why do I think supporting small museums can transform the museum field? Here are some of my ideas.
Advancing Racial Equity
Could empowering and investing in small museums accelerate anti-racist change across the entire museum landscape? It’s a bold question, but one worth exploring. To be clear, museums of all sizes are still grappling with deeply entrenched systems of white leadership, capitalist structures, and white supremacist behaviors that require dismantling. By supporting small museums it isn’t just about helping them survive—it’s about empowering them to lead. What if small museums had resources to authentically restructure their boards and leadership with a commitment to equity? Greater access to DEAI training programs for leadership, staff and volunteers? Funding to meet the needs of underserved community members as well as competitive pay for staff? What if they could establish models for the necessary structural changes needed across the museum field?
Additionally, small museums can play a vital role in preserving and amplifying BIPOC history, experiences, and voices. They often have fewer barriers, such as layers of bureaucracy, to directly engage with their communities and tell their stories truthfully (not to say small museums are free from the biases or structures of exclusion found in the broader museum field). Since they operate closer to their communities, it can set them up to be more nimble in connecting local histories to national and global events, such as the Laurel Historical Society in Laurel, MD that curated an exhibition on the history of political activism and civic engagement within their small town. Change often starts at the grassroots level, and small museums are uniquely positioned to engage their communities in authentic, culturally responsible ways to address racial equity.
Further Breaking Down Hierarchies
There is a pervasive idea that small museums “aspire” to become large museums, but many small museums don’t want to “grow up” into larger institutions—they want to survive and thrive on their own terms. It also is not just about sustainability, it’s about further dismantling hierarchical structures that have long prioritized the interests of larger institutions, potentially making room for a more inclusive, representative museum landscape. Breaking down these hierarchies can contribute to broader racial justice efforts by shifting power dynamics and creating space for leadership that reflects the communities museums serve. It’s time to challenge the assumption that bigger is better and embrace a more diverse, equitable future for all museums. I believe larger museums can learn a lot from their smaller counterparts: when resources are limited, how creative can you get? When you prioritize people over things, what happens? How can you deepen your connection to the community?
Job Creation
We’re all aware of the staffing crisis in this field, with intense competition for even the most entry-level positions. Yet, when we consider the sheer number of small museums across the U.S., the potential for job creation is significant. By increasing funding, support, and awareness for these institutions, we could open up more meaningful positions—positions that not only fill gaps but allow museums and workers to grow and thrive. A few additional staff members in small museums could transform their capacity to serve communities, create innovative programs, and preserve important histories.
Furthermore, investing in small museums could provide more career pathways for museum professionals of color in locations all across the United States. It could open up opportunities for people to build careers within their own communities or live outside of large cities and in (theoretically) more affordable areas. Better funded small museums could reduce unpaid internships, increasing accessibility to skill-building in this field. By reallocating resources, revisiting grant structures, and ensuring more support for small museums, we can work to address the staffing crisis while also tackling the hiring inequities that have long plagued the field.
Equity in Grant Funding
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some grantmakers temporarily expanded their funding to cover operational and staffing costs, providing a lifeline for museums of all sizes. I hoped this shift would become permanent, recognizing the crucial role it played in museum survival but unfortunately those changes didn’t last. Additionally, traditional grant structures disproportionately favor large institutions and small museums are often shut out, not because they lack vision or impact, but because of the scale of the projects required or expectations for several full-time staff members. More inclusive funding would also enable small museums to provide critical programming and services to their local community and better serve underrepresented groups. If organizations like AAM and others in positions of power could advocate to grantmakers to prioritize operational and staffing support it would be a true game-changer.
HR Support
Small museums often lack the resources to hire dedicated HR professionals, which can leave them vulnerable to major safety, ethical, and staffing issues. The absence of HR support not only hinders the ability to recruit diverse talent but can also contribute to unsafe or inequitable work environments. Could organizations like AAM take the lead in providing HR support or resources for small museums? Could they create a shared HR service or toolkit that addresses hiring practices, workplace culture and inclusion? This would be a critical step in ensuring that small museums have the capacity to foster safe, supportive environments that can attract AND retain a diverse workforce.
Universal Healthcare
Imagine if there were a way to provide universal healthcare for all museum workers. In an industry where healthcare is not always a job benefit, this would be transformative not just for small museums, but especially for marginalized museum professionals who are often disproportionately affected by a lack of access to health services. Universal healthcare would not only alleviate a major financial burden on museums but also ensure that museum professionals can thrive without sacrificing their health. In a sector that prides itself on preserving history and culture, it’s time we prioritize the health and safety of the very people who make that mission possible.
How Can We Take Action?
I believe small museums hold the key to addressing many of the challenges we face today—but it will take a collective effort. How can we come together to build a stronger future for small museums and, by extension, the entire museum ecosystem? What role do you see small museums playing in the larger narrative of change? Let’s continue the conversation.
– Alli Schell
Museums & Race 