PROPOSAL TYPE
Roundtable
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
RELATED TOPICS
- Material Culture
- Museums/Exhibits
- Reflections on the Field
ABSTRACT
As the United States reflects on its 250th, small and local museums dedicated to American Decorative Arts and history face a pivotal moment: how to sustain their collections, engage new audiences, and cultivate the next generation of professionals. With many long-serving experts nearing retirement and fewer young professionals, how can we make this work feel relevant, accessible, and sustainable for the next generation?
Emerging professionals are redefining what it means to engage with historic material culture, connecting objects to urgent contemporary themes of identity, environment, labor, and equity. Yet barriers remain—from limited mentorship and resources to the perception of the field as insular, old fashioned, or inaccessible.
DESCRIPTION
As the fields of American History and American Decorative Arts reflect on their legacy, stewardship, and complex histories ahead of the nation’s 250th, pressing questions arise about who will carry this work forward. The study and care of historic houses and their material culture have long been driven by deeply knowledgeable—often older and locally based—groups operating small and informal organizations. Yet today’s emerging professionals face a transformed landscape of shifting institutional priorities. These changes often stand in tension with funding structures and federal priorities that favor traditional models, leaving smaller institutions uncertain about how to adapt.
This roundtable brings together emerging professionals to discuss what it means to build a meaningful career in small historical institutions today—and how the field can actively cultivate the next generation of leaders for the next fifty years. Panelists will explore how to build meaningful, lasting careers in spaces often dominated by older models—and how institutions can support the new generation.
Furthermore, emerging voices are expanding the field’s relevance by connecting historic objects to contemporary themes of craft, labor, identity, environment, and equity. Through digital storytelling and community-driven programming, institutions are inviting broader audiences to see themselves reflected in the nation’s material past. This discussion will consider how these approaches can foster inclusive pathways into the field and strengthen the infrastructure that supports emerging museum professionals.
This session calls for a candid conversation about sustainability and succession in the field. How do we balance tradition with innovation? How can institutions invest in young staff? And what revolutionary work is necessary to ensure that the study of American material culture remains relevant, accessible, and resonant as we move beyond America’s 250th?
Panelists include Abby Addams, Communications and Marketing Manager, Boscobel House and Gardens; Laini Farrare, Ph.D. Student, History Department, University of Delaware; Cameron Katz, Head of Content and Partnerships, Made By Us; and Riley Richards, Assistant Curator, Boscobel House and Gardens. Together, they will share insights from their experiences in state and local history, museums, historical societies, and related nonprofit organizations—offering both reflection and a roadmap for the field’s future.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly:
Riley Richards, Boscobel House and Gardens, [email protected]
All feedback and offers of assistance should be sent by November 15, 2025. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
In the description, there are many important questions raised about sustainability of smalll historic houses and the decorative arts *and* about the sustainability of a public history labor force. Some of the questions raised are specific to decorative arts, but may be applicable to a wide range of public history & museum workers. Other questions have an applicability beyond the decorative arts and could apply to many, many emerging museum and public history professionals. And then there are questions that are relevant to the future of small historical houses that have used/continue to use decorative arts as a central aspect of interpretations. And finally, the description mentions the importance of asking new questions when working with objects, and potentially using different media for interpretation.
As the team moves forward, I suggest that they consider the focus of the session. Are they going to focus on what is particular to those emerging museum workers who focus on decorative arts and small historical organizations. Or is the focus on decorative arts adn small historical organizations a way to talk about the issues facing emerging museum professionals. What is the team’s vision for a successful session? Being clear about the focus will greatly help audience members.
Good luck!
Thank you for this thoughtful and constructive feedback!