BNIM Speaks on Museum Leadership at AMM 2026

BNIM brought two conversations to the American Alliance of Museums 2026 Conference in Chicago this year, both looking at how museum leaders navigate uncertainty with foresight and trust. Jeremy Knoll and Ryan Evans joined leadership from peer institutions across two sessions, one on the hard decisions behind institutional leadership, the other on stewardship in a changing climate. Together, they reflect the questions BNIM is helping museum leaders work through as they plan for what’s ahead.

In the Room Where It Happens: How Museum Leaders Make Hard Decisions

This session offered candid insight into how museum leaders actually make decisions when priorities compete and outcomes are uncertain. The conversation centered on cathedral thinking, decisions made for outcomes that outlast the people who make them, and the value-driven processes that build and sustain stakeholder trust. Panelists discussed how institutions move from an untested leap of faith to what one presenter called a hop of faith, a shift made possible by building the teams and knowledge to act with confidence, even amid uncertainty.

Presenters: Jeremy Knoll, BNIM; Steve Waterman, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art; and Nick Nelson, Springfield Art Museum

Preserving Culture for Future Generations: Stewardship Beyond the Gallery

Climate change is testing the foundations of collections stewardship. This session connected preservation ethics, public trust, and environmental stability, offering scalable tools and real-world lessons to help museums act with foresight, even with limited resources.

Presenters: Jeremy Knoll, BNIM; Steve Waterman, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art; Ryan Evans, BNIM; Jeff Kling, GDS

Interested in continuing these conversations? Reach out to Jeremy Knoll or Ryan Evans.