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SEMC2025 Pre-conference Workshop

August 30, 2025: The application period has closed. Outcomes will be shared with applicants by 9/5/25.


We are pleased to open applications for a funded opportunity to attend a one-day pre-conference workshop: Reckoning & Reimagining: Building the Future Through the Lens of 250 Years

Workshop dates/times: 

  • Saturday October 18 - Reception/Dinner: 5PM-8PMCST (times TBC)
  • Sunday October 19 - Workshop: 8AM-4PM CST

Workshop location: 

  • Renaissance Montgomery Hotel, Montgomery, Alabama 

Application deadline has been extended: 

  • Friday, August 29, 2025

Accepted workshop participants will receive full funding to attend the program and the entire SEMC conference including registration, lodging and transportation!

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Workshop Overview and goals


Hosted by the pan-Smithsonian initiative Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past, this workshop will take place on October 19, 2025, in Montgomery, Alabama.

Designed for museum and cultural institution professionals, the workshop invites participants to reflect on local legacies of race and racism and explore how their institutions can contribute to programming for the upcoming U.S. semiquincentennial (250th anniversary).

Held in advance of the 2025 Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), the workshop is free for all selected participants. Following the event, attendees will be invited to apply for a funding award to implement their semiquincentennial program in 2026.

Who can apply:  

All museums and cultural organizations based in the Southeastern region as defined by SEMC-including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands- are invited to apply for the pre-conference workshop. This workshop is designed to help institutions deepen their engagement with the Southeastern Museums Conference and strengthen regional collaborations. Submissions from SEMC member institutions of a variety of sizes (budget, staff, content, etc.) will be prioritized. We warmly encourage institutions that are not yet SEMC members to also apply. If selected, participation in the pre-conference workshop can serve as a meaningful step toward future membership.

Team Composition Requirements:

To foster meaningful collaboration and ensure ideas can be carried forward, each applying institution is required to send a team of two individuals. Team members should:

  • Be actively involved in community engagement, public programming, or related initiatives at their institution.

  • Have the capacity and institutional support to implement workshop ideas within their local context and institution.

Executive Sponsor Statement (Required):

Each successful application must include a brief statement from your executive sponsor (CEO, Executive Director, President, or equivalent). The statement should be no more than one page and must directly address each of the following:

  • Affirm their understanding of the workshop’s goals.
  • Commit institutional support for staff attendance & full participation in the workshop.
  • Empower the team to develop and propose a semiquincentennial public program following the workshop.
  • Pre-commit institutional support for any potential semiquincentennial program proposed by their staff should funds be awarded.


Details on Sponsored Support: 

Conference Registration for SEMC 2025 (for both participating individuals)

  • If already registered for SEMC2025, participant will receive credit for SEMC2026 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. No refunds for 2025 registration will be issued. SEMC members who are not selected for the workshop will still be able to register for SEMC2025 at the Early Bird Registration Rate ($400).

Hotel Lodging from October 18–22, 2025, in Montgomery, Alabama

  • Lodging will be provided at or near the conference hotel.

Round-Trip Travel

  • Transportation funds will be based on the distance traveled to and from Montgomery, AL. Covered expenses include economy airfare, taxi or rideshare to/from the airport and hotel, personal vehicle use, gas reimbursement, and hotel parking for October 18–22, 2025.

Meals

  • Each participant will receive meal funds for October 18–22, aligned with the federal per diem rate. This includes the reception on October 18 and lunch on October 19.

Deadline and Notification:

  • Completed Applications will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. CST Friday, August 29, 2025.
  • Applications will be then reviewed by a Smithsonian committee.
  • All applicants will receive final notifications of the outcome via email by 5:00 p.m. CST Friday, September 5, 2025.

For further information, please contact: 

  • Zinnia Willits - zwillits@semcdirect.net
  • Patty Arteaga - arteagap@si.edu