AAMI - Association for Art Museum Interpretation

AAMI 2025 Annual Convening

November 6 & 7 in Washington, D.C.

outside, blue sky, view of National Gallery of Art, east building on right side, line of trees on left with view of Capital Building between them in the distance.
Photograph by Ron Blunt

About

The Association for Art Museum Interpretation (AAMI) meets annually to learn from our peers’ successes and challenges in crafting and evaluating interpretive experiences for art museums. The two-day convening features keynote talks, gallery exploration, and round-table discussions addressing many of our field’s most pressing issues.

Join AAMI in Washington, D.C. for the 2025 Annual Convening.

Schedule

Thursday, November 6 – True Reformer Building, Lankford Auditorium
1200 U Street NW; an AAMI member will direct you from the lobby to the auditorium

9:00 am – Check in and connect with fellow attendees over a light breakfast and coffee
9:30 am – Morning program in Lankford Auditorium

  • Welcome from Gamynne Guillotte, President, AAMI
  • AAMI Announcements
  • Icebreaker

9:45 am – Keynote: Your Brain on Art and the Role of the Museum in Lankford Auditorium

  • Speaker: Susan Magsamen, founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at John Hopkins School of Medicine. 


11:00 am – Break
11:15 am – Case studies from the field: Interpretive Processes 

  • Shifting Boundaries: Perspectives on American Landscapes, Diana Greenwold, National Museum of Asian Art, and Liz Gardner, Liz Gardner Consulting 
  • Message Hierarchies: What Stories to Tell, Where, and by What Method, George Benson, Museum of Modern Art
  • To Hear Her Speak: Interpretation Shaping Curatorial Practice, Dr. Patricia Akhimie, Folger Institute, and Dr. Verónica Betancourt, Verónica E. Betancourt Consulting

12:15 pm – Boxed lunches provided in Lankford Auditorium


1:15 PM- End of day announcements and introduction to self-guided exploration
1:45 pm – Free time 


5:30 – 8:00 pm – Happy hour @ John Hopkins Bloomberg Center, located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW

  • Open bar and medium bites 

Friday, November 7 – National Museum of Women in the Arts, 5th Floor Performance Hall
1250 New York Ave NW

9:00 am – Arrival at NMWA, please note luggage is not allowed
9:15 am – Morning announcements

  • Welcome and overview of the day
  • AAMI Excellence in Art Interpretation Competition winner announcement 

9:45 am – Case studies from the field: Evaluation 

  • Change You Can Feel: Advocating for tactile experiences in art museums, Emily Gardner and Ramzy Lakos, Seattle Art Museum 
  • Mission: Impossible–Interpretation in a Museum with No Labels, Jocelyn Edens and Danay Vera, Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum
  • Monuments at MOCA, Catherine Arias, Museum of Contemporary Art 

10:45 am – Break
11:00 am – Case studies from the field: Indigenous Perspectives

  • Indigenous Art Interpretation, Stace Treat and Ela Sutcu, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
  • Community Engagement and Multimedia Interpretation for “Dyani White Hawk: Love Language,” Janine DeFeo, Walker Art Center
  • Connection: Land, Water, Sky: Art and Music from Indigenous Australians, Maggie Ordon, Newfields

12:00 pm – Closing statements
12:30 pm – Lunch break, explore nearby dining options 

  • Sushi AOI, 1100 New York Ave NW
  • Himalayan Doko, 1108 K St NW
  • Atrium Café, 1201 I Street NW
  • The Best Sandwich Place, 1300 I St NW

1:00 pm onwards – Self-guided gallery time at National Museum of Women in the Arts

Keynote

The keynote speaker for this year’s convening will be Susan Magsamen, the founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Susan’s most recent book is the New York Times bestseller Your Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us, written with Ivy Ross, Vice President of Google Hardware.

Getting Around

Getting to True Reformer Building from the Arlo Hotel:

Walk 10 minutes then take the Green line from Gallery Place-Chinatown to U Street

Getting to the John Hopkins Bloomberg Center from the Arlo Hotel:

Walk 13 minutes

Getting to National Museum of Women in the Arts from the Arlo Hotel:

Walk 20 minutes or take the Red line from Judiciary Square to Metro Center

Restaurants, Bars, and Coffee Shops

Sit-Down Restaurants

José Andrés restaurants: Oyamel (Mexican), China Chilcano (Peruvian and Asian fusion), Jaleo (Spanish) all on 7th between D and E Streets NW, 10-minute walk from Arlo Hotel

Matchbox (pizza, burgers, salads) on E between 7th and 8th Streets NW, 10-minute walk from Arlo Hotel

Bantam King (ramen) 5th and G Streets NW, 20-minute walk from the National Gallery & 5-minute walk from Arlo Hotel

Daikaya (ramen on the 1st floor, more extensive menu on the 2nd floor) on 6th and G Streets NW, 5-minute walk from Arlo Hotel

Lucky Danger (Chinese) on D Street between 7th and 8th Streets NW, 10-minute walk from Arlo Hotel

Bars

Free State (casual basement bar with cocktails, craft beer, wine) on G Street between 5th and 6th Streets NW, 5-minute walk from Arlo Hotel

Jackpot (casual basement bar with lots of beer options and free popcorn) on 7th between H and G Streets NW, 10-minute walk from Arlo Hotel

Coffee Shops

Compass Coffee on F Street between 6th and 7th Streets NW, 5-minute walk from the Arlo Hotel

Good Company Doughnuts & Café (coffee, tea, smoothies, doughnuts, grab & go and made-to-order food) on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets NW, 10-minute walk from Arlo Hotel

Tatte Bakery & Café (coffee, tea, prepared foods) on Massachusetts Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets NW, 5-minute walk from Arlo Hotel

Hotel

Our host hotel is the Arlo. Our discounted nightly rate is $250. Rooms can be booked using the following link: Arlo Washington DC – Reservations.

Reservation cut-off date: October 6, 2025

Check in time: 3pm Check out time: 12pm

Car parking options: Capitol Crossing Garage at 200 and 250 Massachusetts Ave. $25/night, no in/out privileges

Case Studies

Case Study presentations are a highly-anticipated tradition at AAMI annual convenings. Presenters speak candidly about real-life interpretive opportunities and challenges they’ve encountered and solved, often through creative and experimental means. Attendees value the opportunity to hear from a range of colleagues about exciting new initiatives and to learn varied approaches to tackling challenges that many of us face.

The call for Case Study submissions for the 2025 AAMI Convening is now closed. All applicants have been notified of acceptance.

Tips for a Strong Case Study Proposal

Each case study proposal is reviewed by a committee. In determining which proposals to accept, the committee considers the overall number of proposal submissions, number of available slots, and thematic alignment with other convening components. Other factors that lead to successful proposals include:

  • The topic is innovative and creative.
  • The project description is well organized and thought out.
  • The project is relevant to education and professional development of intended audience.   
  • The topic is applicable to a wide range of institution sizes and budgets.
  • The project demonstrates best practices in the interpretation field.
  • Objectives, lessons learned, or evaluation plans are clearly laid out.


Headline sponsor:

Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app

Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app

For information on previous convenings, see here.