Good morning—I’m Marilyn Jackson, President and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums and I’m happy to welcome you to the 17th annual Museums Advocacy Day.

AAM was founded 119 years ago with the mission of connecting the field so that we can learn from each other and speak with one voice. Speaking with one voice is the essence of advocacy, which is why we have assembled all of you — 350 museum advocates who, on Tuesday, will visit 60% of Senate offices and 40% of House offices.

Now, half of you are first-time attendees. Maybe you have visited your representative’s district office or invited them to visit your museum, but this is a chance to make your voice heard on Capitol Hill and tell our legislators why museums matter.

Museums are essential to the nation’s infrastructure, serving all people and all communities across America. While every state is home to museums exploring history, art, culture, and science, including gardens, zoos, and aquariums, their full value and influence remain under-recognized. Museums are so much more than a weekend excursion.

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Museums enable learning and inspiration for children, families, and people of all ages. American Museums welcome more than 55 million student visits annually.

We know that Americans understand the educational value of museums:

• 92% of Americans think museums are non-partisan providers of educational content.
• 97% believe that museums are educational assets for their communities.

Museums fuel economic development and strengthen communities, cities, and regions. And it’s no wonder that when organizations compile the list of America’s Best Cities, they place the greatest weight on amenities, such as museum density.

Consider that:

• Museums contribute $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year, generating over $12 billion in tax revenue, and museums have been credited in some areas with leading economic rejuvenation. You should check out the Biggs Museum in Dover, Delaware or the Newark Art Museum in New Jersey to see how they are revitalizing their cities.
• Museums play a pivotal role in developing the workforce by creating entry-level positions, apprenticeship programs, and afterschool youth programs that serve as entry ramps into the workforce.

Museums provide people of all interests with gathering spaces.

Did you know that:

• there are more museums than McDonalds in the United States? With more than 22,000 rural, urban, and suburban museums, museums shape American life by inviting people to learn, grow and belong.
• museums are accessible? Most museums provide either free admission all the time or offer low-cost admission programs such as the Blue Star Families program or Museums for All.
• 33% of Americans said that they visit at least one museum each year, outpacing the percentage of Americans that say they attend a sporting event?

With overwhelming public support for museums, lawmakers have a responsibility to invest in these vital institutions. Continued funding and policy support will ensure museums remain accessible, innovative, and impactful for all Americans.

Most importantly, support for museums is important to the American people.

Did you know that 96% of Americans approve of lawmakers who support museums and 96% of Americans want to maintain or increase federal funding for museums?

Now, you can confidently share these messages with your legislators.

Museums remain among the most trusted institutions in our society. Even amid a growing crisis in public trust, research shows that the public still holds museums in high regard. In fact, they rank just behind friends and family, and far above researchers, news organizations, and even the government. Remarkably, this trust spans every segment of our community, regardless of race, ethnicity, political beliefs, or attitudes toward inclusion.

Today’s session is all about preparing you to meet with your legislators. We’ve got a full day planned to equip you with the tools and insights you need to make your voice heard:

• You’ll hear from Brandy Dillingham, AAM’s new Director of Advocacy. Brandy was a congressional legislative assistant and will be able to share with you how to best connect and influence the congressional staff that you will be visiting.

• Elizabeth Merritt, AAM’s VP of Strategic Foresight, and AAM’s research partner, Susie Wilkening of Wilkening Consulting, will take you through the data and help you make the case for support.

• Barry Szczesny, AAM’s Director of Government Relations and Public Policy; Andy Finch, Director of Public Policy for the Association of Art Museum Directors; and Sarah Abernathy, Executive Director of the Committee for Educational Funding will tell you how Congress works and get us on the same page with the key issues and asks for tomorrow’s visits.

This Museums Advocacy Day carries extra weight in light of the recent Executive Orders, which have cast uncertainty over federal funding and the ability to implement diversity, equity, and accessibility plans—plans that are vital to making programs, collections, and exhibits accessible to all Americans.

Over the past four weeks, every museum leader and staff member I’ve spoken with—across all regions and disciplines—has expressed deep concern about these orders and the threats they pose to our funding.

What makes this uncertainty so difficult is the importance of our work to our communities and culture. We know what’s at stake: education, jobs, conservation, and vital community programs.

The implications of these executive actions are still uncertain and will impact each of us differently. Despite the uncertainty, what is clear is that we can find resilience through unity.

AAM is here to ensure that you are not alone in this. We are facing these challenges together, and you have the full force of our Alliance advocating for you.

This week’s advocacy activities will kick off year-round advocacy programming to support your advocacy efforts at all levels – local, state, and federal. A few things for you to think about when you return home:

• If you are not a member of your state museum association, become one.
• Consider working with the other cultural organizations in your area and state to make your impact known to your local and state officials.
• Invite your legislators and their staff to museum events.
• Visit your legislators’ offices as part of your annual external relations activities.

We at AAM assure you that we remain committed to our values, including that our impact is at its greatest when museums are for all.

Before I turn the program over to the experts in the room, it is time that we honor the people who have been instrumental in shaping the advocacy agenda for the sector. Each year, we present two Advocacy Leadership Awards. This year I am delighted to present this award to Andy Finch and the Association of Art Museum Directors for their tireless work advocating not only for art museums but for the entire museum field. Andy and AAMD are active leaders on key topics impacting museums, they mobilize art museums to speak up, and they are long-time supporters of Museums Advocacy Day.

Our next award is presented to Jeanne Schultz Angel and the Illinois Association of Museums for their exceptional leadership in advocating for Illinois museums at both the state and national levels, their steadfast support of Museums Advocacy Day, and their success in bringing a strong Illinois presence to Capitol Hill, every year.

Congratulations!

And now I turn the mic over Barry Szczesny, our Director of Government Relations and Public Policy.