Southeastern Museums Conference-SEMC

09/27/2026

Thank you to our volunteers who are helping get the Registration area ready!

09/26/2026

From the SEMC conference archives

SEMC 2007

09/25/2026

SEMC was honored to attend the opening reception at Clark Atlanta University Museum of Art for their new exhibition, At the Vanguard: Making and Saving History at HBCUs.

At the Vanguard: Making and Saving History at HBCUs weaves together stories of ingenuity, artistry, persistence, and resistance through the transformative world of HBCUs. Featuring over 130 objects from the collections of five universities, the exhibition explores their diverse practices in the arts, dynamic academic programs and innovations, and groundbreaking activities on and around their campuses.

Explore stories of creativity, resilience, and legacy through rare collections from five Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This exhibition celebrates how HBCUs preserve history—and shape the future.
Be where history lives. Join us at the vanguard.

At the Vanguard is a collaboration between the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. It is part of the HBCU History and Culture Access Consortium Initiative made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and a bequest from Dr. Beryl Carter Rice.

The exhibition is supported by CBRE, Google Arts & Culture, Johnson & Johnson, the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Corporate Leadership Council, the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Members, Southern Company Foundation, The TJX Companies, Inc., and TOYOTA.

09/24/2026

SEMC staff and our fall intern, Morehouse student, Isaiah Tripp, have been hard at work today on final office prep for ! A huge shout of thanks to all our colleagues at the Atlanta History Center (where the SEMC office lives) for assistance with all the things, from giving us a tutorial on the new printers to lending us carts to haul stuff, to security staff offering a hand and patiently letting us clog up the loading dock for a few hours. We appreciate you all!

See everyone in Winston-Salem!

09/24/2026

Happy 10th anniversary to Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture!!!!🎉

09/24/2026

Is it time to see what’s out there?

Stop by our job board and take a look at what’s available!

09/24/2026

Yesssss! Next gen!

Internship Grant Awarded to Historic Augusta!

We are excited to announce that Historic Augusta, Inc. has received the Handumy Jean Tahan Museum Fund Internship Grant through the Southeastern Museums Conference-SEMC!

With support from this grant, Peyton Millwood, a recent Mercer University graduate and history major, will research the roles and experiences of African Americans in Augusta during the 1860s. His work will help expand our understanding and interpretation of this important period in Augusta’s history.

A special thank you to the Southeastern Museums Conference-SEMC and the Handumy Jean Tahan Museum Fund for supporting this opportunity and the continued research and interpretation of our community’s history.

We look forward to sharing more about Peyton’s research and discoveries!

09/23/2026

Thank you National Trust for Historic Preservation!!!!

The East Wing is gone. The Kennedy Center has closed amid a fierce legal and political fight and faces a potential demolition. A proposed arch would intrude on the sightline between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial created to honor the sacrifice of the veterans who rest there.

But the threats are not limited to Washington. Proposed changes to the National Historic Preservation Act would weaken the public's voice in decisions about historic places in big cities and small communities nationwide.

These are not isolated actions.

Today we announced the Historic Preservation Defense Fund: an initial $10 million goal for legal defense, public advocacy, and community action wherever historic places and the laws that protect them are under threat. We have never done this work alone, and we won't start now.

Who gets to decide whose stories and places are saved? We all do.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/LWrb50ZQk61

09/23/2026

We hope all attendees will join us on September 28th at 9:00am for a warm welcome to Winston-Salem from SEMC staff and Mayor J. Allen Joines at the SEMC2026 opening general session. Led by a group of dynamic leaders, you’ll want to add this to your conference schedule!

As Hurricane Helene swept through Western North Carolina, museums, arts organizations, historic sites, and cultural communities faced unprecedented challenges. Yet amid the devastation, the region also demonstrated extraordinary resilience, collaboration, and generosity.

This opening general session brings together North Carolina cultural leaders working at the forefront of recovery to reflect on the immediate impacts of the storm, the partnerships that emerged in its aftermath, and the ongoing work of rebuilding.

09/22/2026

To every SEMC 2026 sponsor: THANK YOU!