Julie Decker

Julie Decker, PhD, is the Director/CEO of the Anchorage Museum in Alaska, a leading center for scholarship, engagement, and investigation of Alaska and the North. She has a doctorate in art history, a master’s degree in arts administration, and bachelor degrees in visual design and journalism. She has curated numerous exhibitions and authored and edited publications on contemporary art, architecture and the environment.   

At NEMO’s European Museum Conference 2023, Julie Decker will be part of the panel "Part of the Solution" on Monday, 20 November. 

 

Climate of Change: Museums as Catalyst for Tomorrow

Presentation abstract

In Alaska, like all the Arctic, communities are experiencing climate change in ways that affect daily lifeways—through food, transportation, economies, justice, and culture. The most impactful role of museums is to partner and co-create with communities and to imagine possible futures and responses. Issues that most impact people and place present critical opportunities for museums to listen, convene, and facilitate. Museums can be new centers for thought, participation, and imagination; dated definitions of museums may not best serve the needs of today or tomorrow. The risks of museums not addressing the climate change crisis are greater than any perceived risks of leaving out the narratives.