What does it mean to truly look closely? This year’s VRA annual conference, Zooming In, invites visual resources professionals to shift from the wide view and settle into the details, the workflows, tools, discoveries, and community conversations that define our day-to-day practice.
Delivered fully online, VRA 2026 brings together a rich program drawn from 40+ proposals spanning panels, lightning talks, virtual tours, and more. Whether you’re navigating new roles in your institution, exploring how AI is reshaping cataloging and metadata work, grappling with collection development decisions, or finding new ways to activate and engage communities through visual collections, there’s a session built for where you are right now.
This year’s program reflects both the breadth and the depth of our field: from digitizing ancient scrolls to first-time service management, from reparative description to classroom pedagogy, and interactive digital maps. It’s a conference for asking: what happens when we look more carefully?
Join us to learn, connect, and zoom in.
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Strengthening Community Connections in Museums and Archives Bridging the Gap: The Power of Community Outreach in Museums and Archives
This three-person panel brings together professionals from both museums and archives to explore the importance of community outreach and examine how community input helps transform institutions from passive repositories into active community partners.
Panelists will share different outreach strategies and highlight how these efforts increase accessibility and relevance, drawing on successful stories of collaboration between institutions and communities. The discussion will also address challenges such as resource limitations, trust-building, and representation, offering actionable strategies for implementing or strengthening outreach efforts.
Anna Alamond will focus on developing community-centered exhibitions and public programming. Ashley Royer will draw on experience with education, partnerships, and audience development strategies. Lindsey Lutgring will bring expertise in community archives, participatory collecting, and expanding access to archival materials. By bringing together perspectives from both museums and archives, this panel emphasizes how community outreach and partnerships are a key component for the future of cultural institutions.
