Highlights from the Secretary’s Sept. 20 Town Hall Meeting

It was wonderful to see so many of you last week at the Smithsonian’s first in-person town hall since the onset of the pandemic. For those who were not able to join us at the Hirshhorn or online, I wanted to take this opportunity to recap some of the major topics we discussed.

Federal shutdown

Top of mind was the matter of an imminent government shutdown. Fortunately, Congress was able to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government through November 17 over the weekend. This short-term funding will keep the Smithsonian running as usual and we will continue to keep staff updated with Congressional progress toward our full-year funding for FY2024.

In this moment, we are subject to the uncertainty of Congressional negotiations. It is a stark reminder of how intimately the Smithsonian is tied to the federal government.

Political climate

The current political climate—both on Capitol Hill and across the country—is increasingly volatile. The Smithsonian has recently been on the receiving end of criticism and our content scrutinized by some disapproving of curatorial decisions or challenging our obligation to teach a full account of history.

The nature of our work will sometimes involve us in controversy, and I am comfortable with that inevitability. In fact, I welcome the dialogue. As Secretary, I will always protect your intellectual and creative freedom.

That said, it is not enough for us to just be right; we must also be smart about the way we go about our work. We are cultivating allyships on Capitol Hill and demonstrating transparency and a commitment to scholarship in everything we do, so that we can weather the controversy when it comes.

Digitization

As I said in the town hall, this is a treasured institution. And while I am glad for it, I also want the Smithsonian to be needed and to be seen as an essential institution for all Americans. Our work is necessary to provide the public with a trusted resource to navigate some of the most charged and convoluted issues that affect us all.

A crucial component of that mission is expanding our reach, so that everyone—not just those who visit us in person—can benefit from our work. We have made impressive progress to digitize our collections, build out online resources, and bring the Smithsonian to parts of the country that might not otherwise encounter our work.

New museums

Our two new museums are exemplary of our digitization efforts. Both the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino will be the first museums with digital footprints built from the ground up. These parallel endeavors offer an opportunity to balance tradition and innovation, and I am confident they will set a new standard for museums.

We are still working with Congressional stakeholders to finalize the site selection process, but in the meantime, both museums have surpassed the $50 million dollar mark in fundraising and are building out exceptional programming.

Fundraising

For the entirety of the Smithsonian, this was another successful fundraising year, helping to ensure the longevity of our work. Across all our units, both forthcoming and existing, I am continually impressed by the passion, dedication, and excellence of our staff. I could not be prouder of all that we have accomplished, and I have every confidence in our ability to move toward our shared future.

Each of you is in an integral part of making the Smithsonian the treasured and necessary institution it is today, and I am immensely grateful for your hard work.

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For those of you who were unable to attend last week’s Town Hall in person, you can view a recording here.

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