Conference

2025 MAGDA Annual Membership Meeting & Booking Conference

October 1 – 3

Chico Hot Springs, Pray, Montana

REGISTRATION OPEN THROUGH SEPTEMBER 12!

2025 Registration Form
Virtual Booking Form
Participant Information

2025 Conference Agenda

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1

11:30 a.m.        CHECK-IN & LUNCH 

12:30 p.m.           WELCOME: Alissa Kost, Executive Director, MAGDA

12:45 p.m.           INSTITUTIONAL INTRODUCTIONS 

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING UPDATE/ Q&A – Krys Holmes, Director, and Kristin Burgoyne, Deputy Director, 504/ ADA Accessibility Coordinator, Montana Arts Council, Helena

2:05 – 3:05 p.m.  ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS – Session 1

1.  CREATIVE AGING PROGRAMS: Kim Kapalka, Executive Director, Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery, Red Lodge, MAGDA Board President. Ideas for developing and implementing artmaking and art viewing programs for adults with memory care needs over 55.

2. SATELLITE PROGRAMMING FOR EXHIBITIONS: Nicole Maria Evans, Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, Great Falls.

3. WHAT THE AI? Stoney Samsoe, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Open AIR, Missoula. Arts nonprofits are often under-resourced and stretched thin. This roundtable will explore how organizations can harness AI tools to increase efficiencies and even treat AI as a meaningful collaborator — freeing up time, energy, and focus for the bigger, mission-driven work at the heart of the arts.

3:10 – 4:10 p.m.    ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS – Session 2

4:10 p.m.          BREAK 

4:25 p.m.           PROPOSED EXHIBITIONS FOR TOUR 

5:30 p.m.           NO-HOST CASH BAR AND LIVE MUSIC BY RICHARD MATOON

6:30 p.m.           DINNER

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2

8:00 a.m.           BREAKFAST 

9:00 a.m.           MAGDA PROTOCOL: Alissa Kost, Executive Director, MAGDA. (MANDATORY MEMBER ATTENDANCE) – Introducing Western Peaks Logistics!

9:30 a.m.        ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP & BUSINESS MEETING: Kim Kapalka, Executive Director of the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery, Red Lodge, Board President, MAGDA. New Board Member Vote

10:00 a.m.         BREAK

10:15 – 11:45 a.m. PANEL DISCUSSION: NONPROFIT FUNDING IN THE NEW LANDSCAPE.  Nonprofits are facing scrutiny from the Federal government and being forced to reevaluate their mission, values, and partnerships. This discussion will shine a light on how we’ve gotten here and how we can move forward collectively with optimism. 

Moderated by Molly Stockdale, Executive Director of Travelers’ Rest Connection and Vice Chair for Montana’s 250th Commission. 

Panelists: Adam Jespersen, Executive Director, Montana Nonprofit Association; Molly Kruckenberg, Executive Director, Montana Historical Society; Mandy Rambo, Deputy Director, Montana Department of Commerce. 

12:00 p.m.       LUNCH 

1:15 p.m.       KEYNOTE: THE ARTS, CURIOSITY, AND ACTION: Igniting creative leadership to shape our future. Dr. Jennifer Cavanaugh, Dean – College of the Arts and Media, University of Montana, Missoula. Arts-based leadership is our path forward to build and sustain vibrant, empathetic communities. In uncertain times, we must collectively lean into that which we can impact by fostering connection, belonging, self-expression, and servant-based leadership – all through the lenses of curiosity and wonder.

2:15 p.m.         BREAK  

2:30 p.m. MUSEUM AS A PLAYGROUND: The 2025 ART HANDLING OLYMPICS! Exercise your skills and learn from your peers in this lively team competition! How well do you know proper handling and installation techniques? Not a Curator, you say? Packing, receiving, and reading labels are basics for all arts employees. Let’s team up and face off to see who’s the real professional here. 

4:00 p.m.       BREAK, NO-HOST CASH BAR

4:30 p.m. HANDS-ON ARTISTS WORKSHOP: Grace Brogan, contemporary broom maker and MAGDA Sponsored Artist.

6:30 p.m.          DINNER – AUCTION CLOSES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3

8:00 a.m.          BREAKFAST 

9:00 a.m.          REVIEW OF PROPOSED EXHIBITIONS 

9:15 a.m.         IN-PERSON BOOKING SESSION

11:00 a.m.        ADJOURN

The Annual Conference combines exhibition booking opportunities with professional development and training for personnel and volunteers of the state’s art centers. 

Professional development workshops cover topics of relevance to member organizations, based on their indicated needs. A sampling of seminars conducted by leading professionals include:

  • Educational programming
  • Fundraising
  • Board / staff relationships
  • Exhibition preparation
  • Marketing / communications
  • Budgeting / cash flow analysis 
  • Volunteer management
  • Gallery / museum practices and ethics
  • Hands-on art workshops