SWEDISH AMERICAN MUSEUM ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO

The Swedish American Museum is dedicated to preserving Swedish heritage and educating all generations and ethnic groups in Swedish language, art, culture and traditions. Through its arts and educational programs and its permanent collection, the Swedish American Museum interprets the immigrant experience for children and adults and promotes an appreciation of contemporary Swedish-American culture.

The Museum carefully manages and preserves its collection to ensure it is relevant to its mission of illustrating the Swedish-American story, and is made accessible to scholars and to the public. The Museum maintains its facility and refreshes its core exhibit and Children's Museum to engage visitors of all ages and backgrounds in the immigration story. The Museum seeks to increase its membership and attract a 25-45 year old demographic through family programming and related outreach to members and visitors. The Museum seeks to expand its community relationships by collaborating with other Scandinavian, ethnic, cultural and community organizations to hold events and exhibits.

Executive Director Karin Moen Abercrombie oversees six staff members, who manage programs and handle daily operations. The Museum's volunteers contribute more than 7,500 hours of administrative support and professional expertise. A 12-member Board of Directors provides oversight and guidance. Through its network and partnerships with other cultural institutions from around the world, the Museum is able to provide an array of educational programs and installations for the community. The Museum continues to make long-term investments in its building including installation of a new fire suppression system and other facility related upgrades, in order to preserve our institution for generations to come.

Ongoing projects in the collection include implementing archival storage methods and digitizing material for preservation and research. Work started in 2013 and continues. High density shelving was installed in 2016. A tech-equipped mobile exhibit was also added to the permanent installation of “Buzz Aldrin, Space Visionary", in the Brunk Children's Museum of Immigration, enhancing the education experience. The Museum's new website launched in 2016. The Museum has conducted a visitor survey program, one of several steps taken to prepare for a major expansion/upgrade of the Museum's exhibit space, and classrooms anticipated to begin in 2019-2020. A new gallery was created on the second floor, allowing the Museum to double its annual presentations of art exhibits. A new and expanded Genealogy Center opened in April 2017. Both the replacement Water Tower and the commercial grade kitchen are expected to be completed in 2017. Received IMLS funding to update our "Dream of America" exhibit in 2021 and will be ready in fall 2023 with an updated and renamed exhibit "We Are America".