Museums are Vital for healthy and thriving communities - Steven Blashfield
GHA Op-Ed: Museum Appreciation
Museums Are Vital for Healthy and Thriving Communities
By Steven Blashfield
As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence, this year is a natural time to reflect on our collective story. An incredible story it is. I never cease to be amazed at the experiences, stories, and knowledge I gain at museums, where the past brings much of the present into perspective.
Since the founding of the United States, museums and historical sites have preserved and explained our history, culture, and so much more. Throughout the Commonwealth, Virginians have access to over 1,000 museums and cultural institutions that cover virtually every topic imaginable. From the Childhood Home of Patsy Cline to the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum, from the Lucy Burns Museum to the Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum the range is incredible.
In Virginia, museums abound. The Virginia Association of Museums, the nation’s largest statewide museum organization, represents over 3,000 members, including individuals, businesses, and institutions ranging from art museums and galleries to science museums, historic houses, botanical gardens, aquariums, zoos, military museums, historical societies, and battlefields.
Museums are central to how we understand our country and ourselves. They are a key driver to more than $35 billion in tourism dollars, employ thousands, and engage millions in our state – every year. At the same time, they are community centers and places where we gather to learn, listen, and engage with one another – knitting us together. Museums tell the story of who we are through art, history, and science. Most of this work is funded through small admissions fees and extensive philanthropy.
It has been a long time since most museums received any significant funding through governmental budgets. Those that receive public money have been able to compound those dollars exponentially through other sources. Museums do a lot with a little, and are often under-resourced.
Yet, museums are resilient, doing the hard work to make our communities better, with staff and boards that invest countless hours to the effort. Thriving museums are a clear indicator of a strong community, a place where people want to be.
In a world where reality is increasingly fragmented and experienced online or through a digital lens, museums offer grounding and connection. Museums don’t tell visitors how to think but rather offer a counterpoint to come, learn, see the real things, and draw your own conclusions. Museums provide people something they can’t fully get online – authenticity: the real stories, the real artifacts, and the opportunity to connect the dots yourself.
Unfortunately, the future of many museums is uncertain. Despite the incredible value that museums bring to communities and the vital role they play in society, many museums have faced significant challenges.
A 2025 survey from the American Alliance of Museums reported that roughly half of museums are seeing fewer visitors compared to 2019. Reports are growing of restrictions and content modification being imposed upon our national museums and parks.
Furthermore, philanthropy is being squeezed. The federal agencies supporting museums have been diminished. The limited funding that does exist has been cut, resulting in layoffs at some cultural institutions and larger federal agencies that support museums and our cultural community.
This current trajectory is not a viable path forward for an educated citizenry and a future where we can all be better together.
Museums are a vital part of our culture, community, identity, and economy. They also are among the most trusted sources for information in our society today.
It’s time for us, as citizens, to act. We must come together to protect and preserve our museums. There are multiple ways that you can support museums. First, advocate for the importance of museums, especially to elected officials. We need action by our representatives to question the impacts of political decisions on our museums and how those affect how museums present information, organize their collections, and display artifacts. Second, visit a museum near you this year. Third, for those who are able, join a museum as a member or support your favorite museum through fundraisers and donations.
Museums are for everyone, and about everyone. They teach us, enlighten us, engage us, and sober us to all that exists. Together, we can help museums continue to flourish and inspire for centuries to come, and make our communities better together.
Steven Blashfield is Senior Principal and Director of the Cultural Studio at Glavé & Holmes Architecture and the President of the Virginia Association of Museums. Steven can be reached at sblashfield@glaveandholmes.com.
