Celebrating Excellence Across the Southeast

September 14 | 2026

Announcing the 2026 Competition Winners

and Award Recipients

Dear SEMC Members,

As SEMC celebrates its 75th anniversary, it feels especially meaningful to recognize the people and museums doing exceptional work across our region today.

The 2026 Competition winners represent the creativity, thoughtfulness, and innovation happening in museums of every size and type across the Southeast. From exhibitions and publications to technology and communications, these projects reflect the many ways museum professionals are finding new approaches, telling important stories, and connecting with their communities.

Our seven 2026 Award recipients remind us that the strength of our field has always been its people. Their careers and contributions span different institutions, communities, and stages of professional life, but each has made a meaningful impact through their work, service, generosity, and commitment to the museum field.

I am so pleased that we will have the opportunity to celebrate all of the honorees at the SEMC2026 Awards Luncheon in Winston-Salem later this month. Congratulations to our 2026 Competition winners and Award recipients. Your colleagues across the SEMC community are proud to recognize you, and I look forward to sharing this moment with you in person.

With appreciation,

Zinnia Willits

SEMC Executive Director

Under $10,000 Budget

Gold: Moundville Archaeological Park/Jones Archaeological Museum, Black Warrior River/Tvsca lusa

Silver: Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, God-Shaped Hole

Bronze: Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Touring the Landscape: Art, Travel and the Shaping of American Identity

Under $25,000 Budget

Silver: Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, Drawn to the Sea: Maritime Stories from Savannah

Over $25,000 Budget

Gold: Georgia Museum of Art, We, Too, are Made of Wonders

Silver: Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando Collected

Bronze: Reynolda House Museum of American Art & Gardens, Camel City: Tobacco and Transformation, 1875-1964

Honorable Mention: Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum, There and Here: New Perspectives of the Permanent Collection

Over $100,000 Budget

Gold: Frist Art Museum, In Her Place: Nashville Artists in the Twenty-First Century

Silver: Louisiana’s Old State Capitol Museum, A More Perfect Union: Reconstruction’s Legacy in Louisiana

Bronze: McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, Homelands: Connecting to Mounds through Native Art

Honorable Mention: International African American Museum, Middle of Somewhere: The Art and Legacy of Black Southern Makers

Over $1,000,000 Budget

Honorable Mention: Mimms Museum of Technology and Art, iNSPIRE: 50 Years of Innovation from Apple

Digital Exhibit

Bronze: International African American Museum, Black Cowboys of South Carolina

Special thanks to the 2026 Exhibition Competition Chair and Jurors:

Chase Tomlin (Chair), Curator, The National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA

2026 Exhibition Competition Jurors:

Mỹ Linh Triệu Nguyễn, Founder and Executive Creative Director, Studio LHOOQ, New York, NY
Nyree Dowdy, Art Bridges Curatorial Fellow, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA
Patty Arteaga, Public Programs Manager, Smithsonian Institution’s Reckoning with Our Racial Past initiative, Washington, D.C.

Category: Best in Show

To Be Announced at SEMC2026!

Category: Annual Reports

Gold: Historic Oakland Foundation, Oakland 2025 Annual Report

Silver: Cook Museum of Natural Science, 2025 Gratitude Report

Bronze: LSU Museum of Art, 2025 Annual Report

Category: Books & Catalogs

Gold: Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum, Entangled in the Mangroves: Florida Everglades Through Installation Catalog

Silver: The Historic New Orleans Collection, Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration

Bronze: LSU Museum of Art, The Bayou Collection by George Rodrigue Catalog

Category: Brochures and Rack Cards

Gold: Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Fisheye Film Festival Program

Silver: South Carolina State Museum, Education Resource Guide

Bronze: Georgia Museum of Art, “We, Too, Are Made of Wonders” rack card

Honorable Mention: Alexandria Museum of Art, Season Brochure

Category: Campaigns

Gold: Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Camel City: Tobacco & Transformation, 1875-1964 Campaign

Silver: Cook Museum of Natural Science, Soar & Explore Fun Day Campaign

Bronze: The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University, 2026 Auburn Forum Campaign (Mailer, Program, Poster)

Category: Gallery Guides

Gold: Georgia Museum of Art, Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris 1900-1939 passport

Silver: Two Mississippi Museums - Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Student Guide 2026

Bronze: Columbia Museum of Art, Gallery Family Guide

Category: Invitations

Gold: Marco Island Historical Society, Endless Summer: Surf, Sand & the Sounds of the Beach Boys Gala Invitation

Silver: Cook Museum of Natural Science, Donor Appreciation Day 2025 Invitation

Bronze: Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Reception Invitations – bundle

Category: Magazines & Newsletters

Gold: Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Reynolda: Feature Stories from the Estate

Silver: The Mint Museum, Inspired, The Mint Museum Magazine

Bronze: Georgia Museum of Art, Facet

Category: Mailers & Calendars of Events

Gold: The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University, 2025–2026 Calendar Mailers

Silver: The Marco Island Historical Society, "The Island Remembers" Annual Appeal Mailer

Bronze: Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, A Night in Capri Sponsorship Packet Mailer

Honorable Mention: Hunter Museum of American Art, Opening Postcards

Category: Posters

Gold: Cook Museum of Natural Science, Underwater Oceans Feeding poster

Silver: Two Mississippi Museums - Mississippi Department of Archives and History, 2026 Makers Fest poster

Bronze: Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Juneteenth poster

Honorable Mention: Moundville Archaeological Park, Moundville Lithic Arts Festival poster

Special thanks to the 2026 Publication Competition Chair and Jurors:

Christian Edwards (Chair), Assistant Keeper, NC Collection Gallery, UNC-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC

2026 Publication Competition Jurors:

Linda Jacobson, Keeper, NC Collection Gallery, Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC
Rachel Reynolds, Exhibitions Coordinator, Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC
Julia Northrup, Graduate Student, School of Data and Information Sciences, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC
Elle Munson, Graduate Student, School of Data and Information Sciences, UNC-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC
Doug Wait, Volunteer, NC Collection Gallery, Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC

Category: Digital Education - Under $1,000

Gold: Hunter Museum of American Art, 250 Educator Guide

Silver: Hunter Museum of American Art, Ben Clark Video

Category: Digital Education - $1,001-$4,999

Gold: Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Becoming Clarksville iPad Tour

Category: Digital Marketing - Under $1,000

Gold: The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Jellycat Stop-Motion World's Fair Reel

Silver: Hunter Museum of American Art, Terrace at Twilight Ticket Giveaway

Bronze: Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Wilma Rudolph Social Media

Category: Digital Marketing - $1,001-$4,999

Gold: Hunter Museum of American Art, Terrace at Twilight Digital Ads

Silver: Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, The Museum Store Online Store

Bronze: Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Monthly Happenings E-Newsletters

Category: Digital Marketing - Over $10,000

Gold: Marco Island Historical Society, Marco Island Historical Society Website Redesign

Category: Gallery Installations - Under $1,000

Gold: Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Flying High Digital Signage

Category: Gallery Installations - Over $10,000

Gold: The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Discovery Wall

Category: Media Production - Under $1,000

Gold: Gaston County Museum of Art & History, Making the Exhibit -The Old-Fashioned Way

Silver: Columbia Museum of Art, CMA Field Trip Orientation

Bronze: The University of Alabama Museums, UA Museums Visit Gee's Bend

Category: Media Production - $1,001-$4,999

Gold: Frist Art Museum, In Her Place: Nashville Artists in the Twenty-First Century - Artist Interview Series

Silver: The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Italy Documentary Video: The Wolfsoniana in Genoa

Bronze: Hunter Museum of American Art, Day in the Life at the Hunter Video

Category: Media Production - Over $10,000

Gold: The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University, Lyric Birdscapes Video & Podcast Series

Silver: Tennessee State Museum, A Grand Design: Captain Le Roy Reeves and the Tennessee State Flag

Category: Virtual Media - Under $1,000

Gold: Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Voting Rights Act Anniversary Shorts

Silver: Georgia Museum of Art, Bloomberg Connects

Bronze: Gaston County Museum of Art & History, Highland Neighborhood Public Art Website Project

Category: Virtual Media - $1,001 - $4,999

Gold: The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Nathaniel Visits the World's Fair

Silver: Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, QR Code Transcription of Sam Houston Letter

Category: Virtual Media - Over $10,000

Gold: Georgia Museum of Art, Georgia Museum of Art Website Redesign

Special thanks to the 2026 Technology Competition Chair and Jurors:

Scott Warren (Chair), Historic Site Manager II, President James K. Polk State Historic Site, Pineville, NC

2026 Technology Competition Jurors:

Scotty Almany (Jury Foreman), Deputy Director of Operations and Project Management, Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA
Glenna Barlow (Juror), Curator of Education, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC
Marian Inabinett (Juror), Curator of Collections, High Point Museum, High Point, NC
Kevin Kane (Juror), Software Developer, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC
Rebecca P’Simer (Juror), Curator of Collections, East Tennessee Historical Society, Knoxville, TN

Congratulations to the 2026 SEMC Award Recipients!

Join Us in Celebrating the 2026 SEMC Award Recipients

Awards Luncheon & Leadership Roundtable

September 30, 2026 | 12:00 p.m.

Benton Convention Center | Winston-Salem, North Carolina

The 2026 Awards Luncheon and Leadership Roundtable is sponsored by:

Bonsai Fine Arts

Read the SEMC 2026 Awards Announcement

2026 James R. Short Award

Michael Hudson

Chief Curator, Kentucky Historical Society (retired)

Museum Director, American Printing House for the Blind (retired)

Louisville, Kentucky

2026 Museum Leadership Award

Alexandrea Pizza

Executive Director

Gaston County Museum of Art & History

Dallas, North Carolina

2026 Outstanding Service to the Museum Profession Award

Quinn Godwin

Director

North Carolina American Indian Heritage Commission

Raleigh, North Carolina

2026 Distinguished Contributors Award

Mrs. Joan and Dr. Ernie DeWald

Museum Members/Supporters, Customs House Museum & Cultural Center

Clarksville, Tennessee

2026 Emerging Museum Professional Award

Selynne Ancheta

Director of Development

Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art

College of Charleston

Charleston, South Carolina

2026 Emerging Museum Professional Award

Athena Jones

Manager of Teen, Outreach and Access Programs

Hunter Museum of American Art

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Special thanks to the 2026 Awards Chair:

Michelle Schulte, Chief Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA

Congratulations to the 2026 SEMC Award Recipients!

SEMC 2026 Awards Luncheon

Join us in Winston-Salem as we honor the 2026 SEMC Award recipients and Competition winners! This special event will recognize the creativity, leadership, and dedication of museum professionals and institutions across the Southeast.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Salem Ballroom 2

Benton Convention Center

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

The Awards Luncheon is always a highlight of the SEMC Annual Meeting, a joyful opportunity to recognize our colleagues’ accomplishments, connect with friends and peers, and celebrate the people and projects making a difference across our field.

We hope you will join us for this special afternoon with the SEMC community. Register today!

We look forward to celebrating with you at SEMC2026!

THANK YOU!!

We want you to know that we greatly appreciate your support through membership and will continue to work hard to provide training, virtual connection and resources to our southeastern museums community.