Communicating the Arts (CTA), a conference for cultural leaders from across the globe, will address crisis management at its 2026 event in Ottawa-Gatineau. The focus will shift from abstract theory to how cultural institutions can effectively communicate during crises in ways that are credible, transparent, and human.
Recent incidents show the fragility of institutional trust. In January 2025, thieves stole archaeological masterpieces from the Drents Museum, including the golden Coțofeneș Helmet and gold bracelets, on loan from Romania.
Later in October, the Louvre was also targeted, reigniting debates about security, responsibility, and crisis communication.
Paul Klarenbeek, spokesperson at the Drents Museum, will speak at Communicating the Arts 2026 Ottawa-Gatineau, not to present a polished recovery story, but to describe what happens when a cultural institution faces catastrophe: confusion, media frenzy, and the long aftermath.
Digital memory turns crises into lasting references that can resurface years later. For museums, a crisis seldom truly concludes.
Communication as the core of institutional crises
The Drents Museum robbery was straightforward, yet crises from institutional transformation are more complex.
When the National Gallery of Canada created an Indigenous and decolonisation department, reactions varied. Some saw it as overdue, others criticised it for prioritising politics over art. Donors voiced concerns, critics scrutinised the museum, and staff faced conflicting views on the institution's role.
Liliane Lê and Steven Loft, vice-presidents at the gallery, will discuss this experience during the conference. Their case highlights how communication has become integral to governance. Choices related to restitution, representation, decolonisation, and leadership now influence public trust as much as exhibitions and collections do.
Museums are increasingly expected to take ethical and political positions while still embodying institutional authority. This tension has profoundly transformed crisis communication.
Leaders as scapegoats
In the cultural sector, institutional crises are becoming more personal, with directors and senior staff often the public face of controversies they didn't cause. Meanwhile, communication teams are expected to convey confidence despite pending internal decisions.
The idea that one person can embody moral clarity in a fragmented culture is becoming unrealistic. Many institutions still depend on this model, putting pressure on leaders facing complex political, financial, and social demands.
Communicating the Arts 2026 highlights the real effects of institutional distress on museum and cultural workers, moving beyond vague ideas of "learning from failure."
A case study from Remai Modern
Remai Modern in Saskatoon will serve as one of the conference’s most illustrative examples. Upon opening in 2017, the museum faced harsh reactions. Critics labelled it elitist, disconnected from local realities, and inaccessible to wider audiences.
Instead of defensive PR campaigns, the museum adopted a deliberate approach focusing on trust and accessibility. It offered free admission, collaborated with local artists and communities, and aimed to create a welcoming environment.
Its campaign, Art That Bridges, repositioned the institution as a space where participation does not require specialised knowledge, social status, or financial privileges.
Stephanie McKay, the museum’s communications manager, will present this experience as evidence that reputation isn't built solely through statements. It develops through consistent communication, daily interactions, and the sense of belonging audiences feel within an institution.
A new approach
For decades, crisis management has focused on containment, narrative management, stakeholder reassurance, and minimising reputational harm. However, museums do not operate like corporations. Their crises tend to develop emotionally and symbolically, often over extended periods.
At Communicating the Arts 2026, speakers from prominent institutions will contend that cultural organisations should focus their communication strategies less on controlling messages and more on building legitimacy, coherence, and public accountability.
The event proposes an honest reflection on how cultural institutions communicate through uncertainty, conflict and exposure.
To continue these conversations before the conference, the online series Talking the Arts will start on 18 June. It will gather speakers and experts involved in CTA 2026 to discuss how crisis management in the cultural sector has evolved and what cultural leaders should focus on next.
For more information and to register for the conference, please click here.
Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.
