Submissions are due by October 10th for the Moab Chamber of Commerce’s nominations for Citizen, Business, and Nonprofit of the Year! We’d love you to advocate for our wonderful small town museum by nominating us HERE! Why might we be so deserving, you may ask? Well, if you’ve seen us around at Museum programs, at the U92 exhibition, or around town in partnership with other organizations, the answer might be obvious, but if you only tap into our work here and there, here’s a bit about how the year has gone so far:

In a year marked by record-breaking engagement and renewed community trust, the Moab Museum has emerged as a model of what a small-town cultural institution can accomplish. To date in 2025, the Museum has welcomed 6,880 paying visitors—a 69% increase year-over-year—and is on track to reach 9,000 by year’s end, thousands more than in previous years. Within and beyond our galleries, the Museum’s programs have drawn 3,876 additional participants through school visits, guide trainings, and exhibition-related speaker events, reflecting the Museum’s deep and growing connection to the Moab community. Many thanks to the work of our Director of Programs, Megan Vickery, and in collaboration with the team, Moab City RAP Tax Grant, Moonflower Coop’s Seeds to Starts Grant, and instituitonal support from Back of Beyond Books, we’ve hosted speakers including Tom Zoellner, JR Oppenheimer, and JW Powell, LeAnder Goldtooth, Mary Dickson, Phil Geib, Tommy Rock, Mark Steen and MORE!

At the heart of this success lies U92: Moab’s Uranium Legacy, the Museum’s most impactful exhibition to date. Presented in two phases, U92 explores the complex history and ongoing impact of uranium mining on the Colorado Plateau—its geologic promise, economic transformation, and enduring environmental consequences. The exhibition weaves personal narratives with national history, inviting visitors to grapple with how uranium shaped Moab’s economy and culture and continues to influence global energy debates. The July 2025 launch of U92: Aftermath, featuring a keynote by Dr. Tommy Rock on uranium’s impacts across the Navajo Nation, reaffirmed the Museum’s commitment to stewardship of shared histories. Many thanks to Tara Beresh, Director of Curation and Exhibitions, for her work within this realm, as well as countless volunteer hours and community consultations. 

The Museum’s impact extends well beyond its exhibitions. Through co-leadership, the organization has stabilized finances, revitalized governance, and built a foundation for long-term sustainability. A forward-looking exhibition plan through 2028, and the induction of a diverse slate of new trustees, demonstrate strong organizational growth and a commitment to shared leadership. This inclusive approach has fostered greater responsiveness to community needs, increased collaboration across sectors, and amplified the Museum’s role as a civic and cultural convener.

Looking ahead, the Museum is preparing to take part in the nationwide America’s Semiquincentennial commemoration in 2026 through an ambitious exhibition series, Voices of the Plateau. This year-long program will spotlight the many cultures that have shaped the region—from Ute Mountain Ute Elders reflecting on the “Posey War,” to Chicano artists celebrating Lowrider culture, to explorations of the Buffalo Soldiers’ history in Utah. The culminating community exhibition, How Did We Get Here?, will invite residents and artists to share their own stories of migration, identity, and belonging—affirming that every person in Moab has a story worth telling.

In a time when small museums across the nation face challenges of attendance and funding, the Moab Museum stands out as an example of adaptability, creativity, and community-centered leadership. It has become a hub of learning, connection, and dialogue—a place where residents and visitors alike can find meaning in Moab’s layered past and hope in its future. The Museum’s Collections remain an example, with thanks to Director of Collections, Allie Donnell, of an ever-publicizing and broadening area of community trust and research. With each month, the Museum has been able to share a wider range of stories through local artifacts and items, oral histories, traveling and satellite exhibitions, and tours of the gallery space and the Collections Storage Facility (to come in December 2025). 

With record visitor growth, bold curatorial vision, a collaborative leadership model, and a steadfast dedication to truth and inclusion, the Moab Museum has redefined what a rural museum can achieve. For these reasons, it deserves recognition as Moab’s 2025 Nonprofit of the Year—a shining example of cultural resilience and community impact.