Strategic Plan and DEAI Goals

In November 2015, the Walters Board of Trustees approved a Strategic Plan for the museum, which set out a 10-year roadmap for the institution. It outlines a shared vision of the Walters as a transformative force in the Baltimore region.

Strategic Plan Narrative

In December 2020, the museum also finalized a set of institutional DEAI goals that will advance the museum’s commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in our organization, our communities, and the museum field. This commitment is foundational to the Walters’ vision to be a force for transformation—to being an anti-racist institution and a 21st-century museum, an evolving civic organization that creates space for dialogue, reflection, and artistic creation.

The DEAI goals are a direct outcome of this Strategic Plan and outline new action items for the institution for the next several years. To create these DEAI Goals, a Joint Staff & Board DEAI Working Group reviewed the institution’s progress against the Strategic Plan; consolidated and reviewed staff- and department-driven goals for DEAI; and identified key priorities for the institution moving forward. Staff participated in optional feedback and discussion sessions, and the Board DEAI Committee and the full Board of Trustees reviewed and supported the plan.

DEAI Goals

Aerial view of Mount Vernon, Baltimore

Strategic Partners

The Walters’ strategic plan envisions the museum as a transformative force in the region and a cornerstone in the community by engaging in collaborative leadership and by creating and sustaining innovative partnerships. To achieve those goals, the Walters partners with organizations across Baltimore and Maryland, and has formed strategic partnerships with four anchor institutions in Baltimore—Morgan State University, UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Kennedy Krieger Institute: The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, and MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art).

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