Reviving The Museum of the Moving Image

​While some cultural institutions are seeing dwindling attendance and declining revenue, Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY, is experiencing a boom. In this session, the museum’s director, Aziz Isham, discusses how they have doubled attendance in just a couple years by listening to their visitors and focusing on local audiences. ​

Aziz Isham is Executive Director of the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), where he has transformed the museum’s fundraising profile and positioned it as the cultural anchor of Astoria, Queens. MoMI is one of the most significant institutions in the U.S. exploring the impact of moving image technology — spanning games, cinema, digital art, and emerging tech. ​A visionary nonprofit executive and award-winning producer with 20+ years of experience, Isham previously served as Executive Director of Twenty Summers, the internationally renowned festival of arts and social justice.

Under his leadership, the organization became known for its prestigious residencies and intimate, one-of-a-kind events with artists, writers, and cultural icons including Margaret Atwood, Fran Lebowitz, and Jeremy O. Harris, among many others. ​

Earlier, Isham was the founding Executive Producer of BRIC TV, one of the largest community media networks in the U.S., producing and commissioning dozens of projects that premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, and Urbanworld. His work spans collaborations with HBO, Apple TV, Discovery, and The New York Times, and he is the recipient of six New York Emmy Awards.