Yet She Is Advancing recognized as regional exhibition of the year

Written By Alicia Vial

NEW ORLEANS — The Historic New Orleans Collection’s (HNOC) exhibition Yet She Is Advancing: New Orleans Women and the Right to Vote 1878-1970 has been awarded second place in the 2024 Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) annual Exhibition Competition which showcases the best in the profession and provides benchmarks for regional exhibition efforts in southeastern museums.

Yet She is Advancing explored the advancements made by women throughout New Orleans’ history and celebrated their significant contributions to the city’s culture. This exhibition combined innovative curation with engaging educational content, inviting visitors to reflect on the city’s past while highlighting the influential women who helped shape its future.

“We are honored to receive this award,” said HNOC President and CEO, Daniel Hammer. “Yet She is Advancing represents a significant achievement for our institution, as it underscores the powerful role women have played in shaping the history of New Orleans. Our team’s dedication to bringing these stories to life is recognized by this prestigious award.”

For many visitors, exhibitions are the public face of museums, and effective planning, management of resources, research and interpretation, collections care, public programs, publications and fundraising all contribute to the fulfillment of a museum's mission. Expectations and standards were exceptionally high for this year’s applicants. The SEMC Exhibition Competition received a record-breaking number of applications from a wide variety of museums across the southeast.

The Exhibition Competition recognizes exhibitions for overall excellence or for stretching the limits of content and design through innovation. Winning entries were well-designed exhibitions of merit with educational value and demonstrated respectful treatment of objects. Recipients of the awards were judged by an appointed jury of museum professionals across the region who specialize in curatorial studies and exhibition design.

Yet She is Advancing will be recognized at the 2024 Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon Oct. 23 in Baton Rouge. This designation recognizes HNOC’s contribution to professional standards in Southeastern museums.

To learn more about HNOC and exhibitions currently on view, visit hnoc.org.

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About the Historic New Orleans Collection
Founded in 1966, the Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center and publisher dedicated to the stewardship of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. For more information, visit www.hnoc.org, call (504) 523-4662, or follow HNOC on Facebook and  Instagram.                                                                                                                                                                                     

About the Southeastern Museums ConferenceThe Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), a nonprofit membership organization, is an association of museums, museum staff, independent professionals and corporate partners. We focus on the Southeastern United State including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.

The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming conference experience for everyone. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form.

For more information about the Southeastern Museums Conference, visit https://www.semcdirect.net/.

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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