The Lab
The Peale is Baltimore’s Community Museum.
Let's Experiment
The Lab @ The Peale Museum is a dynamic hub for reimagining the museum experience. Rooted in inclusive storytelling and community engagement, the Lab champions new approaches to accessibility, sustainability, and digital innovation in cultural spaces. Operating online, in the historic Peale Museum, throughout Baltimore’s public spaces, and with partners around the world, the Lab brings together leading experts, creatives, and nonprofit collaborators to research, test, and develop forward-thinking solutions for the cultural sector.
With a focus on technologies like augmented and virtual reality, immersive media, and interactive storytelling, the Lab explores new ways to connect audiences with history, art, and culture.
Led by Nancy Proctor, Ph.D., the Lab serves as an incubator for ideas that empower institutions and audiences alike—ensuring that museums and cultural organizations remain vital, relevant, and accessible to all.
About Nancy
Nancy Proctor, Ph.D., is a museum strategist, specializing in starting up and turning around non-profit organizations. Having led digital innovation at the Smithsonian, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and in the mobile sector, she joined The Peale in 2017 as its (re)founding director, overseeing the capital campaign and renovation of the museum’s historic building, and its relaunch as Baltimore’s Community Museum.
Today, Nancy leads The Lab @ The Peale, a visionary initiative dedicated to rethinking the future of museums and cultural organizations. Through The Lab, she empowers institutions to define their purpose, deepen community connections, and build resilient models for growth and impact. Nancy’s work continues to inspire a global movement toward more inclusive and innovative cultural spaces.
