Anna Stolyarova

Anna Stolyarova is the Founder and Managing Director of Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA), an independent community-led museum exploring the intersections of street art, heritage, public space and social change.

Since founding SAMA, Anna has led the development of one of Europe’s first museums dedicated to documenting, preserving and activating street art as a form of living cultural heritage. Under her leadership, SAMA has evolved from an open-air collection into a community-led platform where residents, artists, researchers and public institutions collaboratively shape cultural value. Her work focuses on participatory heritage, citizen-led knowledge production, digital preservation and new models for museums in public space.

Through international collaborations, educational programmes and local action in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, she explores how museums can move beyond collecting objects toward facilitating relationships, collective memory and shared ownership. Anna regularly speaks on the future of museums, participation and the role of culture in building more inclusive cities.

Anna Stolyarova will be speaking at the Creative Museums Summit 2026 :

Museums Don’t Need More Visitors, What Citizen Science Can Teach Museums

The future of museums belongs to contributors, not just visitors. Drawing on the experience of Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA), this session explores a radical shift: treating communities as knowledge producers rather than passive audiences.Through street art, participatory heritage, and citizen science, local residents become researchers, interpreters, and co-authors of cultural value. This session challenges traditional museum boundaries. It moves beyond passive consumption toward active, community-driven creation.This practical, provocative talk is designed for museum professionals. It offers concrete insights into genuine participation, shared ownership, and the evolving civic role of modern cultural institutions.