Title: Owner and Founder
Company: Mountain Museum Management LLC
Location: Aurora, Colorado, United States
Samantha Hunt-Duran, PA-AIC, owner and founder of Mountain Museum Management LLC, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Business Owners for dedication, achievements, and leadership in entrepreneurship and museum management.
Ms. Hunt-Duran has established herself as a leading expert in collection preservation, with over a decade of professional experience in the museum and conservation sectors. Since 2022, she has served as owner and founder of Mountain Museum Management LLC, where she manages all aspects of the organization’s compliance with the Secretary of State, oversees staff and contractors, directs daily operations, and consults with security companies specializing in collection preservation. Through this role, Ms. Hunt-Duran has redefined the concept of success within her industry. By championing business ownership as a viable and valuable path, she has challenged the traditional notion that achievement is measured solely by employment at recognized institutions. Her innovative approach has contributed to evolving perspectives on professional accomplishment in the museum field.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Hunt-Duran was a conservation and collections associate at Pacific Coast Conservation from 2019 to 2023. In this capacity, she contributed her expertise to the preservation and care of cultural artifacts, further honing her skills in conservation practices. Concurrently, she served as vice president of the cultural council for Commerce City from 2019 to 2021, where she played a pivotal role in supporting local arts initiatives and fostering community engagement with cultural heritage.
From 2017 to 2019, Ms. Hunt-Duran worked as a conservation assistant at the Denver Art Museum, where she assisted with the preservation of significant works and supported ongoing conservation projects. In 2018, she was recognized as the first president and founding board member of the Art History and Anthropology Graduate Student Organization at the University of Denver, demonstrating her commitment to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration within her field.
Ms. Hunt-Duran’s early career included several formative internships that provided hands-on experience across various specialties. She was a paintings conservation intern at Kuniej Berry LLC from 2015 to 2016 and held multiple roles from 2014 to 2015: paper conservation intern at Beth Heller LLC, regional liaison for the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network, objects conservation intern at Art Objects Conservation and paintings conservation intern at the Clyfford Still Museum. Additionally, she served as an archives processing assistant at the University Libraries for the University of Denver and completed an outdoor sculpture conservation internship at the Denver Art Museum in 2014.
Ms. Hunt-Duran’s international experience includes serving as an archaeological artifacts conservation intern and paintings conservation intern at Studio Arts College International in 2013. These roles broadened her perspective on global conservation practices and deepened her technical proficiency.
Reflecting her dedication to advancing standards within her discipline, Ms. Hunt-Duran has been affiliated with several prominent professional organizations in her field. She is a member of the American Institute for Conservation and has served on the board of directors for the Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists since 2024.
Ms. Hunt-Duran’s academic background has been instrumental in shaping her career trajectory. She obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in pre-art conservation from the University of Denver in 2015. Subsequently, Ms. Hunt-Duran earned a master’s degree in art history with a concentration in museum studies from the same institution in 2018. Her specialized training includes a certificate in painting and archaeological conservation from Studio Arts College International in Florence, Italy, awarded in 2013 and a certificate in polarized light microscopy and pigment identification from Hooke College of Applied Sciences.
Throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies, Ms. Hunt-Duran was drawn to museum work but became increasingly aware of challenges within institutional environments, such as limited funding and concerns regarding employee treatment. These experiences motivated her to pursue alternative avenues for supporting museums while maintaining independence from traditional structures. Ms. Hunt-Duran attributes her achievements to courage and determination—qualities that have enabled her to forge an unconventional path despite industry norms favoring more traditional routes.
Beyond her professional commitments, Ms. Hunt-Duran maintains active involvement with civic organizations. She has been a member of the cultural council for Commerce City since 2019, contributing to local arts advocacy efforts beyond her tenure as vice president of the group. Ms. Hunt-Duran’s earlier service includes teaching English language at The Agnesi School in Florence in 2013 and guiding English-language tours for Ars et Fides during that same year. As concertmaster violinist for the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, she has demonstrated leadership and artistic excellence outside her primary field.
Ms. Hunt-Duran is also engaged in creative projects that amplify voices within her profession. She is in the process of launching “Museum Backstage,” a podcast featuring conversations with museum professionals about their roles, challenges faced and innovative solutions developed within their organizations. The podcast aims to foster authentic storytelling while exploring how museums can adapt for future relevance.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Ms. Hunt-Duran enjoys playing the violin, designing and sewing clothing, and hiking. Looking ahead, she intends to expand her business internationally to raise awareness about collection preservation among broader audiences while continuing to advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion within the field and supporting Native and Indigenous communities’ voices. Ms. Hunt-Duran’s career reflects both depth of expertise in collection preservation and a commitment to redefining success through entrepreneurship, advocacy and innovation within the museum sector.
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