Posts Tagged ‘museums’
From the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums:
The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums announced a new benefit for its members. Members now have access to an on-demand service, “Cornerstone Calls: MAAM On Demand.” Billed as “highly-focused, timely, and cost effective,” the one hour topical forums focus on key issues facing museums and museum professionals. The sessions are conducted over the telephone and operate in a conference panel format with interaction between panelists and participants. ”Cornerstone Calls” are offered free to existing MAAM members, but require an RSVP in advance.
There are two upcoming “Cornerstone Calls,” What’s Your Strategy?: The NEW ‘How To’s’ of Social Media on Thursday, May 10th at 3:00 p.m. and What Employers Want: Selling Yourself in a Tough Job Market on Wednesday, June 6th at 3:00 p.m. More information on the panelists and registration below:
What’s Your Strategy?
The NEW “How To’s” of Social Media
Thursday, May 10th @ 3:00 PM
Panelists: Sarah Sulick (PublicRelations & Social Media Manager, Smithsonian Institution) and Sarah Banks(Audience Engagement Specialist, Smithsonian Institution). This session will include a general overview of three major platforms (Facebook, Twitter and blogs) and insight into new upstart Pinterest. Included will be examples of how the National Museum of Natural History has been successful developing a social media campaign. Links to the Smithsonian’s social media policies and best practice documents will be provided to participants. This session will be conducted over the telephone and is free for existing MAAM members. To register please contact Jennifer Bank at admin@midatlanticmuseums.org
What Employers Want
Selling Yourself in a Tough Job Market
Wednesday, June 6th @ 3:00 PM
Panelists: Nancy Schnitzerling (Director of Human Resources, Liberty Science Center), Michael Gibbons (Executive Director, Babe Ruth Birthplace Foundation, Inc.), Brenda Reigle (Western Division Chief, Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission ), Barbara Bartlett (Director, Lorenzo State Historic Site), Heather Stivison (Executive Director, Stickley Museum).
The job market for aspiring museum professionals is tougher than ever. This one hour forum will offer insight into what current museum executives and HR managers are looking for in new applicants. This session will be conducted over the telephone and is free for existing MAAM members. To register please
contact Jennifer Bank at admin@midatlanticmuseums.org
From H-Pennsylvania:
The Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent has reopened with a new exhibition concept, a community history gallery featuring exhibitions designed and curated by neighborhood organizations about the work they do and the contributions they have made to the fabric of life in the city. One goal of this new exhibition gallery concept is to give Philadelphians an active voice in presenting the city’s history based upon historical, social, cultural, intellectual, or political concepts.
The Philadelphia Voices Gallery will present three compelling exhibitions each year that give voice to the ways that Philadelphia’s community and neighborhood based organizations address issues including hunger, violence, homelessness, discrimination, housing, education, immigration, health, environment, and work.
Details on eligibility and selection and information for successful applicants can be found here. The application (PDF) deadline for this cycle of exhibits is June 8, 2012.
Applicants are invited to attend one of three informational meetings prior to submitting their applications. In addition to answering questions about the application process, the meetings will allow applicants to discuss exhibition concepts and learn more about the Philadelphia HIstory Museum’s resources and facilities. The meetings will be held at the museum on April 20, April 21, and May 5, from 1:00-2:00pm. Those interested in attending the meeting should contact Cindy Little at cindy.little@philadelphiahistory.org or call 215.685.4836.
The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums is hosting a workshop entitled, How to Create, Run and Sustain an Effective Internship Program on March 30th, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia (315 Chestnut St). Registration ($40/members, $50/non-members) is now open, but closes on March 20th. Download the PDF file here. Speakers include Petra T. Chu, Pauline Eversmann, Jacqueline R. Emerick, Katie Friedland, Rachel Kassman, and Jobi Zink.
From midatlanticmuseums.org:
Interns are an integral part of how museums fulfill their mission and having an internship is a “must” for most students in order to move forward with their career goals. Seems pretty straightforward, right? Think again! There are a lot of expectations involved in the partnership between an intern and an institution.
How do you know if they are a good fit? How do you design a project that will give you and the intern the most value for your time? What do they do? What are you required to do? Do you pay or not pay; stipend or wage? How do you get more?
This workshop is divided into two sessions. During the morning session, three of the largest museum studies programs will explain what they are looking for in an internship opportunity for their students. They will also share what sorts of things are not acceptable as an internship (hint: museum internships shouldn’t be shown on Dirty Jobs.) The afternoon session will be an introduction to two successful internship programs that can work at any museum. The presenters will share ideas, handouts, stories, suggestions and give advice on what sorts of things have worked in their programs. There will be time for questions and discussion to follow each session.
From the National Civil War Museum:
(Harrisburg, PA) - The National Civil War Museum today announced the selection of Wayne Motts as its new Chief Executive Officer, according to Paul B. Whipple, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
A noted author and historian of the American Civil War, Motts brings with him a demonstrated ability to secure financial support for historical organizations. Motts currently serves as Executive Director of the Adams County Historical Society in Gettysburg, an organization he has led for the past eight years. In this capacity, he directed efforts to restore Schmucker Hall, one of the most notable buildings of the Civil War period, into an interactive museum.
About The National Civil War Museum:
Opened in February 2001, The National Civil War Museum is a non-profit private educational institution dedicated solely to the American Civil War. It is the largest Civil War museum that addresses the war from both the Northern and Southern perspective, and from both a military and civilian perspective. The Museum protects some of the nation’s treasures, including General Robert E. Lee’s personal Bible, and more than 24,000 artifacts, documents and photos. Admission to the Museum is $10.00 for adults, $9.00 for seniors, and $8.00 for students with reduced rates for children and families. The Museum offers complimentary ample parking. For more information, please call 717.260.1861, or visit the Museum’s website athttp://www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org/.
On January 31, Seminary Ridge Historic Preservation announced that Barbara Franco will serve as the first Executive Director of the forthcoming Seminary Ridge Museum. Ms. Franco most recently served eight years as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
The Seminary Ridge Museum is scheduled for a spring 2013 opening. Exhibitions will center on the first day of battle, the role of Schmucker Hall both in battle and as a field hospital, and the religious tensions around slavery, African-American history and the local work of the Underground Railroad.
For more information on Barbara Franco and the Seminary Ridge Museum, visit seminaryridge.org.
The other day I was preparing handbooks for the newest members of my Board of Directors and my eye fell on a copy of our Code of Ethics. All staff, members of the Board and volunteers must adhere to the provisions outlined in this document. Included in the Code is a section on interpretation. It states, in part, that interpretation shall be based on sound scholarship and documentation and must not dilute or ignore historical accuracy for the sake of entertainment and popularity.
This may seem like a no-brainer but it is a real and ongoing concern to those of us in the trenches. The pleasure of working with the public is getting to see your research reach people, witnessing the proverbial light bulb go on. The important thing is to make sure that look of enlightenment is based on the discovery of information that is actually true.
In my travels I have witnessed to my dismay, visitors at a historic site respond with fascination to a guide who told the old saw “there are few closets in this house because they were taxed as rooms.” I have read an exhibit label that said, in essence, “women’s skirts would catch fire when they cooked on a hearth and kill them and was the second leading cause of death for women next to childbirth.” Apologies and omissions are a little harder to spot but I’ve heard things like so-and-so owned slaves but he was a kind owner and did not like it but that was the way it was back then.
Mythbusting has been an interest of mine for more years than I like to admit. I have given presentations to numerous groups on how to identify and combat myths. The most important part of my presentation is not the debunking of individual scurrilous stories but impressing upon my audience of the importance of adopting and cultivating a culture of historical accuracy at their particular site. You would think that this is just common sense but historical myths and worse, conscious distortions of history happen every day. Is it a problem that can be solved, an illness that can be cured? Not entirely.
We can’t entirely rid our culture of these myths because of the nature of our public history reality. In the U.S. anyone can open a museum or historic site for any reason. Though most sites have the best of intentions, most also do not have professional staff who can help with getting interpretation on the right track. So that leaves volunteers gleaning information from visitors, other volunteers, popular culture and visits to sites similar to their own (which creates a self perpetuating chain of myth). I am encouraged by greater availability of information online and in print, but I believe it is the duty of those of us in the profession to offer our assistance – not in a mean or know-it-all way – to organizations with fewer resources. So let’s go bust some myths!
At the Jewish Museum of Maryland, artist Loring Cornish leads students from Commodore John Rogers Middle School on a tour of his work. While confronting the economic downturn, the museum has increased outreach efforts. (Staff photo courtesy of Jewish Museum of Maryland.)
As the economic downturn continues, many mid-Atlantic cultural organizations have moved from short-term responses to long-term financial concerns. In the Fall 2009 issue of Cross Ties, directors of three historical organizations explained their early responses to these challenges. This month, Richard Burkert, president and chief executive officer of the Johnstown Area Historical Association, and Avi Decter, executive director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, have responded to our invitation to provide updates on their situations. How did their organizations’ plans in 2009 work out? What new measures are their institutions taking to address more long-term financial concerns? Their candid reports reflect the ongoing challenges faced by public humanities programs throughout our region. Read more.
This time of year is known for many things: holidays, the beginning of winter, and a barrage of end-of-year fundraising appeals.
Online giving is especially important in December, as people rush to make donations before the end of the tax year. In fact, a significant portion of online giving apparently happens in the final two days of the year. I guess we’re a nation of procrastinators. Fortunately, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, many nonprofit groups are seeing better fundraising results this year compared to 2010.
One interesting strategy I ran across this year was organized by the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. The Council’s “Ways to Share . . . A Holiday Wish List” compiled organizations’ needs from around the state into one go-to resource for potential donors. Groups could list specific items they needed, as well as volunteer opportunities and a “big wish” item. Then, in addition to posting the resource on its own web site, the Council posted highlights from the list to its 450+ followers on Twitter and Facebook — making it very easy for donors to retweet or share on Facebook to their own social networks.
I’d love to see an association of museums or public history sites try a “history holiday wish list” or something similar. Sure, groups would be competing for donations, but we all know that we’re competing no matter what. Pooling marketing efforts just might reach a broader audience than individual organizations would reach on their own.
For other ideas for online fundraising, check out these tips for creating effective online campaigns. And for next year, make sure to investigate some of Mashable’s picks for the best online fundraising platforms.
Happy holidays, and happy fundraising.
I started this blog with a post called “The Civic Museum.” Civic engagement – it’s the lifeblood of a new vanguard of museums. These museums, big and small, are engaging with their communities on the issues that matter to them. They are finding new and creative ways to foster dialogue and reinforce relationships between people.
As community engagement becomes part of the basic mission of a museum, as it has at any increasing number of institutions, I wonder what’s on the horizon.
"The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio hosts a community protest."
Recently, I attended a conference where Graciela Sanchez from the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio talked about her work reclaiming the history of the Tejano community on the west side of the city. The Center is a “multi-issue cultural center;” they work to restore connections between the community and their history through community arts projects, historic preservation, and political advocacy. What Sanchez expressed so strikingly was that the historical pieces of the Center’s mission were secondary to the larger goal of advocating for their community and changing the culture of marginalization. History is one tool in their toolbox.
The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center isn’t a museum, but it’s easy to imagine museums taking on similar roles in their communities. Some already have. In October, a group of museums and gardens in Pittsburgh hosted a symposium, “Feeding the Spirit: Museums, Food, and Community.” They explored the ways in which smart, sustainable food choices could be central to the museum’s mission whether it’s through the café of the interpretation. These institions are joining in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, doing their part to promote healthy eating and active lifestyles among children and families. In fact, AAM’s Center for the Future of Museums has as their slogan “…because museums can change the world.”
When does civic engagement become activism? In most institutions, historic interpretation or artistic appreciation is still at the center of the mission. In the future, will these sites turn that balance on its head? What might it mean for museums – places which hold unique positions in the public trust – to advocate for certain constituencies? What is the activist museum and how should it function?
On November 11, the New York Historical Society reopened its Central Park West location following a three year, $70 million renovation project.
The society updated the exterior of the building, by creating a wider main staircase and an expanded main entrance. The 77th Street entrance was redesigned with a focus on improved accessibility for school groups and visitors with disabilities. The building’s architectural features are now illuminated at night. Ray H. Dovell, AIA, principal-in-charge of the project for Platt Byard Dovell White Architects said, “We believe the strength and beauty of the building’s exterior will stand out in a new light, while the flow of space inside will draw visitors directly into the compelling stories that New-York Historical has to tell.”
The project brings many changes inside NYHS, the new 3,400 square-foot Smith Gallery on the ground floor; a updated and improved Robert H. Smith Auditorium; provisions for a new Stephen Starr restaurant, Café Storico; renovations to the Museum Store and Rotunda; and established the DiMenna Children’s History Museum and the Barbara K. Lipman Children’s History Library.
Exhibition reviews are largely positive. Christopher Gray of the New York Times noted that the newly designed entrance “but inside is a smashing bells-and-whistles display of items from the society’s magnificent collections.” Michael J. Fressola, writing for SIlive.com praised the Children’s Museum’s in-floor artifact cases for giving visitors “an instantaneous, surprising lesson in how history is alive.”
More New York Times reports and reviews are available here.
