Happy New Year from Museum Minute!
You may have noticed that I took a bit of a blogging break. There are a few reasons for this:
1. I was traveling for the holidays.
2. The blog doesn’t get nearly as much traffic from mid-end of December.
3. I’m a part of a team that has four grant applications due by February 3rd (the first is due this week!).
Please know that I have not forgotten you and I’m ready to write again.
For my first post of the year, I’d like to share a few things I’m looking forward to in 2014:
Meeting MORE Museum Bloggers
Meet a Museum Blogger was a new initiative in 2013. And to be totally honest, I wasn’t sure if it would have any legs. Luckily, it did. Last year 38 Museum Bloggers graciously agreed to share their journeys, expertise, passion, and fears with you (and me) – and it was inspiring. A special thanks to Mar Dixon at Mardixon.com for being the first to dive in! Meet a Museum Blogger featured bloggers from the around the world, from the United States to Spain (and Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, Germany among others); including viewpoints from EMPs to seasoned professionals. In my humble opinion, Meet a Museum Blogger was a great success – thanks to participation of so many talented bloggers – and I look forward to continuing the profiles into 2014.
Are you interested in being profiled or know someone who would be? Send an email to MuseumMinute@gmail.com.
Developing History Leaders @SHA Recruitment
I’m the chair of the Developing History Leaders @SHA Alumni Committee (and an evangelist for the SHA program). As chair, I lead/coordinate/assist with recruitment for potential applicants, raise money for the scholarship fund, and strategize with the committee how to strengthen ties with the alumni network. I couldn’t do this without the dedication, leadership, and enthusiasm of the SHA Alumni Committee members – they are a tremendous team and I look forward to continuing our work in the year ahead.
To be considered for the Seminar for Historical Administration, Class of 2014, applicants must submit a full application (SHA 2014 Application). Please also email Bob Beatty (beatty@aaslh.org) your intent to apply. Applications are due May 19, 2014. The 2014 seminar runs October 25–November 14 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
OMA in Athens, Ohio
The Ohio Museums Association’s Annual Conference will be held at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, April 6-7. Nobody knows Ohio like OMA! While this conference may be smaller than AAM or AASLH – OMA connects Ohio’s museum professionals (and future professionals) and vendors that make “O-H!” cultural heritage institutions thrive! This year’s theme, Imagining the Museum: Leadership, Education, Collaboration, begs the question: where will your museum be in ten years?
OMA also brings Ohio’s Emerging Museum Professionals (EMPs) together. Ohio has EMP chapters in Cincinnati-Dayton, Cleveland, Columbus, and Youngstown-Warren. Last year, the Cleveland and Columbus chapters sponsored/hosted a meet-and-greet happy hour at OMA’s conference in Sandusky. This year, all four EMP chapters will sponsor/coordinate a meet-and-greet shuffle in Athens. More details to come (and more good times to be had!).
AAM in Seattle, Washington
The American Alliance of Museums’ Annual Meeting is in Seattle, Washington, May 18-21…and I’ll be there! You can catch me moderating a session titled, “Pop Culture is Your Friend”. Here’s the session description:
What happens when popular culture meets museums? Relevance, new audiences, and FUN! Explore four innovative museum projects inspired by pop culture, get tips on creating your own pop culture-inspired project, and try out a brainstorming exercise to get your creative juices flowing!
The panel includes:
Bethany Corriveau, Audience Engagement Specialist at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Brindha Muniappan, Director of Education & Public Programs at the MIT Museum
Chris Carron, Director of Collections at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
John Hawkins, Youth Engagement and Social Media Coordinator at the Adventure Science Center
If you’re in Seattle come May – you do not want to miss this session!
AASLH in St. Paul, Minnesota
The American Association for State and Local History’s Annual Meeting is in St. Paul, Minnesota, September 17 – 20. This year’s theme is, Greater Than the Sum of Our Parts. Also, AASLH has partnered with the Association of Tribal Libraries, Archives, and Museums (ATALM). ATALM is an international non-profit organization that maintains a network of support for indigenous programs, provides culturally relevant programming and services, encourages collaboration among tribal and non-tribal cultural institutions, and articulates contemporary issues related to developing and sustaining the cultural sovereignty of Native Nations.
The AASLH Annual Meeting also provides an opportunity to connect with Developing History Leaders @SHA (previously known as the Seminar for Historical Administration/SHA) Alumni. In Birmingham, at last year’s Annual Meeting, we raised $400+ at the Alumni reception for the 2014 scholarship fund. Thank you to those who donated – and for those plan on attending the reception this year – we will be making an ask, again (just a FYI).
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So, this isn’t everything that will be happening in 2014 – honestly, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. As new adventures, initiatives, and projects arise I will keep you in the know. We’re only five days into 2014 and the year ahead looks very promising.
What’s on your agenda for 2014? Will I see you at OMA, AAM, or AASLH? Are you interested in learning more about Developing History Leaders @SHA? Are there any museum travel adventures that await you?
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