When I applied for the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Bruce Craig Fellowship, I had just begun planning my move from Iowa to New Jersey to attend graduate school at Seton Hall University. I knew that it could be a good networking occasion, a chance to meet a few other professionals in the area, and familiarize myself with some of the museums. I never guessed that the four days of the conference would be one of the most enriching experiences of …
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Attendees proved to be willing participants in this session-turned-workshop on creating reflective discussion about change in museums. Participants walked into a room of several circles of chairs with white paper and pictures on the walls. Sitting at random, we were given a page of material on a certain topic as far-reaching as New Age knitting circles. The first question each group was asked was: What are the stories people need to hear and how do we know? We were then …
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These 100 useful tips were part of a handout given to attendees at a session presented at the Annual Meeting. Thank you to Sheldon Wolf, President, AdvancementCompany, LLC; Dana S. Hines, President & CEO, Membership Consultants; and Beth Hager, Acting Chief of Education and Outreach, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; for allowing us to share the handout here. Have an annual and a longer-term Development Plan. Have this plan (based on Board participation) approved by …
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As the conference wound down on Wednesday, the White Gloves Gang was gearing up for their big day. Comprised of registrars, collections managers, museum studies students, and art shippers, the White Gloves Gang gets its name from the distinguished (okay, distinguishing!) cotton garment routinely worn when handling art and artifacts. Each year the White Gloves Gang brings its skills—organizing, processing, handling, housing—along with free archival supplies such as acid free folders, document boxes, textile boxes, tissue paper, and mylar (provided …
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Wyck is NOT a historical house museum. This was the monumental point of today’s session presented by Eileen Rojas, The Wyck Association; Laura Keim, Curator, The Wyck Association; Donna Ann Harris, Principal, Heritage Consulting Inc.; and Page Talbott, Principal, Remer and Talbott. Though technically Wyck IS a historic house, the staff have undertaken an initiative to utilize creative, participatory, and dynamic but still historically accurate interpretation. Instead of creating simple period rooms the museum is hoping to portray 300 years of history …
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Thanks to the nearly 300 attendees who joined MAAM for the 2010 Annual Meeting! Be sure to share your thoughts on the meeting with us in the comments section below and we look forward to seeing you next year in Baltimore! Share
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Mission: to promote the historical significance of the afterlife If you haven’t visited the Museum of the Macabre, it is worth the trip; not only is it interesting but easy to get to and free. You see, it only exists online and the interesting thing about this museum, beyond it’s unique theme, is that it was created with absolutely no budget. Today the founders of the Museum of the Macabre gave a presentation about the Web tools they used to …
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Today’s post features messages from outgoing Board President Kim Fortney and incoming Board President Jack Rasmussen about what MAAM means to them. Reflections about MAAM What has MAAM meant to me over the years? I first became involved with MAAM in the late ’90s after enjoying and benefitting from the learning opportunities at a few annual meetings. I joined the board in 2001 as the representative of the Professional Committee Council, a body that no longer exists in that form. …
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More than ever historic houses are struggling to sustain and be relevant to their surrounding communities. Three case studies presented by museum experts are examples of thinking outside the box and generating unique ideas in order to keep these wonderful pieces of history open to the public. Historic houses attempting to maintain a relevant place in the 21st century was the topic of discussion in this session presented by: Nancy Moses, Nancy Moses Planning and Development Sarah DiSantis, Executive Director, …
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For lack of a more appropriate descriptor: this conference session blew my mind! Of any session I have been to at any conference this one was the most effective in such a short period of time. This session—presented by Heidi Hinish, Head of Teacher, School, and Family Programs; Elizabeth Diament, Museum Educator; and Christine Stinson, School Docent Candidate—was all about the Docent Education Program at the National Gallery of Art, a two-year training program encompassing the goal of creating a thinking …
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