Visit WMA’s Booth at AAM 2013

The Western Museums Association (WMA) is going to the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) 2013 Annual Meeting in Baltimore! If you are there, stop by booth #1231, meet our Executive Director Jason B. Jones, view the Preliminary Program and learn more about the WMA 2013 Annual Meeting, and get some great giveaways from Salt Lake City museums!

If you’re unable to attend AAM 2013, follow us on Twitter as we live tweet throughout the entire meeting.

Thank you to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Church History Museum, and the Park City Museum for providing us giveaways for our booth!

We’re looking forward to seeing you in Baltimore!

Program Perspectives I: Get Ready for WMA 2013

By Steve Comba

With Registration now open for the Western Museums Association (WMA) 2013 Annual Meeting, we thought you might also want access to the Preliminary Program. The WMA Program Committee has been deciding on and preparing for the WMA 2013 sessions since January. Let me explain…

POUNDCAKEFRENCHFRIES

It was 9 degrees in Salt Lake, maybe, felt much colder,

Wintery view from the hotel

when 20 brave-hearted souls waded strong-coffee bolder.
They had 75 session proposals, all worthy of note,
sequestered themselves like castaways on a boat.

‘Twas nearly 10 hours of work, till day one was done,
and not a single person faded, no one had run.
Round the table sat a symphony of good-humored pros
from just about every imaginable station within the museum, I suppose.

We called ourselves “shepherds,” because of our action
to make each proposal succeed and gain traction.
Weighed options, added input, then watched the clock
as we gave each session our best, and boy, can we talk.

Imagine if you will, a sort of “Roundtable”
where, instead of landed gentry, sat real people, no fable.
Each opinion well versed and equally respected
at the end of the day, the votes were collected.

Using terms like “gap filling” and “session tracking,”
the Program Committee intends that no one find lacking,
a reason to learn or to connect with the like-minded,
or to explore some new place, go out, be far-sighted.

We met again, this time much less shivered
to dig through our work, a Program delivered.
Striving for balance, for clarity, and depth,
we hope our many members appreciate the breadth.

On a personal note, it has been such a pleasure
to sit round that table of so many of great measure.
Meals and drinks, filled with pints of mirth and merry
in a town like SLC where the opportunities for much never vary.

So to Art, Anne and Carrie, Clare and Irene,
working with you has been supreme.
To James and Jennifer, Jerry and Keni,
your diligence and concern will benefit many.
With Kurt, and Lorie, Louise (who will lead),
we crafted a program and did a good deed.
Margaret and Moya, Nathan and Paul,
were like long lost friends, who were not lost at all.
Sarah and Sean completed the table
where I sat with Steve Olsen, a man far more able.
Jason arranged us, made us all keep on time,
and even allowed me to publish this rhyme.

So when you see those colored ribbons attached to a name,
remember to say hello, because we’re all the same.
Committed to sharing in order to crack wise
just don’t ask what I mean by poundcakefrenchfries.

The Program Committee chose 50 sessions that are grouped into tracks including, business, careerpath/leadership, collections, visitor experience, technology, and community engagement. And like many of our roles at our institutions, these session tracks overlap. Read the WMA 2013 Preliminary Program now!

On behalf of the Program Committee, we look forward to seeing you in Salt Lake City for WMA 2013. Early Bird registration is now open until July 31, 2013. REGISTER now and save!

Steve Comba is a WMA Board member and the Co-Chair of the Western Museums Association’s 2013 Program Committee. He is also the Assistant Director/Registrar of Pomona College Museum of Art in Claremont, California.

Early Bird Registration for WMA 2013 Now Open!

The Western Museums Association (WMA) in partnership with the Utah Museums Association is excited to announce the opening of Early Bird Registration for the 2013 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City! WMA’s 2013 Annual Meeting will be held on October 9-12, 2013. In addition 50 engaging sessions, the program also includes pre-conference tours to Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty and Park City, nine pre-conference workshops, and evening events hosted by the Natural History Museum of Utah, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, and the Church History Museum. For the first time ever, the WMA will also be having a Poster Session, an informal opportunity to obtain new insights, share ideas and projects, and network with emerging and seasoned museum colleagues. With so much going on, the 2013 Annual Meeting will be thought-provoking, innovative, and something special!

The 2013 Preliminary Program is available! VIEW it now!

REGISTER online now and save! Early Bird Registration rates end July 31, 2013.

The official hotel of the 2013 Annual Meeting is the Hilton Salt Lake City Center. A discounted room rate of $135.00 + tax has been made available to WMA 2013 attendees. RESERVE a room online today!

WMA would like to extend a special thank you this year’s Annual Meeting Sponsors and Exhibitors. Click here to view our current list of 2013 Annual Meeting’s corporate partners.

Additionally, there are still many opportunities for companies, individuals, and museums to sponsor or participate in the 2013 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City! Click here to download the Partnership Brochure, or contact Jason B. Jones – wma(at)westmuse.org – for more information.

Register now for Early Bird rates and save!

Queering the Museum Project – Request for Proposals

By Erin Bailey

Please help spread the word about the upcoming Queering the History Museum Symposium on June 8, 2013 at the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) in Seattle, Washington.

On June 8^th Queering The Museum Project (QTM) and the Museum of History & Industry are joining forces for the Queering the History Museum Symposium. This symposium will feature the Pop-Up Museum of Queer History based out of New York, and include a variety of breakout sessions to discuss issues of representation, inclusion and the role of museums in forming social norms around gender, race and sexuality. After the symposium we will host a reception on board the historic Virginia V steamship!

QTM is designed to be a community-based project that works to engage individuals in the administrative, historic, and creative components of museums, and this symposium is no different. We are requesting proposals from historians, artists, activists and community organizations to lead sessions during the symposium. Each session will be between 60-90 minutes in length. We welcome non-traditional session proposals that feature creative, interactive or performance-based activities.

We welcome a diverse array of presenters, including those:

• Of both Queer and non-Queer communities
• Of different levels of experience
• Both professionals and non professionals
• From community groups or individuals

In particular, the Community Advisory Committee is interested in proposals that accomplish one or more of the following:

• Feature diverse practices in historical, archive and museum work
• Incorporate performance based sessions
• Are relevant to our region and beyond
• Draw upon exhibits at MOHAI or other local museums
• Are based or supported by current research
• Stimulate and foster creative thinking
• Highlight links between the local and the global

The symposium will address themes, such as Presentation of Museums, Where’s the Queer, Future of Queer, and Community Engagement in museums.

Session proposals should include the following information:

• A 100 word description of the proposed session activities
• A 100 word explanation of why you think this session is a good fit for the symposium
• A brief biography of the session leaders
• Required equipment needs

Please submit proposals to queeringthemuseum@gmail.com by 5:00 pm on May 1, 2013.

For more information please visit our website, www.queeringthemuseum.org.

Interested in attending? Tickets are on sale, please visit MOHAI’s website to purchase your ticket today.

Wanda Chin Scholarship Deadline for WMA 2013

The June 1^st deadline is rapidly approaching!

The Wanda Chin Scholarship program helps fund participation and travel to the Western Museums Association (WMA) 2013 Annual Meeting by professionals who might otherwise not be able to attend. Scholarships are available to members of the field at the student, incoming professional and mid-career professional levels. The Scholarship program is a vital component of our mission. Apply today!

TO APPLY:

Please fill out the Wanda Chin Scholarship form and return by June 1 , 2013.

TO DONATE:

1. Please fill out the Wanda Chin Donation form
2. Ship your donation to the conference location no more than 10 days prior to the conference, or simply bring the donation with you to the conference. Please note: WMA is not responsible for items shipped to the conference location but not received.

Suggested donation items are:

• Museum gift shop items; craft supplies; jewelry; books; etc.
• A stay at your vacation home
• Wine from your state

If WMA receives written notification of your donation by one month prior to the conference, you will be acknowledged in the List of Auction Items, which is posted on our website and at the conference.

Items may be brought or sent directly to the Annual Meeting location, but you must fill out this form in advance in order to receive proper acknowledgement at the conference. Please provide us with a description of the item and estimated value. Large items may be shipped to high bidder (at the donor’s expense) after the conference as long a clear photograph of the item is provided to WMA in advance for the auction table. Please note that WMA may combine your item with others if such a combination would bring higher bids.

Blog posts by Wanda Chin Award recipients:

•  Pacific Islands Museum Association’s Secretary-General at WMA 2012
•  When I Grow Up, I Want To Be a Museum Professional
• What Community Means to Museums: The Broader Cultural Landscape
• The Spirit of Aloha
•  Gaining Mastery in the Museum Field

Call for Poster Session Proposals!

The Western Museums Association (WMA) 2013 Annual Meeting, in partnership with the Utah Museums Association (UMA) will be here before you know it! For the first time ever the WMA Annual Meeting will have a Poster Presentations Session. The goal of the poster session is to showcase how museums are “Drive On! Museums and the Future,” the theme of WMA 2013 Annual Meeting. This session is an informal opportunity to obtain new insights, share ideas and projects, and network with emerging and seasoned museum colleagues.

Purpose of the Poster Session

1. To share some of the most current work in our field
2. To encourage emerging museum and small museum professionals to share their work with colleagues and engage in dialogue and process
3. To showcase projects and research currently being undertaken in and for museums
4. To present information on and encourage museum professionals at all levels to seek trends and principles that can guide efforts to improve practice

Who Can Submit a Proposal

As WMA 2013 Annual Meeting is being held in collaboration with the UMA, submissions are invited from staff and consultants working at or with Utah museums. Submission proposals are also welcomed from graduate students and faculty in museum studies, public history, or related fields from around the WMA region (AK, HI, WA, OR, CA, AZ, NV, UT, ID, as well as British Columbia, Alberta, Mexico and the Pacific Islands) who have done significant, interesting or promising work on museum projects or museum based research.

Presentation

Each presenter will prepare a poster, handouts and other materials as relevant, and conference attendees will be invited to walk from display to display, read the posters and other materials, and interact with the presenters. Poster displays will be on view throughout the day on Friday, October 11, 2013. Presenters must be available to answer questions and talk about their projects research on Friday between 10:15–11 AM and 12:45-1:30 PM. Presenters must be knowledgeable about the projects/research study. If accepted, presenters will be sent guidelines for content, format, and delivery of materials.

Submitting a Poster Presentation Proposal

To submit a proposal, Click HERE to download the Poster Session Proposal Form, and emailing your completed form to Jason B. Jones, Executive Director, WMA, at wma@westmuse.org with “Poster Session Proposal” as the subject by Friday, May 31, 2013.

Westing by Musket and Sextant is out: WestMusing is in!

By James G. Leventhal

One of the author’s favorite records.

Many years ago Stephanie Weaver of Experienceology encouraged the Western Museums Association to start exploring the use of Ted-like talks to enliven the Annual Meeting and to provide better year-round content on the then recently launched blog site westmuse and other outlets. Well, Stephanie, your wait is over!…soon.

At the fall meeting of the Western Museum’s Association, WMA will launch for the first time: westmusings. Based on TED Talks success and their model of “Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world,” these talks will provide an important platform for tomorrow’s leaders to speak today at WMA 2013 in Salt Lake City, with their short, rehearsed, engaging presentations available for distribution on the web through westmuse.org and other WMA portals, perhaps streaming live as well.

Who are our heros? Well, there’s Mike Edson, and our good friends at Museum Computer Network who launched their ignite series of talks this past fall in Seattle:

See the vid above, and read the text here.

WMA is looking to amplify the mindset and philosophy of young leaders in the field, as well as to mirror the practice we preach in our institutions and creating on-line access to professional development.

Who will be westmusing?! Amazing people like:

Whitney Ford Terry in Seattle

Whitney Ford Terry, Public Programs Coordinator, Henry Art Gallery
A graduate of the University of Washington’s Museology program, Whitney Ford-Terry organizes lectures, screenings, workshops, and events as the Public Programs Coordinator at the Henry Art Gallery. She has had the opportunity to work in a variety of non-profits and museums like MoMA PS1, KEET-TV/PBS, and The Experience Music Project (and Science Fiction Museum). As co-curator of The Hedreen Gallery, Ford-Terry developed a series of experimental exhibitions, ad-hoc collaborations, and opportunities for free choice learning and interdisciplinary study at Seattle University. She is also a contributor to ARCADE magazine, a blogger for Art21, and an active community volunteer.

Scott Stulen, Project Director for mnartists.org, amongst other responsibilities at Walker Art Center, including playing a leadership role in their essential public-facing offering Open Field. As lead organizer of the Cat Video Festival, and Project Director for mnartists.org and Manager of the Walker Art Center’s OpenField, Stulen’s artist’s statement reads: “I am interested in how popular culture bonds with fragments of memory to create unexpected connections and points of entry, which linger decades later. I am fascinated in how familiar, yet isolated references can be combined to create a new experience, which is both personal, but strangely out of context. I view my role much like a DJ, sampling fragments of pop culture, personal and collective histories and false memories and combining them into a singular work. The key is in selecting, remixing and dropping of the appropriate sequence of samples, thus leading the audience to find meaning in unexpected places.”

And MORE!! Stay tuned for: sponsorship updates, more profiles, roller derby, knowing your own bone and Alaska’s great non-white North.