Museum Development North’s Post

More of this! Thought-provoking, engaging, community centered, and a key dialogue that needs to happen across the U.S. " Addressing contemporary housing challenges faced by Santa Monica and the region, the exhibition further explores affordable housing, support systems for those experiencing homelessness, equity and inclusion, and the importance of historic preservation in maintaining the city’s cultural identity." https://lnkd.in/eQ4b-mPq

Join us on March 28 at 5:00 p.m. for The Searchers: Wayfinding on the Water in the Pre-Modern Age with Connecticut River Museum. This talk is in anticipation of the Connecticut River Museum’s spring 2024 exhibition, "The Searchers: Wayfinding on the Water in the Pre-Modern Age." Museum Curator Amy Trout will give a preview of the new exhibit that recounts the risk-taking voyages of Connecticut Valley mariners over time. Crossing the seas evolved from being highly hazardous in the seventeenth century; to being quite routine by the mid-nineteenth century due, in great part, to improved methods of navigation. From Indigenous people to trans-Atlantic immigrants, there were dangers and challenges in transportation by water. Developing technology and improved navigation tools assisted in the safe and successful search for raw materials, for new markets, for trading partners, for new opportunities, and for some, freedom. Learn more by visiting our exhibition "Charting Your Course: Cutting Edge Navigation and Seafaring," on view through May 11. Register for the March 28 talk here: https://buff.ly/3V7xX4S.

‼️ Our 7 tips support #museums to start taking political action for the #climate by advocating for their own #sustainable transition. 🙌 Tip 6 encourages you to not let your hard work go by unnoticed. Get in touch with decision-makers, funders and media to present your results and ongoing commitment to the sustainable transition. Highlight what the museum already is doing and how you can assist further at a societal and systematic level. ✨View all 7 tips 👉 bit.ly/7-advocacy-tips

This week's election, from the top of the ballot all the way down, will impact the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Not just in who represents the nation at this anniversary, but in what funding is available, what programs are valued, what narratives are decried as "woke" or the wrong kind of patriotism, and whether people want to commemorate or engage in heritage tourism. For those doing the planning, the work will be harder. It's a great time to find out what the 250th planning effort looks like in the places you live in and care about, and what you can do to support the museums, historic sites, libraries, humanities organizations, and other stakeholders who are working to create an inclusive, inspiring, and community-building experience in 2026 and beyond.

As museums and historic sites around the United States prepare for the semiquincentennial, visitation data from the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War provides some insights. Ultimately, sites looking to attract, engage, and retain new visitors need to be strategic and purposeful about their goals, outreach, marketing, and interpretive programming. A commemoration alone doesn't guarantee a sustainable visitation boost: https://lnkd.in/eutbriai

A job worth doing is worth doing together – and we can’t think of a more important mission than creating advocates for the planet. Now’s your chance to join us! The Fixing Our Broken Planet: Community of Practice is an initiative to connect museum professionals who care about addressing the planetary emergency, building a strong community that will inspire widespread action. We're offering grants to UK museums who want to create impactful exhibitions and programming. There are three ways to take part: 🌎 Generation Hope: Grants up to £2,500 for two to three organisations to develop programmes that coincide with Generation Hope, our annual events programme delving into the challenges and solutions for people and the planet. 💡 Interconnected: Light: One-off grants up to £3,000 for 10 organisations to host displays from the Fixing Our Broken Planet exhibition alongside your own collections and storytelling. 🤝 Interconnected: In-Depth: One-off grants up to £10,000 for four organisations to develop larger projects. This opportunity includes support from our scientific and curatorial teams and access to extensive Fixing Our Broken Planet content to be tailored to your local context. Applications close on 23 September. Discover more and apply below 👇 https://brnw.ch/21wMJBW

BCMA Regional Workshop: Candid Actionable Reconciliation Education (CARE) Well-intentioned actions can cause harm, and museums’ attempts to act in supporting truth and reconciliation are overwhelming many Indigenous communities. Settlers and non-Indigenous organizations must take steps to redress centuries of injustice without relying on Indigenous communities and knowledge holders to be the sole drivers of change. The BCMA has provided CARE Resources online, including a Relationship Building Workbook. While organizations may be rushing to create relationships that will help move reconciliation work forward, they must take the time to learn, question, and reflect on their own practices and histories, instead of expecting Indigenous communities to reflect for them. The goal of the workbook and associated resources is to avoid the inequality in labor, both physical and emotional that stems from these interactions. Join Leia and Lorenda for this regional workshop to unpack the Relationship Building Workbook, self-reflect, and lay a foundation for better relationships with Indigenous communities and partners. Registration fee is $50.00. To register, visit: https://lnkd.in/g5qGtKre #BCMA #BCMuseums #BCCulture #Reconciliation #RelationshipBuilding #Workshop #ProfessionalDevelopment

"Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right." --Dr. Jane Goodall (widely credited, specific source unknown) Dr. Goodall understands that there can be no progress without dialogue, and listening is an essential element of dialogue. At UCA, we consider constantly how we are engaging in the advocacy process. Are we listening? Are we giving space for everyone to be heard? Are we listening openly and honestly to those we disagree with, with the intent to understand? It is sometimes challenging to juggle this ideal with the emotions we may feel in the moment about any particular situation. We are so grateful to all of you for engaging so thoughtfully with the legislature and with each other these last two months. It's hard work (albeit important work) sometimes, but seeing positive change encourages us that we're on the right path (check out the Session Report at the link in bio to see some of those positive changes!). As an aside: one of our staff enjoyed taking his family to the exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah, Becoming Jane, which is currently running at the museum through May 27. We encourage you to visit and learn more about the influential and determined Dr. Jane Goodall, her scientific endeavors, and also her strong advocacy for the things she believes in. Here's the link for the exhibit: https://lnkd.in/gfycUz-5 #UtahCulture #UtahAdvocacy #UtahMuseums #UtahHumanities #utleg #utpol Photo of Dr. Goodall by Nick Stepowyj, provided via Flickr at the link listed below, and licensed under Creative Commons 2.0. Image was modified to better fit in the designed graphic with the included quote. Image Title: Jane Goodall Image Description: Jane Goodall attending the 18th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival at the Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton, New York. Image Date: October 10, 2010 https://lnkd.in/gcZGMZ-V

Now available for pre-order: "Interpreting Christmas at Museums and Historic Sites," edited by Max van Balgooy and Ken Turnio, and published by Rowman & Littlefield for AASLH. I wrote a chapter for the book, "Not Everyone Celebrates Christmas: Expanding Your Holiday Horizons," which discusses not only Hanukkah, but other faith traditions as well as Christian faith traditions that do not celebrate Christmas as it has come to be observed in the U.S. and Canada. From the back of the book: "Interpreting Christmas at Museums and Historic Sites offers a wide range of perspectives on Christmas and practical guidance for planning, research, interpretation, and programming by board members, staff, and volunteers involved in the management, research, and interpretation at house museums, historic sites, history museums, and historical societies across the United States. Packed with fresh ideas and approaches by nearly two dozen scholars and leaders in this specialized topic, as well as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, they can easily be adapted for the unique needs of organizations of various budgets and capacities. An extensive bibliography of books and articles published in the last twenty years provides additional resources for research and exploration." https://lnkd.in/e7wHsDQY

Keep your Community History Alive Every community has a history, some recorded events bring tourism and notoriety. Once upon a time a town Museum or Library was the only way to learn about the history of the area, then came the internet. So many historic buildings are closing down and being repurposed, including Museums and Libraries. Our town histories are slowly being forgetting in favour of expansion and progress. I believe that every town has a story to tell, and YLM Enterprises - The Digital Story Telling Company are helping communities to keep their history alive. #digitalstorytelling #ylmenterprises #yourlovingmemory