New England Museum Association’s Post

We are looking for YOUR ideas about sessions for #NEMA2024! The theme of this year's conference, taking place November 6-8 in Newport, RI is "We the Museum: Toward a 'More Perfect' Vision for our Changing World." As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, now is a time to reflect on both the origin of America’s museums, and consider the field not only in its current state, but where it has grown from the past, and what it can be in the future. Just as America was by no means perfect at its inception, neither was the museum field. While the U.S. Constitution seeks a “more perfect union,” how can we work towards a “more perfect” museum world? How can we be better, if perfection is out of reach? Do you have a great idea for a session unrelated to the conference theme? We want to hear those too! Submit your session proposals by March 29, 2024. Click here for details: https://ow.ly/RxM150QQmvz

#Legacy150: 'The Museum will not be Decolonised' conference schedule is now live https://lnkd.in/gyTEreAh Sumaya Kassim writes that “Museums are not neutral in their preservation of history. In fact, arguably, they are sites of forgetfulness and fantasy”. Her discussion was based on work she and colleagues did with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and it holds true of many museums throughout the UK. It is the “forgetfulness” of the objects’ lived history and the “fantasy” of these objects being out of time that is endemic in museum spaces. In this conference we discuss objects held in non-ethnographic museums and explore what they mean as representations of human experience, how we can accurately represent their lived experience using digital technologies and their weight as political and social signifiers in the contemporary world. The conference provides a space for interested parties to discuss the ways objects are presented and their histories represented.

Old-school museums vs. new-school museums (as I call them 😂). It's a hot topic when deciding on your museum strategies. The traditional museum (old-school) view prioritises preservation, focusing on safeguarding artefacts and history at all costs. The helpful museum (new-school) champions audience engagement, striving to make collections accessible and relatable to the public. But... 🔍 Do all museums need to change to 100% one or the other? 🔍 How do we strike a balance between maintaining our collections and ensuring they resonate with today’s audiences? Is there an optimal ratio? 🔍 Is the debate of deciding to prioritise preservation or public engagement actually helping or hindering our approach to achieving sustainability and the purpose of museums? 🤔 Sometimes I feel that we are losing sight of the true purpose of museums in this battle of priorities. What’s your take on the old school vs new school approach in museums? #Museums #Heritage #Preservation #PublicEngagement #MuseumInnovation

There are so few opportunities to bring colleagues from across sectors together who are solely focused on Visitor Experience.... and this one is FREE & Led exclusively by colleagues from in-sector who volunteer their time. It's been a joy to work on this alongside Carlton, Meghan, Rich and Elena H. We're assembling a great line up of speakers (Maybe you want to throw your hat in the ring) for what is set to be an unmissable day of networking, learning and ideas sharing. ***FIVE steps and you'll be able to experience the power of a nearly decade old community of Visitor Experience professionals coming together: *** (1) If you haven't - join the forum (our Linked in Page - Visitor Experience Forum (VE-Forum) & Search for a 'Group' (1000 members) under the same name. (2) Get a free ticket, spaces are limited: https://lnkd.in/etpDiqkG (3) Check out the website: https://lnkd.in/e3GBx6UF (4) If you've a great story or talk idea to share on 'the future of visitor experience' - use the website to register your proposal. (5) Keep checking back on the group and our website for exciting announcements including an EPIC event sponsor AND for the programme of talks.

The Spring 2024 issue of Exhibition journal is now out. “Alternative Realities” surveys many ways exhibitions can question existing systems and open pathways to new and more equitable futures. At a time when what divides us can feel almost insurmountable, authors share how they are harnessing hope, challenging prevailing narratives, and upending established museum practices as they seek to reshape our vision of what is possible—within and beyond the museum. Exhibition is a journal of exhibition theory and practice for museum professionals published by the American Alliance of Museums. To learn more about the journal, this issue, past issues, and how to subscribe, check out: https://lnkd.in/eE5Vm9hR #museums #exhibitions #exhibitiondesign

Our Lucidea webinar "5 Steps to Intentional Museum Work” covers the components of an intentional work strategy, including landscape assessment, identifying challenges and opportunities, activities that don’t serve you, setting boundaries, and benefits of being intentional. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gJC4gYJx

Explore new data cuts for the 2024 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers! 📊 When your museum participates in the annual survey, you can get actionable insights into the latest data on museum-goers at your museum, comparisons with the broader field, and possibly additional data cuts. 🔍 For 2024, we can offer these additional survey data cuts when five or more similar museums participate by museum type, specific locations, and budget range: https://lnkd.in/dDbBTSiv Don't miss out on this useful tool for benchmarking and planning. Enroll in the annual survey by February 28, before rates increase: https://lnkd.in/guSQCJjT

Going to a museum enriches the visitor's life, but also enriches the visitor's community! Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/eapT47V2 #FridayFacts #Massachusetts #ArtsAdvocacy #CreativeEconomy @masscreative @nefa_arts ID: A black border at the top and bottom with the 4A Arts logo on the top in white and #FridayFacts in purple on the bottom. A purple square with the words "Friday Facts: State Arts Impact" below the black top border. In the middle, a statistic from the American Alliance of Museums' report linked above reads: "Museums in Massachusetts generated a Gross Value Added Impact of 2.3 billion dollars in 2016" written in a purple font over a light yellow colored outline of the state of Massachusetts. 

Before engaging in a program evaluation, it’s always important to slow down and carefully consider the *why.* This post lays out three considerations that help you do that.