WaMA’s Annual Conference in Bellingham!

June 20-22, 2018
“Transcending Boundaries”

Online Registration

 

Washington Museum Association Annual Conference
June 20-22, 2018


Thursday, June 21

  • 9:00 – 11:30 am  WAMA ANNUAL PROGRAM 
    Introductions, Awards, and Keynote by David Jepsen.
    Join us as WaMA President Freya Liggett presents our Annual Awards for Excellence to outstanding museums and their staffs, volunteers, boards, and benefactors.

Northwest native David Jepsen, who teaches Pacific Northwest and U.S. history at Tacoma Community College, will discuss his new book “Contested Boundaries: a New Pacific Northwest History.” Coauthored with David Norberg who teaches at Green River College, “the new book includes a collection of stories about people contesting the political, economic, and social barriers that blocked their path to equality over the last two centuries. The narrative traces the experiences of Native Peoples, African Americans, Asians, and other immigrants across the centuries as they struggled to hurdle one boundary after another during settlement, industrialization, economic calamity, world war, and globalization.

Jepsen is a former journalist and corporate marketing professional who has been writing professionally for 40 years. He holds a BA in Communications and an MA in History from the University of Washington. Since 2007, he has taught at Pierce College, the University of Washington Tacoma, and Tacoma Community College, where he is currently a member of the adjunct faculty, teaching both U.S. and Pacific Northwest history. His many writing awards include Honorable Mention for the 2006 Oregon Historical Society Joe Palmer Award for the article “Old-Fashioned Revival: Religion, Migration and a New Identity for Pacific Northwest at Mid-Twentieth Century” (2006).


  • Noon – 1:30 pm  ADVOCACY LUNCH.
    Location: 
    Rotunda, Whatcom Museum’s 1892 Old City Hall, 121 Prospect Street
    Need a refresher on upcoming issues of significance to Washington museums and the cultural community? Our noon lunch will include a panel of top-notch cultural advocates who will help us understand the most effective ways to advocate for our field.Moderator: Richard Beckerman, Seattle Art Museum
    Panelists: James Kraft, Cultural Access Washington; Christopher Shainin, Washington State Arts Alliance; David J. Fisher, Broadway Center, Tacoma. Lunch is free for conference registrants. 

  • 2:30 – 3:45 pm  BREAKOUT SESSIONS.
    All sessions within walking distance; locations to be announced.

(1) Bridging Cultures through Language
Time:
2:30 – 3:45 pm
Location:
TBD

Presenters: Patricia Leach and Victoria Blackwell, Whatcom Museum; Smak i’ ya’ (Matt Warbus), Lummi Nation, and students of the Lummi Nation Language Project; Dr. Donna Gerdts, Simon Fraser University; Kathryn Gagnon, Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives

Panel members will share their experiences in creating partnerships between cultural institutions and Pacific Northwest indigenous peoples to develop exhibitions and programs that share tribal culture and language. Examples include the “People of the Sea and Cedar” exhibition at the Whatcom Museum, and the “tthu hwsteli hwulmuhw-Coast Salish Canoe Pullers” exhibition at the Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives.


(2) 4Culture Heritage Report:
Understanding the Field and Preparing for the Future
Time:
2:30 – 3:45 pm
Location:
TBD

Presenters: Brian Carter, 4Culture; Chieko Phillips, 4Culture.

In 2016, 4Culture, the King County arts and heritage funding agency, undertook a county-wide assessment to gather information about current operations, potential opportunities, and pressing needs of heritage organizations throughout King County. The results identify challenges and solutions that also apply to historical societies and museums across the state. Learn about the eight key findings of the 4Culture Heritage Report, and how you can strengthen your organization by applying solutions to future challenges.


(3) Collections Care Basics and Beyond
Time:
2:30 – 3:45 pm
Location:
TBD

Presenters: Sadie Thayer, Kittitas County Historical Museum; Lynn Bethke, Museum of Culture and Environment at Central Washington University.

New to museums? Looking for a refresher in the essentials? Learn about the basics of collections care from those who work in the field, including accessioning, deaccessioning, condition reporting, rehousing, and other real-world situations. Moderators will encourage discussion of current issues in collections management, including at our own institutions. If there’s a specific topic or situation you would like to discuss, please submit it in advance by emailing Sadie Thayer at sadie.thayer@kchm.org by June 1.


(4) Enhance the Culture of Your Community with Washington State Certified          Creative District Designation
Time:
2:30 – 3:45 pm
Location:
TBD

Presenter: Annette Roth, Creative Districts Program Manager, Washington State Arts Commission

The Certified Creative Districts program is a new program that works to help communities throughout the state thrive. By focusing on the creative economy, communities can grow jobs and increase economic, educational, and cultural opportunities for residents and visitors. A Creative District is a hub of social and business activity. It includes cultural facilities, creative industries, and arts-related businesses. It’s an exciting place to live, work in, and visit. It’s a gathering place, a place for people to enjoy the arts and culture the community has to offer. It’s a vehicle to grow jobs in creative industries of all kinds. And it’s a boon to museums!


  • 4:00 – 5:15 pm  BREAKOUT SESSIONS.
    All sessions within walking distance; locations to be announced.

(1) In the Valley of Mystic Light
Time:
4:00 – 5:15 pm
Location:
TBD

Presenters: Jo E. Wolfe, Skagit County Historical Museum; Karen Summers, Skagit County Historical Museum; Claire Swedberg, author; Barbara Silverman Summers, artist-in-residence.

A story of collaboration between an author, a history museum, artists, and art collectors to present an exhibit, based on the book In the Valley of Mystic Light. The book shares the history of a very diverse group of artists who came to the Skagit Valley and found a place to be creative – and to call home. This panel explores the stories of the connections between farmers, townies, artists, and the tribal community, as well as the development of education programs for both youth and adults.


(2) Gender Equity in Museums: Breaking Down Boundaries.
Time:
4:00 – 5:15 pm
Location:
TBD

Presenters: Karen Marshall, Independent Consultant; Kathryn Dawson, author, The Gender Gap in Museum Directorships.

Women comprise 46.7% of the museum workforce, but according to recent salary surveys, women in the museum field average 71 to 79 cents for every dollar men earn. This session will highlight current issues and discuss the Gender Equity in Museums Movement. Participants will have an opportunity to share ideas and explore how you can take action.


(3) Resolving Old Loans
Time:
4:00 – 5:15 pm
Location:
TBD

Presenters: Anna Goodwin, Maryhill Museum of Art; Hollye Keister, Burke Museum; Kathrine Young, Puget Sound Navy Museum

Every collection has them: old loans with murky information, just waiting to be brought into the light. With diverse examples from three different institutions–Burke Museum, Maryhill Museum of Art, and Puget Sound Navy Museum–this session will demystify the process of resolving old loans, including determining old loan status, finding and contacting lenders, claiming title, and disposition.


(4) Building Evaluation Capacity through University Engagement and
Expertise
Time:
4:00 – 5:15 pm
Location:
TBD

Presenters: Angelina Ong, University of Washington Museology Program; Kathryn Owen, Kathryn Owen Consulting; Mikala Woodward, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific Experience; Mary Jackson, Woodland Park Zoo; Andrea Godinez Barber, Burke Museum; Catherine Wood, UW Museology Program.

An evaluation study is often seen as a luxury by museums who have neither the time, resources, nor skills to effectively accomplish the task. Yet its benefits can have considerable organizational impact. Since 2009, graduate students from the University of Washington’s Museology program have conducted over 20 evaluation studies with more than a dozen Seattle-area museums. Learn how start-up projects like these can develop into productive, long-term collaborations.


  • 6:15 – 9:00 pm     ANNUAL BANQUET & HISTORY CRUISE.
    For our annual banquet dinner, we’ll be setting sail with San Juan Cruises for their unmatched crab dinner cruise experience. Dine on the Northwest’s finest Dungeness crab, as well as baked chicken and delicious side dishes. Relax with a microbrew or glass of wine from the boat’s no-host bar and listen to the fascinating history of Bellingham, its beautiful bay, and all points beyond from a knowledgeable and entertaining local historian.The Dinner Cruise will depart from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal at 355 Harris Ave, Bellingham at 6:15 pm; approximately 3.5 miles from the Whatcom Museum campus. Guests are responsible for their own transportation to/from the Cruise Terminal.  A mixture of free and paid parking is available at the cruise terminal. Carpooling is encouraged.This event is offered at a subsidized rate for full-conference registration.
    $45 for full-conference attendees, $58 for non-attendees and partial registrants.

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