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Friday, June 23
9:00 – 10:15 am Breakout sessions
All sessions within walking distance; locations to be announced.
(1) TBD
(2) Likely Partners, Pt I: Museums & Cities
Presenters: Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, Renton History Museum; Freya Liggett, Moses Lake Museum & Art Center; Deb Twersky, 4Culture
Governments are the most common funders of museums in the U.S., and yet together we still struggle to create a harmonious relationship. Cities worry about the best use of taxpayer money, and museums wonder why they have to fight to make a case for support. This roundtable discussion explores the symbiosis between cities and museums and offers ideas and examples of best practices in creating a healthy, mutually supportive partnership.
(3) First Comes Love—LGBTQ On Exhibit
Presenter: David Lynx, Larson Gallery
In September of 2016, the Larson Gallery held an exhibition called First Comes Love. The
largest showing of the photography of B. Proud’s project, featured 33 portraits and accompanying stories of long-term LGBTQ relationships. An exhibit found by accident, it was perfect for the ongoing curriculum integration goals that the gallery and Yakima Valley College share. The exhibit was well received by the community and fostered a new audience for the gallery.
(4) Museum as Landlord
Presenter: Sadie Thayer, Kittitas County Historical Museum; Colleen Schafroth, Maryhill Museum of Art; John Larson, Poulson Museum; Ron McGaughey, Lake Chelan Historical Museum
Learn how four museums in different areas of Washington State have found alternative and steady sources of income beyond admission fees, donations, and membership dues. This panel will discuss what benefits and challenges having rental properties can bring to a museum. Find out whether this option may be something that you can do (or plan for) at your museum.
10:30 – 11:45 am Breakout sessions
All sessions within walking distance; locations to be announced.
(1) Using History Exhibit Techniques for Better Art Exhibitions
Presenter: Andy Granitto, Yakima Valley Museum
How can methods and techniques used in history museums be applied to art exhibits? Stories, drama, and discovery—the proven tools for successful history exhibits—are rarely applied to art, often resulting in exhibitions that not only fail to present works to their best advantage, but also have limited appeal beyond the usual art museum audience. How can we create gallery spaces that respect and retain the primacy of the artwork, while reflecting its intended context or fostering thought and discussion on the works’ cultural significance?
This talk will use examples from art exhibitions at Yakima Valley Museum, as well as discussions and critiques of exhibitions at other Northwest museums, concluding with a problem-solving and brainstorming exercise using exhibition challenges from the audience.
(2) Likely Partners, Pt. II: Museums & Unconventional Partners
Presenters: Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, Renton History Museum; Julianna Ross, Georgetown Steam Plant and Seattle City Light; Robert Franklin, Hanford History Project; Thomas Marceau, Hanford Site; Angela Neller, Wanapum Heritage Center and Grant County PUD.
Museums today are thinking outside the box when seeking out sustaining partnerships and collaborators. The strongest alliances can often be forged among seemingly unlikely partners with common aims and interests. The presenters in this roundtable discussion will share their experiences seeking out, cultivating, and maintaining relationships among unconventional cultural allies.
(3) Washington’s Latino Voices
Presenters: Nancy Salguero McKay, Highline Historical Society
This session explores Latino voices in Highline and how the project was inspired by the moral courage of families starting new lives. Every immigrant is willing to face physical danger, emotional pain, disapproval, and even financial insecurity! They must have the courage and the moral values to be honest at the risk of community rejection or retaliation. This is about families passing these values to the next generation. The exhibit was created by combining the results of two activities: bringing the “Latinos in Washington” documentary to the public and conducting a facilitated discussion between Latinos and non-Latinos after the viewing of this award-winning documentary; then three Latino families in Highline were interviewed about their experiences with immigration. This session serves as a compelling case study of the process of bringing new voices into local history museums.
(4) Tales from the Road: Building Partnerships and Publicity through Geocaching
Presenters: Erich Ebel, Washington State Historical Society.
Get an in-depth look at the Washington State Historical Society’s 125th anniversary event…The Great Washington Heritage Geo-Adventure! See how it was planned, maintained and executed. Learn what worked, what didn’t and what went horribly awry. WSHS Marketing and Communications Director Erich Ebel shares stories from the whirlwind adventure and identifies unique ways to partner with entrepreneurial individuals, local historical and heritage organizations, and destination marketing groups in your target area.
12:15 – 1:45 pm General session lunch in Council Chambers.
Presentation of new Board members; Annual Report by WaMA President.
Box lunches from Mulligans.
2:00 – 5:00 pm Museum Hack workshop. $50.00
Museum Hack’s Audience Engagement Mini-Workshop will help spark innovative and creative thinking about how to attract and engage audiences of all ages, while investing in your staff and reconnecting them to your collections and mission. You will learn techniques for high-level audience engagement, including storytelling skills and activity design. You’ll uncover how to approach museums from a narrative perspective, with examples that dig for the non-traditional, and truly human, elements of spaces and objects in order to tell fascinating, passion-based stories and create stronger connections between audiences and institutions.
Staying overnight in Moses Lake on Friday? Join your museum colleagues for a no-host breakfast on Saturday, June 24 at 8:00. Location will be announced.
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