News From Museum Association of New York

e-connections  Newsletter of the new Museum Association of New York February 2014 265 River Street, Troy, NY 12180  www.manyonline.org 1-518-273-3400  info@manyonline.org

Museum Institute at Sagamore We're dedicating this month of February to love, not the cavity inducing hearts and sonnets amour but rather sharing our love for museums!     I give you 10 reasons to fall in love with the Museum Association of New York ~  We don't just talk - we listen. You asked for sessions focused on skill building for museum professionals and organizational capacity building and we listened. The 2014 Museums in Actionconference will feature both theme-oriented STEM to STEAM sessions as well as Museum Must-Haves and Professional Affinity "Coffee Talks". We've saved you a seat at the table - MANY's advocacy with elected officials, agency leaders, and funders on arts, cultural, tourism, and economic development issues ensures your institution's voice is heard. We think that museums make STEM ~ STEAM-y and so do our Museums in Action Keynoters. We like to keep it fresh and forward-looking. Supporting emerging museum professionals with resume reviews; poster session opportunities; and discounted (read: free) rates. We know how hard you work, and we want to give the recognition you deserve - recognizing best practices within the field through ourAwards of Merit. We think that your new strategic plan makes you look good - really good. Supporting the outstanding work being done in New York's Museums by administering $102,000 in NYSCA funded Grants for Museum Advancement. We keep you connected - providing timely and trusted information about issues affecting museums throughout New York; actively participating in the NYS Board of Regents Advisory Council for Museums. We are Museumwise - providing Online Courses; Salary & Benefits Survey; Samples and Resources to support, promote and empower museum professionals in New York and beyond. We're happy to collaborate with clever partnersto bring you professional development opportunities.  We LOVE museums and are committed to supporting the people who work in them! We are grateful to the MANY community for generously sharing your passion for extraordinary museums! With best regards,     Catherine Gilbert, Director  ____________________________________________ Stay Connected - Please be sure to update our contact information  Catherine Gilbert, Director director@manyonline.org Dana Krueger, Associate Director-Programsdana@manyonline.org    https://www.facebook.com/nysmuseums https://twitter.com/nysmuseums http://manyonline.org/membership/join-the-conversation Board News  Members - keep an eye on your inbox for our 2014 MANY Board Ballot. One of the benefits of membership in the Museum Association of New York is to cast your ballot for the leadership of this association. Not yet a member? Join today! Advocacy Update Albany Support Tourism... Pump Up the State's Economy Tourism Action Day 2014 Tourism Action Day is taking place March 4, 2014. Governor Cuomo has made tourism a priority, so we're heading to the Capitol to show the Legislature that it's our priority too! MANY is a partner in the Tourism Industry Coalition who is sponsoring the day's events. We will hear about the issues facing the tourism industry (which includes Museums!) and then make our rounds, visiting the Legislators to lend our voices to the cause.  Come and tell your elected officials you need their continued support both statewide and at the local level. If you would like to attend and be a part of the action, register here by Thursday, February 27, 2014. Washington update:  2014 Advocacy Day is Here!    MANY is a proud sponsor of Museum Advocacy Day! Join Director Catherine Gilbert and Associate Director - Programs Dana Krueger at this year's Advocacy Day! Can't attend? Follow our progress on Twitter@nysmuseums  Want to know why you should advocate for your museum and how? Not sure what advocacy is? Check out this article to find out! Then take 75 Minutes to learn 75 ideas for advocacy. And finally, if you can attend in person, you can advocate from anywhere. Learn how with this step by step guide. Wish us luck as we represent NYS's museums, zoos, botanical gardens!  2014 Congressional Honorees Selected  AAM recently announced that U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-CO) and U.S. Representative Michael Grimm (R-NY) will be honored during Museums Advocacy Day this year. Grimm has consistently been one of the champions in Congress for the annual funding lending support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Udall has been a leader in support of both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and has introduced legislation to expand both the Public Lands Corps and historic preservation education programs.  MANY Membership  Giving You Great Benefits! Don't let your membership slide! Renew or Join today!   If you have received a renewal letter, please send in with payment so you can continue to receive all the great benefits MANY has to offer! If you're not yet a member, we're showing our love this month by sharing our member-only newsletter with you. This is a benefit you would receive monthly, along withMANY other super opportunities! Already a member? Share the love with a colleague. We are truly stronger together.   Visit our website to sign up today!  Feel the power of MANY! Online Courses - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Looking for inexpensive, yet professional training for your staff, volunteers or board members? Check out one of our online Collections Care and Preservation courses. The topics range from specific "How-to's" for working with paper to learning about reformatting. Historical societies, art museums, science museums, and archives are just some of the organizations who have benefited! And the best part - they're not scary! Courses can be taken at your own pace, with 2-3 hours of work time per week to be completed at your convenience.  The courses also offer interaction with qualified instructors and assignments are based on your own collections.   Register now for these courses! Conservation & Preservation of Photographs & Albums - March 3-28 Climate Control for Small Institutions - March 31-April25 Basic Preservation, Care, & Handling of Paper-Based Materials - April 28-May 23 For more information or to register for Spring 2014 courses,  visit our website www.manyonline.org   Get Ready for the 2014 Museums in Action Conference! Register NOW for NYS Museums in Action      Take advantage of the Early Bird rate while you can!Go online to register now or print a form to mail in with payment. This year we're providing sessions on the STEM to STEAM theme as well as some requested sessions for Museum Must-Haves! Here are some samples of what you will find: STEM to STEAM The Ins and Outs of Engineering STEAM Programs What are the ins and outs of engineering successful, affordable, and meaningful STEAM related activities for young learners in a museum setting? Come join your colleagues in "building" on these questions and more! Full Steam Ahead! Service Learning, Collaboration and Partnerships Will Keep You on Track Art in science museum? Math in a cemetery? Geography in a photograph? This and more STEAMy stuff! Don't let a lack of disciplinary expertise hold you back... full STEAM ahead for new ways to tackle this new curricula.    MUSEUM MUST-HAVES Designing Exhibitions: Keeping it In-House and Out the Door   Join Andrew Saluti, Assistant Director of the Syracuse University Art Galleries, for a hands-on session that explores various techniques and tips for exhibition development and design, and the process of turning your institution's exhibitions into traveling exhibitions. Gallery design, basic didactic implantations, and an exploration of how you can create dynamic gallery elements using new technologies yourself, will be discussed. Then, learn to market your exhibitions using online tools, simple prep and collegial networks. The ability to produce exhibition materials in house instead of hiring out empowers your institution and creates potential income streams that will benefit your museum. Making a Case With Data and Stories -  Presented by the Cultural Data Project        Participants will explore the impact of stories combined with data, then work together to develop example cases to be used by museums as they advocate for themselves and the sector.    This is only a sampling of what's to come at the conference in 2014!!Be sure to check out the other opportunities as they unfold in coming newsletters. For more information on the conference, check out the website.  Registration is open! Click here to get the Early Bird rate. See you in Albany!  Using Dialogue to Promote Engagement & Enhance Relevance Among Museum Visitors Workshop When: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 9:00am - 5:00pm Where: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site - Buffalo, New York About: This full-day, hands-on training session provides an introduction to facilitated dialogue. This interpretive technique allows museums to better connect with their visitors and engage in conversations about critical issues. It has been used with great success at museums like the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Led by: Sarah Pharaon, Program Director at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. Participants will explore what makes dialogue such an effective tool in museum settings. Case studies, coupled with participatory activities and discussion, will demonstrate how facilitated dialogue techniques can be used successfully with audiences of all ages and various learning styles. Participants will leave with a "toolkit" of proven strategies they can take home and put into practice at their organizations. Who Should Attend: This session is perfect for staff and dedicated volunteers from museums that would like to engage with their visitors in a more active and meaningful way, but aren't sure where/how to start. Facilitated dialogue training will not only benefit museum educators, tour guides, and staff responsible for public programming, but also museum studies students. Cost (includes boxed lunch): $20 MANY Members/$25 Nonmembers Space is limited - register early!  Click Here to Register Now!  For more information, please email Lenora Henson or call (716) 884-0095. Co-sponsored by: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation

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News From Museum Association of New York

e-connections  Newsletter of the new Museum Association of New York November 2013 265 River Street, Troy, NY 12180  www.manyonline.org 1-518-273-3400  info@manyonline.org

The MaNY Adventures of the Director... Museum Institute at Sagamore As we prepare for Thanksgiving I'm inclined to reflect upon the clever people, serendipitous moments and fruitful opportunities that we've enjoyed this first year of consolidation. I'm delighted to recall several occasions upon which I declared "this is our mission in action!" as we gathered together with old friends and new acquaintances weaving together the rich resources that lie within the inspiring individuals in our community. Our recent "road show" included three IMLS funded More Fun, More Learning: Libraries and Museums Working Together for Young Learners workshops and seven regional MANY Meet-ups! Many thanks to our hosts for welcoming our guests and supporting our mission. If you are interested in hosting a 2014 Meet-up, let me know.      Leading off this issue is a highlight of advocacy opportunities in Albany and Washington, DC. I attended the Regents Advisory Council on Museums meeting this month where the conversation centered upon statewide collaborations and Museums and the Common Core. Much more to come on this topic and the potential for a Museum Education Act.     Our focus now turns to end of the year logistics and planning our 2014 advocacy agenda and program slate. Many thanks for sharing your ideas, challenges and support towards visioning our 2014 offerings.  In this season for giving thanks, I am grateful to the MANY community for generously sharing your passion for extraordinary museums. With best wishes for a lovely Thanksgiving,    Catherine Gilbert, Director  ____________________________________________ Stay Connected - Please be sure to update our  contact information  Catherine Gilbert, Director director@manyonline.org Dana Krueger, Associate Director-Programsdana@manyonline.org    https://www.facebook.com/nysmuseums https://twitter.com/nysmuseums http://manyonline.org/membership/join-the-conversation Board News  The Museum Association of New York Board of Directors will meet on Monday, December 9th. On the agenda will be setting 2014 strategic priorities based on the conversations that have taken place at the regional Meet-Ups, as well as 2014 budget planning. Advocacy Update Albany Want to be updated on the actions/meetings of the Regent's Advisory Committee? Click here to read theNovember 2013 meeting's agenda and materials. Washington update:  Register for Museum Advocacy Day Museums Advocacy Day 2014 is Feb. 24-25! And Museum Association of New York is a sponsor!! "The event has become an invaluable, annual opportunity to advance the cause of our museums and the work of those who lead and support them. The training, information packets, logistics and results get better every year, and will no doubt lead to many successes in the future. Museums Advocacy Day 2014 is already on my calendar-for me, it is now an annual commitment!" -Pete Watson, Howell Living History Farm, Mercer County Park Commission, Titusville, NJ, and President of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums Will you be there? Since 2009, Museums Advocacy Day has resulted in: Nearly 1,000 advocates making 1,391 visits to Capitol Hill offices Increased Congressional support for museums New awareness of the vital role of museums Valuable networking opportunities Check out more here. IMLS and AAM are pairing up to strengthen state museum associations like Museum Association of New York. To learn more about this great endeavor, click here! Museum Association of New York Has Hit the Road! MANY is traveling this fall to various locations across the state to host Regional Meet-Ups. Hopefully we have already either met with you in your local area or will soon be doing so! Our events thus far have been wonderful! We love hearing about all of your great work in the various museums and affiliations across the state. Topics of discussion have included Common Core; Formula Funding; tourism initiatives; collaborations within communities and the local CVB or REDCs; MANY as a "clearing house" for information,professional groups and more; the need to advocate for NYSCA to gain more funding; and more!  Thank you to all of our hosts: Corning Museum of Glass, Everson Museum of Art, Fenimore Art Museum, FDR Presidential Library and Museum, National Museum of the American Indian - New York, and Hofstra University Museum. If you didn't catch us at one of the above venues, don't fret! We still have 2 more stops on our roadshow!  Please join us as we discuss advocacy issues that face all of NYS's museum community. (And bring a colleague or two!) RSVP info@manyonline.org. December 3 at 4pm -Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo December 4 at 10am - The Strong, Rochester  See you in your region soon! Membership Renewals    Giving You Great Benefits! Don't let your membership slide! Renew or join today! If you have received a renewal letter, please send in with payment so you can continue to receive all the great benefits MANY has to offer!   Visit our website for easy renewal! 2013 Museum Institute at Sagamore   Another Successful Year at Sagamore! We had an amazing 4 days with the Museum Institute at Sagamore participants and presenters! The group learned about collaborations, communication, leadership, time management and value proposition. They started creating their own professional development strategies and brainstormed to help each other successfully maneuver their obstacles. The weather made for a beautiful time in the Adirondacks and the group took full advantage of it with walking around the lake, canoeing and kayaking in their free moments. There was even a bit of healthy competition in Great Camp Sagamore's newly opened bowling alley! Thanks to all who participated. It truly was a fantastic Institute and couldn't have been so fulfilling without full commitment on everyone's part. Thanks also to Great Camp Sagamore and the staff for being wonderful hosts. We have made great connections and hope you took home a wealth of new and exciting resources as well as a refreshed outlook for your work!  About the Museum Institute at Sagamore... The Institute is a reflective, intensive, four day retreat at Great Camp Sagamore in the Adirondacks that gives New York State museum professionals the opportunity to learn, reflect, and work with their colleagues from across the state. The 2014 Museum Institute at Sagamore will take placeSeptember 23-26th. Acceptance to the Institute is by application only. For more information please visit:www.manyonline.org   Want to learn more about Sagamore? Be sure to attend the Sagamore Session at this year's Museums in Action conference!

Gear Up for the 2014 Museums in Action Annual Conference! Are you a vendor who would like to be a part of the largest gathering of museum professionals in New York State? Do you think the work we do is SUPER and you would like to be a sponsor? Then this is thelink for you! Museums in Conversation is now Museums in Action! Come be a part of the Action! Check out the levels of participation for exhibitors and sponsors for the 2014 conference. Bring your goods and set up a display or if you can't make it there in person, we have options for you! New this year:  Become a sponsor and get an advertisement our new program booklet!  Feeling like we need to be more technologically savvy? Sponsor our conference app! For more information on this year's conference exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, check out the website. Thank you in advance for your support! The "Skinny" on this year's Annual Conference... This year's Museums in Action annual conference theme is STEM to STEAM! How will you participate and help your peers through this important conversation taking place at the 2014 Conference?   What is STEAM? STEAM = Science and Technology integrated through Engineering and the "Arts", all based in Mathematical elements. Museums + STEAM While teachers are limited in the classroom and traditional schools are only just considering merging disciplines, this is something that museums already do! And we do it well! Museums' non-traditional educational environments are perfect for this cross-curricular approach to teaching. Many museum programs have already been adding the A for Arts into the STEM programming. This includes visual and performing arts, humanities, social sciences, language arts and history. Whether it be through exhibitions, scope of collections or educational programming, museums have the natural capability to excel at STEAM initiatives! To learn more click here for the conference website. See you in Albany! Awards of Merit Nominations are Now Being Accepted! MANY Director Catherine Gilbert with 2012 Award of Merit Winner in the Innovation in Interpretation category: Museum of the Earth at the Paleontological Research Institution  New York's museums and heritage organizations are many and diverse. These institutions collect and interpret art, history, natural history, science, technology and culture. These valuable organizations provide opportunities for inquiry, engagement, inspiration and education about the state's cultural and natural heritage. The Awards of Merit program acknowledges outstanding programs and individuals who have made the state's museum community richer and more relevant. They reward the innovative efforts of staff and volunteers and they provide encouragement for the development of new and remarkable projects. Nominations are sought for contributions made in 2013. The awards will be presented on Monday, March 31, 2014 at the Luncheon of theMuseums in Action Conference at the Albany Marriott on Wolf Rd. in Albany. Submitting a Proposal Nominations may be submitted in the following categories (for yourself or others):  The Rising Star Award: Awarded to a museum professional, currently employed in an institution, aged 25-35, for his/her creativity and ability to tackle institutional/programmatic challenges in innovative and inspiring ways. Anne Ackerson Innovation in Leadership Award: This award recognizes board and staff leaders through creatively and effectively bringing their organization and its people through a significant challenge or opportunity.  Innovation in Collection Access: Collections are the vital backbone of museums and heritage organizations forming the basis for new research, programs, exhibitions, publications and web content. Nominations for this category are exemplary projects that concern broadening intellectual or physical access to collections; outstanding or cutting-edge preservation, cataloging or care. Innovation in Interpretation: This award category recognizes outstanding interpretive methods that forge emotional and intellectual connections between audiences and the meanings inherent in objects, artifacts, landscapes and place. Engaging Communities Award: A critical element of any museum or heritage organization is the way that it interacts with its community. Nominations for this category should highlight efforts that engage your community or create new audiences for your organization. These projects could include interpretative exhibitions, lecture series, educational or public programs, focus groups, strategic planning, evaluation or other community engagement effort. Excellent "Failure" Award: Recognizing that innovation stems from taking risks and that risks often lead to unpredicted results this award pays tribute to those that have made the most of such 'failures'. Nominations should indicate the initial goal of the endeavor, what went awry and highlight what was learned/how the organization has benefited as a result. Individual Achievement Award: Any successful organization has the support of a devoted team of staff and volunteers. Nominations in this category should be for those people who have played pertinent roles in moving their organizations forward over a sustained period. Nominations can by for an individual or a team of museum staff and/or volunteers.   Click here to submit a Nomination The deadline for submissions is December 13, 2013. Contact MANY with any questions at info@manyonline.org. Let's celebrate you!!