“WMA has a people-scaled conference that lets everyone talk across job descriptions in museums. It provides an opportunity to get a holistic view of the field, and therefore better comprehend how museums function. It's not uncommon for a director and an emerging professional to have a conversation.”

Susan Spero, JFK University Museum Studies Professor.

A RISING TIDE:SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES: GREEN & BEYONDSAN DIEGO 2009

Highlights of the Western Museums Association

TRADITION: 75 Years Old

INDUSTRY-FOCUSED: A professional museum workers association

OPEN AND ENCOURAGING:

Socialization

Professional Development

Large Enough to Matter: Small Enough to “See Yourself in the Picture”

Core Values of the

Western Museums Association

Excellence Trust

Leadership Inclusion

Collegiality Sustainability

Fun

•Hands-on Activities at Conferences

•Strong discipline support- ie registrars

INDUSTRY-FOCUSED

A Place for New Leaders: Lisa Sasaki, Japanese American National Museum, Spearheads Sessions on:

•Engaging Diverse Audiences

•Encouraging Innovation & Institutional Change

OPEN AND ENCOURAGING

New Online Presence-Westmuse on Wordpress & Facebook Realtime Twitter

Developed by New Leaders and Old Guard, Collaborative, Diverse Subject Matter

OPEN AND ENCOURAGING

Strong Presence by Native Museums

“The Buffalo in the Room: Talking about the Tough Stuff at Native Museums”

OPEN AND ENCOURAGING

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE CONFERENCE

* Educational sessions for varied audience of museum disciplines

* Motivational General Sessions- Bob Welch, a storyteller and writer on Why History Matters Miranda Carroll – Curating the Museum of Islamic Art -Qatar

* Affinity group lunches and informal meetings

* Behind the scenes tours and social activities at area institutions Afternoon at Balboa Park – Exhibit Critique/Insider Tours

WHO ATTENDS THE CONFERENCE?Museum professionals from all segments & disciplines

Executive Directors and trusteesRegistrars, Curators, Exhibit designersEducatorsVendors- Shippers, architects, fabricators, insurers, tech toolsDevelopment, Marketing and communicationsStudents and emerging professionalsDiverse ages, experience levels, institutional sizes and types.Ethnically based and tribal museumsOther organizations- BCMA and AAM

WHAT WERE CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS? SESSIONS? MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE?

Culture Wars in the Gulf—The Emir of Qatar. The Louvre. Values.

USS Midway Masquerade

Tim Hart- Getty Institutional Research Metrics

John Maccabee- City Mystery ARGs “Ghosts of a Chance”

Stephanie Almeida- Boise State's EdTech Island in SL

Wanda Chin & Terry Dickey- 30 Years Alaska Museum of the North

WHAT WOULD I CHANGE ABOUT CONFERENCES?Like many non-profit organizations around the country, the WMA has felt the strain of the national recession- the conference is no exception. The Conference/Hotel model isn't working.

The cost $250 registration, room nights and airfare easily totals $ 1,000 and is not affordable for many of our members.

Although WMA has been careful to monitor expenses and project income, the organization has experienced significant shortfalls in revenue for 2009.  Based on this shortfall, WMA began restructuring and that will take place over the next few months.