Small Museum Association PreConference Mailer 2011

Night at the Small Museum: Bringing Museums to Life

SMALL MUSEUM ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCESUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20 - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2011

www.smallmuseum.org www.facebook.com/smallmuseumassociation

GREETINGS FROM THE 2011 SMA CONFERENCE CHAIR

I am fortunate to be working with such an extraordinary conference planning team as we pull together materials for SMA’s 27th annual conference in Ocean City, Maryland, in February 2011. As you will note in this mailer our speaker coordinators Jen Ruffner and Helen Wirka have assembled dynamic speakers who will offer fascinating and informative sessions relevant to your museum. Our marketing and publicity team, lead by Lauren Silberman, is promoting this upcoming conference like never before on SMA’s Facebook page and recently created SMA Blog. Andy Zellers-Frederick, exhibit hall coordinator, is coming up with fresh and exciting plans

for vendors and attendees to connect to one another during the conference. Conference treasurer Amanda Apple and registrar Dayna Aldridge have worked hard to streamline the registration process and keep costs down for attendees. Our preconference workshop, for example, will be made available at no extra cost this year. I should not forget Doris Pullman and Lindsey Baker who together, working with the hotel, are planning a fabulous evening banquet on Monday night. Remember to contact Sarah Hagarty about scholarship opportunities or if you would like to officially acknowledge a colleague at the conference with a Small Museum Award. Finally, I should recognize planning committee member Peter Leighton and the SMA Board of Directors for their constant support and ongoing promotion of the annual conference. As you can see, it takes quite a team of dedicated individuals to plan for SMA’s annual meeting. We are equally grateful to the many museum professionals all over the country who make plans to attend SMA year after year. And we hope to see new faces in Ocean City as well! I hope that you will make every effort to attend what is arguably one of the best conferences in the country geared to the particular needs of small museums. Not only do our sessions and workshops offer sound information concerning relevant and timely issues facing small museums, but the speakers and presenters themselves are first-rate. Volunteers, board members, and staff will find this year’s conference particularly inspiring as we explore topics central to our theme, Night at the Small Museum: Bringing Museums to Life. Please remember to contact Doris Pullman at [email protected] if you would like to participate in our silent auction event. Proceeds from the silent auction support our scholarship fund, which allows 10 individuals to attend the conference every year at no cost. On behalf of the planning committee, thank you for your ongoing support of SMA and your dedication to small museums everywhere. I look forward to seeing and speaking with you in February.

Jason Illari

ABOUT THE SMALL MUSEUM ASSOCIATION

The Small Museum Association is an all volunteer organization serving small museums in the Mid–Atlantic region & beyond. SMA’s mission is to develop and maintain a peer network among people who work for small museums, giving them opportunities to learn, share knowledge and support one another, so that they, in turn, can better serve their institutions, communities & profession.

Jason at last year’s Banquet

Jason Illari, Conference Chair


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR SMA 2011Times and locations to be announced in final program.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2010

1:00 - 4:00pmGrant Writing Workshop, Mary Alexander, Lee Price, Linda NorrisNEW THIS YEAR: The pre-conference workshop is included with the price of registration. No extra fee! All you need to do is RSVP for this perennial favorite.

4:30 - 5:30pmState Meetings: Maryland, Delaware, New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania/New Jersey,

5:30 - 6:30pmWine and Cheese Reception in Resource Hall

7:00 - 8:30pmNEW THIS YEAR: Eat and Engage! See the New This Year box for further information.

NEW THIS YEAR AT THE 2011 SMA CONFERENCE

Ride and Room Sharing: Email [email protected] to be placed on a contact list.

SMA Book Club: SMA will feature one session and one roundtable on the books, Connecting Kids To History With Museum Exhibitions and The Participatory Museum. It will be helpful to read both books before attending. More information to be posted on our website soon.

Job and Messaging Board: Bring any announcements to post on our board!

Twitter Feed: Tweet about what’s happening at the conference by using the hashtag: #sma11 (sma “eleven”)

Sunday Workshop Included In Registration Fee: Join one of our favorite workshops, Grant Writing, for no extra fee! Just RSVP and enjoy.

Sunday Night Eat And Engage: Are you looking to make new friends or “talk shop” with other attendees? Eat and Engage provides an opportunity for SMA attendees to meet up for dinner and chat about a variety of topics. There will be an Eat and Engage for Emerging Museum Professionals at Galaxy 66 and an Eat and Engage in the Clarion’s restaurant. The price of dinner is not included with registration. RSVP required.

Monday Night Banquet Theme: Night at The Small Museum: The Monday night banquet is a favorite of many SMA attendees! While dressing up is optional, it is encouraged. Ideas for costumes include collections item come to life, a living building, a night-time theme, and more. Let your imagination run wild! Activities include dinner, dancing, awards, half and half raffle, and silent auction announcements. (Have you emailed Doris Pullman at [email protected] yet with your silent auction submission?)


MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2010

Keynote Address - Engaging the Present with the Past, Conny Graft, Principle, Conny C. Graft, Research and Evaluation

MONDAY SESSIONS

So What? How to Find Big Compelling Ideas that Make your Historic Site Worth Visiting, Dean Krimmel

What Do They Want From Us? Understanding the Needs of Homeschoolers in Museums, Miriam Musco

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures! Take Them, Save Them, and (Most Importantly) Use Them! Jennifer Vess & Rachel Kassman

Heritage Areas: Creating a Unique Sense of Place With Small Museums and the Greater Community, Jeff Buchheit, Beth Erickson & Betsy Kellner

2011 Gift and Tax Estate Tax Report: Working with Donors to Understand and Use the Latest Changes, Manuella W. Hancock, Esq.

We Didn’t Know What We Didn’t Know: A Costume Exhibit Experience at a Small Museum, Michael Connolly & Colleen Callahan

Don’t Forget the Drama! Bringing Museums to Life Using Theater to Engage, Educate and Inspire the Visitor (and the Staff), Lisa Hayes

A Comprehensive Guide to Managing Your Digital Content Online and Off, Sarah Handwerger & Lindsey Burrows

Community Support - The Key to Sustainability: Practical Tips on Building Community Awareness and Support, Yolanda Alcorta, Ann Barton Brown, & Prudence Haines

Being Heard: Effective Advocacy for the Small Museum, Kristen Harbeson

Small Museums and Community Service Learning: Lessons Learned in Collaboration, Kelly M. Cooper

Making Standards and Assessments work for your Small Museum, Linda Norris

Small Spaces, Big Ideas: Designing Temporary Exhibitions for Historic House Museums, Emily Schultz & Sarah Coster

Maryland’s Disaster Planning Tools, Nichole Doub & Howard Wellman

NEW THIS YEAR: SMA Book Club: Connecting Kids To History With Museum Exhibitions, Mary Alexander & Lindsey Baker

MONDAY ROUNDTABLESStEPS: A MAHM Roundtable on AASLH’s Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations, Lindsey Baker & Rod Cofield


Floundering Historic Sites: What Can We Do to Stay Afloat, Amanda Bowman & Alexandra GnafakisSmall Museums Working Together: How Can Small Museums Collaborate in Meaningful and Effective Ways? Sarah Coster

NEW THIS YEAR: SMA Book Club: Audience Participation and Nina Simon’s The Participatory Museum, Rebecca Lawrence

Bringing Collections To Life: How Small Museums Can Utilize Collections Beyond the Exhibit Case, Jason Illari

MONDAY SPECIAL EVENTSIce Cream Social and Coffee Break in Resource HallIdea Lounge outside Resource HallEvening Costume Themed Banquet - Night at the Small MuseumSilent Auction

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2010

Plenary Address - Beyond the Velvet Rope, Thompson Mayes, Deputy General Counsel, National Trust for Historic Preservation

TUESDAY SESSIONS

Re-examining History: Docent Study Groups and Building Theme Tours in a Historic House Museum, Farrar Fitzgerald

Fundraising in the Digital Age: Engaging Millennial Donors, Derrick Feldman

Kids Crew and Museum Team at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum - Strengthening the Relationship Between Institution and Community Outreach, Alyssa Greenberg

Collections Care: Insurance and Loss Control Basics, Deborah Peak, Paul Fritsch & Molly Slattery

Outside Your Doors: Developing Effective Outreach Programs, Ellen Owens

Shopping Your Closet: New Fundraising with What You Already Have, Mary Duffy

Is it Worth It? The Impact Hosting Events Can Have on a Collections, Mary Coughlin

Successful Girl Scout Programming: How To Get Them Banging on Your Door, Diane Milgrim

Small Museums and 21st Century Skills, Tim Carrigan

Long Range Thinking/Planning: Perfect for Small Museums, Lindsey Baker & Mary Alexander

One way to dress up for this year’s banquet, Night at the Small Museum!

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDSSMA is proud to once again offer several scholarships and awards for the conference. To apply, visit www.smallmuseum.org for full information or email Sarah Hagarty at [email protected].

SILENT AUCTIONAll Silent Auction proceeds benefit SMA’s Scholarship Program, enabling first–time attendees from a variety of institutions to take part in our conference. Past scholarship winners have taken active leadership roles in the museum community and SMA is proud to support their careers. To contribute to the Silent Auction, please contact Doris Pullman at [email protected].

MUSEUM RESOURCE HALLOnce again, the SMA resource hall will be full of museum resource professionals offering their services, from exhibition design firms and preservation consultants, to publishing and gift shop item companies. If you know of any spectacular resource professionals that you’d like to see at the hall, please contact Andy Zellers-Frederick at [email protected] for more information.

GETTING TO OCEAN CITYOcean City is located on the Atlantic Coast of the Delmarva peninsula, conveniently situated about 2.5 hours from Baltimore, Washington, Norfolk and Philadelphia.• From Baltimore/DC and west, take US Route 50 East to Ocean City, and bear north once in the city. Follow Coastal Highway to 100 Street and the Clarion.• From Wilmington, Del., Philadelphia and points north, follow I–95 South to Delaware Route 1 South. Follow to Delaware/Maryland line where Del. 1 turns into Coastal Highway. Follow south to 100 Street and the Clarion.• From Norfolk and points south, take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel to US Route 13 North towards Salisbury. Follow 13 to US Route 50 East towards Ocean City, and bear north once in the city. Follow Coastal Highway to 100 Street and the Clarion.Ocean City is served by Salisbury (MD) Regional airport. For more information about flight information, visit, www.sby. com. NEW THIS YEAR: RIDE-SHARE & ROOM-SHARE: Contact [email protected] to be placed on a contact list.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE CENTER & HOTELThe Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel is a full service hotel in Ocean City Maryland featuring luxurious hotel rooms. Located directly on the beach and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll get the best with unmatched comfort and convenience. For your enjoyment the Clarion features ocean view rooms, two oceanfront restaurants, a nightclub, live entertainment, a health club and year round indoor pool.

Clarion Resort Fontainebleau10100 Coastal Highway / Ocean City, MD 21842 / 800–638–2100 / 410–524–3535 www.clarionoc.com / [email protected]

2011 Room Rates Per Night1 standard room: $62 / 1 bdrm condo: $72 / 2 bdrm condo: $132 / 3 bdrm condo: $182

2011 SMALL MUSEUM ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE REGISTRATIONNow Available: Apply on-line at www.smallmuseum.org.

Name___________________________________________________________

Title____________________________________________________________

Badge Name (If Different From Above) __________________________________

Institution Name___________________________________________________

Institution Address__________________________________________________

Phone Number_____________________________________________________

Website_________________________________________________________

Email___________________________________________________________

Preferred Means of Contact: Phone __ Email__

REGISTRATION FEESFees include Pre-Conference Workshop, Wine & Cheese Reception, Monday and Tuesday Sessions, all Monday meals, Banquet, Tuesday Breakfast, One Year Membership to SMA.

Registration $160 __________

Student Registration (include ID copy) $135__________

Monday Only $115__________ Tuesday Only $60___________

Walk-In Registration $200__________

Meals Only for Non-Registered Guests $115__________

Guest’s Name __________________________________

For planning purposes, please tell us if you plan to attend the:___Grant Writing Workshop___ Sunday Wine and Cheese Reception___ Sunday Eat and Engage: ( __Check here if an Emerging Museum Professional)___ Monday Costume Banquet

Send a separate form for each attendee to Dayna Aldridge, Historic Ships in Baltimore, Pier 1, 301 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. Questions to Dayna at [email protected].

Make checks or money orders payable to SMA. Electronic payment now available at www.smallmuseum.org. Please mail this form when registering - phone or fax registrations cannot be accepted.

Registrations cancelled up to 2 weeks prior to the conference will be refunded at 50%. Cancellations after this time will not receive a refund. A $35 administrative fee will be deducted from all refunds.

Office Use Only

Form of Payment: ____

Personal ____

Institutional____

Total Enclosed

$_________

Small Museum Associationc/o Lewes Historical Society110 Shipcarpenter StreetLewes, Delaware 19958

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Memories from SMA 2010... What will happen in 2011? Be There!

Documents

Small Museum Association PreConference Mailer 2011