Supporting our field and NEMA
The past year has been difficult for our field, and NEMA is committed to continuing to develop robust online offerings (much of it free) for members and non-members, New England and beyond. Your support makes our programs possible, and NEMA cannot do great programming without your help. If you can, please support your fellow museum professionals by making a gift to NEMA.
2021 Conference Update
In light of continuing economic and public health concerns across the cultural and heritage sector, NEMA has decided that the 2021 Annual Conference will be virtual again this fall, in the week of November 15-19. Keeping the conference virtual this year allows us to be as accessible to as many people as possible, and we look forward to seeing all your conference proposals coming in! The deadline for submissions is June 11. Find all the conference information here.
2021 NEMA Publication Awards
You’re passionate about your work and we’re passionate about it too! But, due to the pandemic, the NEMA staff have made the tough choice to put a pause on the Publication Awards program this year. We look forward to picking up the program in 2022 for the range of publications made during 2019-2021. More details will be forthcoming Spring 2022. If you have already submitted your 2019 Publication it is in safe keeping and will be judged next Spring during the 2019-2021 convening and winners will be displayed in-person at the 2022 NEMA Conference. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Museum Learning Hub
Last year NEMA and the other five regional museum associations were awarded an IMLS grant to create a program designed to increase digital capacity in small museums. We’re happy to report that the “Digital Empowerment Project” has launched with its first module of online instruction focusing on “Digital Access.” The module will feature three webinars hosted by technical experts and museum peers. There will be a total of ten modules (approximately 30 webinars) to be released monthly through January, 2022. They will be available for viewing through a new website called the Museum Learning Hub.
The NEMA Board of Directors is currently recruiting new board members to fill several vacancies. We are seeking nominations for board members who are committed to the museum field and believe in NEMA's mission. Serving on the NEMA Board is a meaningful way to engage in the broader museum community as the organization addresses the challenges and opportunities for museums in the New England region. It is also a thought-provoking opportunity to work with and learn from colleagues. All are eligible to apply. Full details can be found here. Applications are due June 4, 2021.
NEMA has embarked on a major, transformative effort to develop a strategic initiative that centers DEAIJ and antiracism work in our governance, operations, and programs. We have engaged the services of Arts Connect International, a Boston-based nonprofit that in 2020 convened more than 800 culture workers nationwide in the Cultural Equity Learning Community. Our work with ACI will include board and staff participation in CELC content, intensive workshops, and strategic visioning directed at both our internal practices and the way we can model antiracism/decolonization work to the field. We are excited for this work, which will take us through early 2022, and look forward to interacting with you, the NEMA community, as we journey together on this path.
NEMA Jobs
Starting March, 2021, organizations posting jobs with NEMA will be required to submit salary information (a salary figure or range) in order to be eligible for listing. This will align NEMA with current best practices in the field in the pursuit of wage equity. View current listings here.
PAG Updates
If you are interested in getting involved as a Professional Affiliation Gathering chair, please get in touch with Meg at meg.winikates@nemanet.org. We’re currently looking for chairs to help lead the Exhibits, Development, Marketing, PR, Membership, Children’s, HR & Volunteer Management, and Library and Archives PAGs.
Four PAGs have Facebook groups! Join the Registrars & Collection Care Specialists (RACCS), Library & Archives, the Development, Marketing, PR, Membership, and the LGBTQ+ Museum Staff & Students PAGs online. Don’t forget to follow the NEMA Young and Emerging Professionals page.
Call for Articles
Have a great idea for an article for New England Museums Now? Museums Now is the professional journal for the voices of museum professionals across the geography, genres, and job descriptions present in our field, and we want your voice to be represented! Submissions for articles are accepted on a rolling basis. Though Museums Now issues each focus on a particular theme relevant to our field, we welcome articles on all museum topics. Your submission is not required to fit a theme for an upcoming issue. For complete details about submitting an article, click here.
The summer issue will be on Pandemic Pivots & Projects. What are the projects that make you most proud from a year of hardship and innovation? What pivots worked? What new avenues did you explore that you intend to continue traveling? We want to showcase the best and most exciting work of the region, so send us your case studies and success stories! Inquiry deadline: May 21. Submission deadline: June 4.
Advocacy Updates:
New England Museum Week Wrap Up
In March 2021, NEMA launched the first ever regional advocacy initiative, concentrating on awareness, celebration, and legislative action in support of New England’s museums and extended cultural community. Each day featured a state-specific “Rev Up!” webinar featuring advocacy tips, state legislative updates from local experts, and time for participants to ask questions and discuss advocacy issues particularly important to them. NEMA also generated and provided resources for participants including state specific fact sheets to send to legislators, sample language for letters and social media, shareable graphics, and links to other advocacy resources and statistics. All resources can be found here.
The Rev Up training webinars were well attended; 73% of survey respondents reported attending, and comments on the training were favorable. “I liked the camaraderie of the rev up meeting, and the information presented to Massachusetts was great.” Most participants also posted one or more times on social media using the event hashtags (71%), used the graphics NEMA created (27%), and downloaded the state factsheets (32%). Another survey comment said, “It was great - I've never participated in a formal advocacy day for museum-specific work. Looking forward to staying involved!” Overall, social media engagement for the week included 158 New England organizations posting 308 times across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, with over 7,100 audience interactions (likes, comments, and shares).
In terms of direct legislative impact, 38% reported contacting one or more legislators via email. 13% also contacted their legislators over social media. We will be doing more specific training around using social media for advocacy in future.
Advocacy News to Know
A number of bills are under consideration regionally that support further funding for the cultural field at the state level. Details for specific bills in Massachusetts and Connecticut can be found here. Please reach out to your state legislators and let them know that you are in favor of this legislation and want their support.
Webinars, Town Halls, and Workshops
From January 1 to April 1, 2021, NEMA has hosted 22 virtual events, attended by more than 500 people, ranging from Lunch with NEMA, meet-ups, and webinars. The spring workshop season starts in April with many more workshops, webinars, and networking opportunities on the horizon.
Thank you to all the PAG chairs, volunteers, and participants who have helped organize virtual events. Many of these have been recorded; go to http://ow.ly/1rps50zmrsg.
Lead a virtual "Town Hall"
Do you have a topic you'd like to discuss with your fellow NEMA members? NEMA is offering the use of our Zoom channel to any members who would like to call together a group to discuss issues arising now for their particular roles. Please contact Meg Winikates at meg.winikates@nemanet.org and Heather A. Riggs at heather.riggs@nemanet.org if you would like to schedule a discussion. If you're interested in hosting a regional happy hour or tea, please reach out to Scarlett Hoey at scarlett.hoey@nemanet.org.
Lunch with NEMA
We are currently planning our 2021 Lunch with NEMA webinar schedule. If you have an idea for a Lunch with NEMA topic or are interested in speaking, please contact Meg Winikates at meg.winikates@nemanet.org. We are especially interested in topics which focus on practical tools and skill building across various roles in the museum field, but we’re interested in hearing anything you’ve got in mind!
2020 Conference Recording
You can now view all of the recordings from the 2020 NEMA Virtual Conference, Who do we think we are now?, on NEMA's YouTube Channel here.
Executive Director Community of Practice
For the past two years, a group of 12 first-time executive directors have met monthly online to share knowledge, inspiration, and support. Known as “EDCoP” (short for executive director community of practice), the program combines peer support and guest speakers to help them do their jobs better. If you’re interested in joining EDCoP or would like to create a NEMA-supported community of practice yourself, contact Dan Yaeger, dan.yaeger@nemanet.org.
NEMA 911
Museum leaders sometimes find themselves in uncharted territory, facing challenging situations for which they are unprepared or uncertain. These can include issues of finance, governance, ethics, facilities, collections, disaster management, personnel, and other concerns under the leadership umbrella. Unfortunately, resources to help them navigate these deep waters successfully can be scarce. Online guidance and books may be helpful, but they are no substitute for a trusted adviser who has the experience, judgment, and contacts to provide wise counsel.
NEMA 911 is a free, confidential service for members connecting museum leaders with helpful colleagues. Drawing upon a pool of volunteers who are senior-level professionals in or nearing retirement, NEMA 911 is a rapid-response resource that helps untangle problems, offer words of wisdom, and suggest pathways toward solutions. For more information on this free service, go to nemanet.org/nema-911.