Editor's Note
Many of the articles in this installment of New England Museums Now were conceived of and written prior to the events surrounding the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, and the subsequent civil rights actions. Therefore, not all these visions of museum futures reflect the conversations we have all been having around racial equity and justice. We at NEMA recognize that the role of museums in the future of the Black Lives Matter movement and related social justice activities deserves time and space of its own. The next issue of Museums Now will focus entirely on this topic. If you are interested in writing for the upcoming social justice and equity issue, please see our call for articles here.
Conference Update
Originally scheduled for November 18-20 in Newport, Rhode Island, this year's conference will be held virtually over 5 days from November 16-20. The updated theme,"Who Do We Think We Are NOW?" is an opportunity for our field to come together and share lessons learned, and emerging best practices for the challenges ahead. We are looking forward to sharing over 60 sessions, along with networking opportunities, a virtual exhibit hall, and more. Each of five days’ program will open with a short keynote session, on themes including museums’ responses to and future roles in coronavirus crisis response, Black Lives Matter and related social justice actions, climate change, and envisioning museum futures. Thematically related sessions will follow, in addition to our usual spread of conference content across disciplines and roles.
If you do business with the New England museum community, then the NEMA Annual Conference is the place to be! With our pivot to an all-virtual format, 60+ sessions, multiple keynotes, networking lunches, and a virtual exhibit hall, sponsors and exhibitors have multiple opportunities for visibility and networking throughout the week. Details can be found online here. Celebrate the field and let them know you care by committing to being a conference supporter today.
Supporting our field and NEMA
The past 6 months have been difficult for our field, and NEMA is committed 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, support your fellow museum professionals by making a gift to NEMA.
Excellence Awards
NEMA is proud to honor our colleagues' extraordinary effort and commitment to the New England museum community. Help us recognize their achievements by nominating someone you admire for the 2020 NEMA Excellence Awards. Nominations for an Excellence Award - for yourself or someone you know - are due August 28. Award winners will be recognized at the NEMA Annual Meeting on November 20. For more information, click here.
Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion
NEMA recently convened the Board and PAG chairs for focused discussions around race and equity, building on conversations we’ve had with NEMA stakeholders and members over the last several years. We are actively working on a slate of programming, including conference, that will offer tools and action steps for individuals and organizations looking to improve their equity practices and allyship. We are also examining NEMA’s own practices and assumptions in an effort to reduce systemic biases. We want to hear from you about what you would like to see NEMA doing to support equity and justice; please email nema@nemanet.org with any comments.
The board and staff of NEMA value inclusivity and honesty: we recognize that museums have work to do to reach their ideals of equity and justice. We encourage the museum field, in the face of this persistent racist violence against people of color and especially Black Americans, to take action to become better allies in the effort to dismantle systemic racism. Please take a look at the list of resources compiled by the Museum Education Roundtable for their recommendations for both individuals and organizations: www.museumedu.org/mer-responds.
Webinars, Town Halls, and Workshops
Since March, NEMA has hosted over 80+ virtual programs with over 3,500+ registrations for the events. Thank you to all the PAG chairs, volunteers, and participants who have made the pivot to these virtual events as seamless as possible. 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.
Leadership Workshop Report
In June NEMA hosted its annual leadership workshops designed for executive directors, senior staff, and board members. This year’s topic was “New Era, New Toolbox,” examining how museums are responding to the multiple challenges confronting them and brainstorming ideas that will help them in their leadership roles in the future. Two workshops were held virtually, facilitated by NEMA director Dan Yaeger.
Museums and Cultural Sites: Utilizing the Paycheck Protection Program to Keep Workers on Payroll and Examining Workforce Statistics
NEMA is proud to publish a report on New England museums and the Paycheck Protection Program. Download your copy here.
Publication Awards
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, NEMA has had to hold off on bringing judges together to convene for a Publication Award judging, so for the first time in the Publication Awards’ decades-long history we have to pause judging this year. All submissions will be reviewed next year by the judges and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this new terrain.
PAG Updates
Welcome to our new Young & Emerging Professionals PAG Chair, Lisa Evans of the St. Albans Museum in Vermont!
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 Children’s, HR & Volunteer Management, and Library and Archives PAGs.
Create the Vote
NEMA has partnered with MassCreative for #CreateTheVote to increase civic engagement and strengthen democracy. We pledge to use our organization’s creativity and platforms to: Increase voter participation in the 2020 elections and engage our networks through nonpartisan voter education, registration, and turnout. We encourage museums across New England to learn more and get involved here, http://www.mass-creative.org/ctv2020pledge.
Advocacy Updates
NEMA has been active at the national level, working with American Alliance of Museums and other professional associations on advocating for museum support and economic relief through a number of letters to congress.
AAM's annual #InviteCongress initiative is going virtual this year and it is still an important opportunity to connect legislators with your essential work and institutions. AAM has tips for hosting virtual events and meetings to advocate with your elected officials. Full details can be found here.
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.
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.
Executive Director Community of Practice
For the past 18 months, 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.