3126 W. Cary St., #447 | Richmond, Virginia 23221-3504 | 804. 358.3170 | www.vamuseums.org | Winter 2012

Voice

Who is Rebecca Kamen?

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The Executive Mansion & The Year of the Virginia Historic Home

Photo courtesy of Scott Smallin.

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Rebecca Kamen’s work explores the nexus of art and science. Her work has been informed

by wide ranging research into chemistry, cosmology, spirituality and philosophy. She has also investi-gated rare books and manuscripts, utilizing these scientific collections as a muse in the creation of her work. Ms. Kamen has exhibited and lectured both nationally and inter-nationally in China, Hong Kong, and Egypt. She has been the recipient of numerous fellowships – including one from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts - and her work is repre-sented in many private and public collections.

When we talked with Rebecca Kamen, who will deliver the Keynote Address at VAM’s upcoming Annual Conference at The Home-stead, we found – very simply – a visionary who uses her art to bring her curiosity about the natural world to life. We discussed art, science, history, and inspiration.

Like many of us, Kamen grew up in a time before the internet, Google, and Wikipe-dia. Curiosity pulled her into the natural world, and discovery occurred outdoors, walking in nature. “I came into the world full of awe and wonder,” says Kamen. As a young child she explored nature, experi-mented with chemistry, and once made a telescope with the help of her dad. Her curiosity was insatiable, but school was al-ways a challenge. Only as an adult did Ka-men learn that she had dyslexia. Indeed, it almost kept her from being admitted to college. It wasn’t until her parents and her high school principal advocated for her that she was given a probationary admis-sion to Penn State. Enrolling in Art Educa-tion, Kamen called the turn of events “life changing.” Soon, the woman who had trouble getting into college found herself getting fellowships to the University of Illinois and Rhode Island School of Design for two graduate degrees.

Kamen also identified 3 significant museum visits she had as an elementary school child that were pivotal, life-altering experiences: “Seeds for everything I do.”

• Visiting The Franklin Institute in Phila-delphia, Kamen was able to go physically

through a space that mimics a human heart – “It was astonishing to me – I had never seen anything like it,” says Kamen.

• As a 5th grader Kamen found herself at the Philadelphia Art Museum – in front of Nude Descending the Staircase (1912, Mar-cel Duchamp). “It was life-shifting. What’s

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Who is Rebecca Kamen?Artist, Natural Philosopher, Teacher, Visionaryby Heather Widener

Artist Rebecca Kamen. Art Work Information: Illumination © 2011 Acrylic on mylar. Photo courtesy of Scott Smallin.

Who is Rebecca Kamen?Artist, Natural Philosopher, Teacher, Visionaryby Heather Widener

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significant about this painting – which I didn’t realize until years later – is that it really depicts the fourth dimension which is space/time.”

• In 1963, Kamen visited the University of Pennsylvania Museum to see an exhibit on King Tut. “Here are these artifacts,” marveled Kamen, “that had never left Egypt before – for us to observe – there were these little sandals that I can still see in my mind’s eye. It was so interesting to see sandals of a king who probably died at about my age…”

Kamen loves how museums have an ability to connect us in time and place. “Museums, for me, are like magic carpets – they can take you on these amazing journeys.” And during those journeys, we make connections.

These days Kamen recognizes the ben-efits of her “learning challenge” – which is in many ways a gift. Kamen learns by making connections. This is how Kamen taught herself about the world. “It’s a gift knowing through associations…. [seeing] relationships has provided a way of creating a nexus between art and science. I think it is my dyslexia that has enabled me to do this. This drew me into the notion of art and science because I’ve always had this insatiable curios-ity of the world around me. Science explains [the world] and art enables me to express it.“

Recently working with students in Chris-tiansburg on a project to explore DNA through art, Kamen again used art as an avenue into the world of science: “Before the advent of the word “scientist” in the 19th century, there wasn’t really a separa-tion between art and science. People who investigated the natural world were “natural philosophers” – this is when exciting discov-ery took place,” explains Kamen. Back then, there weren’t so many constraints, so many “rights,” “wrongs,” and rules.

For example, Kamen has been working with a group of neuroscientists, and will be visiting a Madrid archives to research

the drawings of the man known as the Father of Neuroscience: Santiago Ramón y Cajal. In her research she discovered that Cajal had trained as an artist, but his father required him to become a physician. What Kamen discovered in his drawings was revelatory: “He was able to look at the shadowy forms of histol-ogy slides and see some type of invisible truth.” Santiago Ramón y Cajal, along with Camillo Golgi, won the Nobel Prize in 1906.1 Kamen firmly believes that his training as an artist enabled his discover-ies – he was able to look at something in one context and use it to create under-standing in another context. Indeed, her research has uncovered that every person who has won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in the U.S. has reportedly had a signifi-cant art experience. Great things happen when we begin looking at things through a different lens and stepping out of our comfort zones.

These days, says Kamen, “Science tends to be myopic. Scientists tell me, ‘there’s just too much.’ No one puts the pieces

together. I feel my role, as an artist, is to go into these fields and uncover relation-ships that connect them. That is how art and creativity can enhance the teaching of science – to reveal relationships.” Ka-men feels that, with specialization, we’ve lost the opportunities of serendipity. Scientists are focused on one small piece of a larger puzzle. It’s hard to step back and see “the whole puzzle.” That is what Kamen sees as her role, and she feels that it is also a perfect role for museums.

We asked Kamen about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)2 learning – the latest national educational thrust. What can art add to STEM learning? Can these really even be separated? “No,” answers Kamen. Science and art intersect. Art provides students another lens to view science – and therefore understand science – in new ways. “Art is about seeing. Everyone should take a drawing course because drawing teaches people how to see. Ways of seeing is so significant to how we know things and how we learn.

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Divining Nature: An Elemental Garden (Mylar, fiberglass rods). Greater Reston Art Center, Reston, VA, 2009. Photo courtesy of Angie Seckinger.

Note: Sculptures inspired by the orbital patterns of the first 83 naturally occurring elements in the periodic table.

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What is STEM Learning?If you’ve never heard of this suddenly-ubiquitous acronym, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Skilled, educated workers with a “STEM” background are in high demand – and will continue to be in high demand – in the U.S. As a result, schools must bolster STEM learning for all 21st century learners:

Graduating from high school and being prepared for postsecond-ary education and careers means having a solid grounding in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Mastery of mathemat-ics, science, and technology is no longer only for future scien-tists and engineers; it is essential preparation for all students. The percentage of STEM college graduates has actually declined in this country over the past decade. And while the propor-tion of K–12 students who achieve at the proficient level or above on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics exam is increasing, achievement gaps between whites and minorities remain.

America needs to increase the number of students pursuing STEM fields in their academic studies and careers, and improve preparation for the next generation of engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and technicians. Since the beginning of the 20th century, aver-age per capita income in the U.S. has grown more than sevenfold. Science and technology account for more than half of this growth; and current students will graduate into a world defined to an even greater degree by science and technology.1

The fastest-growing fields in the work-place tie directly to STEM. Major U.S. employers are projecting hundreds of job openings in the next 10 years that will be filled with people with a STEM background.2

What is a STEM classroom?A STEM classroom promotes inte-grated learning, investigation, and questioning. A hallmark of such a classroom is an emphasis on design and problem-solving in “intellectu-ally messy” learning situations that weave together disciplines. Unlike rote learning environments, a STEM classroom might pose a problem and then require students to do original research where they must use technol-ogy to gather and analyze data, design, test, and improve upon a proposed solution, and then communicate their findings. 3

Many of these attributes of a “STEM” classroom are, inherently, also at-tributes of a museum experience. Museums are natural places for investigation, integration of learning, and open-ended questioning. They are

“safe” environments for exploration and they are places where connections are naturally made. Museums have a great opportunity to create program-ming that addresses STEM objectives.

How can Museums Integrate STEM into Current Programming?

Museums do not need to be science or nature-focused to interpret their collections through a STEM-based lens. Art museums, historical homes, Civil War battle-fields, military museums, and colonial farms can all interpret their sites and stories through a scientific lens, or use art to express understanding of the natural world (See Who is Rebecca Ka-

men?, page 2). For example, a historic house museum and living history

farm hosts a program focused around the tobacco trade in colonial Virginia. This lesson does not need to be only about history. It can be a botany lesson, a geology lesson, a lesson in econom-ics, or a lesson in weather and climate. It is impossible to separate our history from its scientific context. Here is an example of this type of cross-curricular approach, taken from VAM’s museum educator resource entitled Serving the Community: Training Museum Educators to Meet Teacher Needs.4

Tools & Tobacco: Colonial Farms in Virginia (program ideas for a 4th grade field trip)

Program Description: Students will visit a reconstructed 17th century farm where living history interpreters will demonstrate and involve the children in blacksmithing, weaving, and har-vesting. Students will understand the

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by Heather Widener

A fourth grade student explores cryptography and cipher codes at Monticello, in Charlottesville, VA.

importance of agriculture in Virginia’s economy and the role of slavery, as well as the role of money, barter, and credit for a typical Virginia farmer.

While Virginia Standard of Learning (SOL) VS.4 (which covers life in the Virginia colony) remains the program’s core objective, opportunities for cross-curricular correlations abound. This program can easily incorporate the following additional SOLs: Math 4.5, 4.6; Science 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 4.8; and English: 4.1, 4.3, 4.5. These SOLs cover everything from listening and speaking to equa-tions, estimation, scientific observation, and knowledge of plant life.

In this hypothetical educational program, children are asking and answering questions (English 4.1), and reading information about the farm (English 4.3, 4.5). In learning about the role of money and barter in a farmer’s life, children will perform mathematic equations and estimation (Mathematics 4.5 & 4.6). In touring the farm and ob-serving the living history exhibits that include crops typical of a colonial farm, students will be making observations

(Science 4.1), learning about Virginia’s natural resources (Science 4.8), and studying plant life (Science 4.4 & 4.5). Any of these areas could be expanded upon for deeper learning. For example, students could conduct a soil study, an examination of the parts of a tobacco plant, or an analysis of the profit gained through the cash crop the farm once produced.

So take a look at your museum’s col-lections, educational mission, and your programs from the viewpoint of STEM. Looking at what your museum has to offer with “new eyes” is a great way to breathe new life into your educational programming and keep pace with the

national focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while staying true to your museum’s core mission. z

References1 U.S. Department of Education. Support-ing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: Reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, ac-cessed on 12/09/12 at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/faq/supporting-stem.pdf.

2 SmartBlog on Education. Why Stem? by Brian Nichols, accessed on 11/13/12 at http://smartblogs.com/educa-tion/2012/09/19/why-stem/.

3 National Governor’s Association: Center for Best Practices. Promoting STEM Education: A Communications Toolkit, page 23, accessed 11/13/12 at http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/0804STEMTOOLKIT.PDF.

4 Serving the Community: Training Museum Educators to Meet Teacher Needs is available on cd-rom from VAM. A .pdf version is avail-able on the VAM website.

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by Heather Widener

A fifth grade student classifies and labels types of rock at the Virginia Living Museum. Photo courtesy of Jody Ullman.

Fifth graders get ready to make scientific observations at the Virginia Living Museum. Photo courtesy of Jody Ullman.

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tThe Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) is a nonprofit 501c3 educational associa-tion made up primarily of individuals who work or volunteer for museums and historic sites in Virginia and the District of Colum-bia. It was created in 1968 to promote and serve Virginia’s museums by providing training to staff and volunteers, serving as a resource and clearinghouse of information, and advocating on behalf of the museum community. Today, there are over 1,000 museums in Virginia and our association is one of the strongest and most innovative in the country.

VAM members share a common bond – a passion for museums and a commitment to the work we do. Its members are serious about their careers and committed to being the best stewards possible of the historic and cultural resources in their care. VAM gives cultural and historic sites in Virginia and the District of Columbia a forum to voice common concerns, share ideas, learn from each other, and grow stronger in the process.

VAM has taken a leadership role among museum associations and cultural institu-tions nationwide. Its interests were served during the fiscal year by three full-time and two part-time staff (one full-time staff member, and one part-time staff member have been funded by the Connecting to Connections Statewide Implementation grant from IMLS), and a governing board of twenty museum professionals from throughout the state, representing all types of museums. This report covers the fiscal year for VAM from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.

The fiscal year 2012 saw many triumphs for Virginia museums and for VAM. But the VAM family suffered a tremendous blow with the illness and passing of our presi-dent, Joseph Gutierrez, Jr., Senior Director of Museum Operations and Education for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Joe was the consummate professional throughout his long career as an educator, maritime historian and museum administrator. He was dedicated to the academic and mu-seum fields, serving in a variety of volunteer leadership roles. His expertise, guidance, and friendship will be sorely missed.

MembershipThankfully the nation’s economic climate improved over this past year, but budgets were still tight in the museum world. It was encouraging that membership was slightly up from last year’s 998 to 1001 during our reporting period; it is also a testament to the value that membership provides. VAM remains the largest and strongest state museum association in the country. Mem-bership included 231 institutional mem-bers, 634 people in individual membership categories, and 136 business members. Members come from throughout the Com-monwealth and the District of Columbia, and reflect the great diversity in disciplines, job positions and demographics that are in-dicative of the larger museum community. VAM represents art museums and galleries, history museums, historical houses, historic sites and battlefields, science museums and discovery centers, children’s museums, botanical gardens, arboreta, zoos, natural history museums, and specialized audience museums including federal agency muse-ums and military museums.

This past year, the Virginia African American Heritage Museums Network, an affinity group of Virginia museums involved in telling the story of the African-American experience, continued to grow. The group established regional councils and held two statewide meetings.

Professional TrainingAnnual Workshop SeriesProfessional development and training for museum staff and volunteers remains at the core of VAM’s mission. Attendance registered an 11% increase over the previ-ous year – an indication that professional training remains vital. A trend we noticed was that more program attendees are in their twenties, holding their first job in a museum, or still looking for that first job. As has been the case since the recession began, attendees continue to pay for their own professional development. This means more of a hardship for individuals; however it indicates that these professionals remain dedicated to their education.

We offered eight workshops during FY2012, seven full-day workshops and one half-day

emergency response training session. All seven full-day workshops were tied to the curriculum elements of the Virginia Certifi-cate in Museum Management, to enable our students to easily earn credit. On aver-age, half of each workshop’s attendees are working on the certificate program.

This year’s first workshop was also the best attended. The topic was Preventive Conser-vation, and we were treated to a site visit of the new conservation labs at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and a day of sharing and advice from the museum’s talented conservators. Another art museum, the Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia, hosted our second most popular workshop, Guided Tours in the 21st Century. Workshops on fundraising, African Ameri-can interpretation, and working with your local CVB were well received, though had smaller attendance.

We tried two new workshop formats this season, with great success. The first was called Wearing Many Hats and Keeping Your Head. After an inspirational keynote by Walt Heyer, the remainder of the workshop was spent in small groups as participants visited “content experts” to get advice about duties for which they had never been trained. Experts included accountants, gift shop managers, facilities management directors, security managers, marketing directors and more.

Our second new workshop format was called Open Space. Held at the Virginia Historical Society, this workshop asked the participants to take a leap of faith and engage in a way they hadn’t before at a VAM program. Our two facilitators began the day with a very general topic in mind: exhibitions. From there, each discussion or activity shifted the focus of the day to better meet the needs of those attending. It was a format that offered very individual impact.

These new formats were the brainstorm of our standing Workshop Committee. This cross-section of our membership helps us focus on member needs, and enables us to deliver programming to meet those specific needs. The group has wonderful ideas, and has brought new life to our professional development programs.

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Annual ConferenceThe 2012 Annual Conference was held in Newport News, at the Marriott City Cen-ter. VAM was excited to be going back to Newport News; we hadn’t held a conference there since our very first - in 1976! As they were back then, the local museums were welcoming and generous. The annual Schol-arship Reception was held at the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe. The folks there were fantastic hosts on Saturday evening! Then, the Local Arrangements Committee put together wonderful evening events at the Virginia War Museum, the Mariners’ Museum, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, the historic hous-es of Newport News and the new Downing Gross Cultural Arts Center. The one-man play on Nat Turner presented at Downing Gross was phenomenal, and we were still getting comments about it six months later!

As with our workshops, conference atten-dance was up slightly from FY2011, and we hope to see that trend continue in FY2013.

Virginia Certificate in Museum ManagementThe Virginia Certificate in Museum Manage-ment has entered its seventh year. Thanks to our new member interface, students have an online profile of their certificate credits to keep up with their progress. The Univer-sity of Richmond Institute on Philanthropy has joined the ranks of our cooperating organizations; these offer programs that fulfill program credit, and each sends a rep-resentative to our Certificate Review Com-mittee to ensure student projects are well planned out. In the Spring, we were finally able to offer online courses by working with John Tyler Community College. As a part of our Connecting to Collections Statewide Implementation Grant, VAM partnered with John Tyler Community College (JTCC) to of-fer classes in collections care. The first three week short course was held in April, and it was such a success that we are exploring the idea of adding other, non-collections-related online courses to the John Tyler schedule.

IMLS Connecting to Collections Statewide Implementation GrantVirginia Collections Initiative - Improving Collections Care across the CommonwealthVAM was one of six recipients of a Connect-

ing to Collections Statewide Implementa-tion Grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) for the 2011-2013 grant timeframe. This grant has enabled VAM to launch the Virginia Collections Initiative (VCI), which advances collections care efforts in Virginia and the District of Columbia that were developed during the Planning Grant phase.

Public Awareness for CollectionsIncreasing awareness and support of col-lections is a core element of the VCI, and Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts is VAM’s primary public outreach program. Complementing Preservation Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Sites annual Spring program, the “Top 10” has proven its suc-cess in creating recognition of artifacts and archives across Virginia and DC.

In its inaugural year, 25 collecting insti-tutions from across Virginia nominated objects for consideration by a Peer Review Panel of conservators and collections care experts. Public engagement was created through a new website www.vatop10arti-facts.org and an online voting “competition,” which resulted in nearly 100,000 votes cast, proving that a great level of concern exists for our historic and cultural treasures.

A final tally of 56 press clippings, includ-ing two Associated Press stories, promoted Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts pro-gram across the country in outlets such as Washington Post, Virginia Living Magazine, Virginian Pilot, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Free-Lance Star, and Roanoke Times, in addition to out-of-state markets like West Virginia, Tennessee, Colorado, and Florida.

Heritage Preservation also invited VAM to present at the first Connecting to Collec-tions Conversations Exchange. The Exchange brought together grant recipients to discuss their projects. Our Top 10 project has since in-spired the development of Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts. Additionally, VAM and its marketing partner, ToMarket, received a 2012 Award of Merit for Community Outreach from the Virginia Public Relations Awards.

Safety of CollectionsThe VCI has advanced the successful Circuit Riders pilot program, and created online train-

ing opportunities through JTCC, and has cre-ated a new Technical Assistance Committee to offer advice on improving VAM’s collections care offerings and to review Circuit Riders applications. Conducted as an introductory museum as-sessment, the Circuit Riders assisted ten sites in FY2012. The Circuit Riders team (an archivist and collections management professional) visits sites, meets with staff and/or volunteers to discuss a museum’s collections and needs, and provides a personalized report to guide museum staff in collections care.

Circuit Riders Site Visits 2011-2012Waynesboro Heritage Foundation, WaynesboroMiddlesex Museum & Historical Society, SaludaHarrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society, HarrisonburgReynolds Homestead, CritzAlexander Mack Memorial Library & Reuel B. Pritchett Museum, Bridgewater College, BridgewaterBelle Grove, MiddletownWoodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, StauntonOatlands, LeesburgAlexandria Black History Museum, Alexandria

Online TrainingIn partnership with JTCC, VAM created online courses on collections care. The 3-week online collections care mini-courses included: Collections Care & Storage, Disaster Planning and Response, and Marketing & Development for Collections. These one credit “short courses” provide continuing education to those already working with collections, while introducing essentials of collections care to those interested in a related career. Overall, we had 38 students take advantage of these courses.

Disaster Preparedness The inexpensive Disaster Lockups workshop series was developed to support collect-ing institutions’ emergency preparedness efforts. They provide professional guidance, an easy-to-use disaster plan template, plus the undisturbed time to focus on writing or revising a plan. We held five ‘Disaster Lockups’ workshops in the 2011-2012 grant timeframe, serving 64 attendees represent-ing 43 collecting sites.

These workshops have garnered less at-

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ttendance than expected. Issues we faced include a hard sell of the subject matter, inability of staff to travel, limited response in areas of sparse populations, and a lack of understanding of the workshop structure and the “lockups” term. Along with an increase in workshop promotion, second year enhance-ments include rebranding the workshop with a name change to Priority: Disaster Plans.

VCI is also providing support to Virginia’s re-gional Museum Emergency Support Teams (MESTs). The teams were created to encour-age collecting institutions to coordinate local efforts in the case of an emergency. VAM also joined the Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) organization to improve communications with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and create an increased awareness of the unique needs of collect-ing institutions in emergency situations.

Impact of ServicesVAM is a membership organization for mu-seums and museum staff, but it does not re-quire membership for some services or for program participation. VAM’s database of contacts contains both members and non-members who have participated in some way in a VAM program or training. The participation numbers for VAM’s programs and services in FY 2012 are as follows: • Workshops – 276• Annual Conference – 381• Certificate Program – 4 graduates in FY 2012; 136 current students enrolled• Circuit Rider – 8 museums or historic sites, 1 archives, 1 library served• Disaster Planning Workshops – 64 attendees• Monthly E-news average readership (i.e., contacts who acutally open the E-newsletter) - over 700• Monthly average web hits - 5,500

AdvocacyState and Local LevelVAM held its second Virginia Museum Advocacy Day in Richmond at the General Assembly on January 25, 2012. Invitations were sent to all members of the House of Delegates and Virginia Senate. 27 state legislators attended our breakfast reception, and the staff of 20 other legislators also at-tended. The museum group was recognized

by Sen. Dick Saslaw in the Senate and by Del. David Bulova in the House of Delegates. We had five teams of museum representatives who paid calls on legislators. We distrib-uted folders with talking points from our “Museums Make It Happen” series, a fact sheet on Virginia museums, and copies of the TimeTravelers Passport Guide to Virginia Museums & Historic Sites.

In other advocacy efforts, VAM continued to send regular Legislative Updates on bills and budget amendments before the state General Assembly, keeping the museum field informed as to the progress of bills and budget amendments affecting museums.

National LevelVAM Executive Director Carlock served on the Planning Committee for the fourth annual national Museums Advocacy Day, and she and VAM Deputy Director Jennifer Thomas attended the event in Washington, DC on February 27-28, 2012. VAM staff at-tended briefings held on the first day and led the Virginia delegation of 21 in visits to Virginia Senators and Congressmen on the Hill the second day. VAM was a “Partner Organization” for this advocacy effort.

In other national advocacy efforts, VAM was involved in alerting the field to threats to funding for the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities during the Summer of 2011.

Office AdministrationThis was a very busy year in the VAM office with three major undertakings. The launch of the VCI has been previously discussed; in addition, the VAM staff and board worked to relocate the VAM offices and we imple-mented a new association management system (AMS) with a brand new website.

Many may recall that VAM’s offices were previously located on the campus of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, from 1989 to 2004 (with a two-year stint hosted by the Valentine Richmond History Center while the VMFA’s Pauley Center was undergoing renovations). We moved to our downtown location in the Venture Richmond build-ing in January of 2004 while the VMFA was building its new addition. Although we

were pleased with our offices there, and New Market Corporation couldn’t have been better landlords, we were thrilled when the VMFA invited us to return to the Pauley Center. Staff spent Fall 2011 prepar-ing for the move, packing and organizing, and moved into our new office space on December 28 & 29 (with the assistance of board members and volunteers). We have entered into a partnership with the VMFA to provide services to the statewide art affiliates and staff. If you have not had the opportunity to visit our new offices, we encourage you to come and see us!

VAM’s website had become stale and lacked the functionality and user-friendliness of new technology. When the license came up for renewal on our old AMS database system, Council decided to invest in a new membership management system, including a new website. Staff spent a year researching options, selecting a system (Affiniscape Members 360), working with the website designer, preparing for the switch over, training on how to use the new system, implementing the transition, and getting familiar with the various function-alities. Thank you to all who helped us test the new system and thank you for your patience through our learning curve!

In sum, the Virginia Association of Museums continues in its role as a vital leader in the field and provider of quality professional development programming and vital ser-vices for museums in Virginia and Washing-ton, DC. z

VAM FY 2012 Annual Report

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PlatinumRiggs-Ward DesignThe Design Minds, Inc.Virginia Foundation for the HumanitiesVirginia Museum of Fine Arts

Gold Capitol Exhibit Services, Inc.Cinebar Productions, Inc.Creation Station, LLCDonning Company PublishersGlavé & Holmes Associates Stumpf & Associates Tru-Vue, Inc.

Silver Design 3 / Museum RailsLynchburg College Dept. of Continuing EducationRudinec & Associates – Request-A-PrintSavant Ltd.

BronzeBlair, Inc.Creative CompanyDorfman Museum FiguresEcorite ImagingHealyKohler Design Hollinger Metal Edge Markel Insurance Company OnCell SystemsPeninsula Museum ForumStudioAmmonsVAM Council Member PatronsBarbara BatsonBruce BoucherGretchen BulovaDonald BumaKent ChrismanBruce ChristianDiane DunkleyLin EzellSean T. FearnsTracy Gillespie

Joseph GutierrezDouglas Kent HarveyPage HayhurstMike HenryAnna HollowayJudy IsonFrannMarie JacintoCatherine Jordan WassTwyla KittsMary LagueMelanie Leigh MathewesNancy McAdamsMelissa A. MullinsJeanne NiccollsRobin NicholsonWilliam B. ObrochtaRobert OrrisonNancy PerryRobin ReedKym RiceGary SandlingAl SchweizerRobert C. VaughanCharlotte Whitted

FY 2012 Honor Roll of Contributors

Virginia Association of Museums’ Statement of Financial Position - Modified Cash Basis*June 30, 2012AssetsCurrent Assets Cash and cash equivalents $5,518 Investments, at fair value $111,249

Total Assets $116,767

Net AssetsUnrestricted $115,211Temporarily Restricted $1,556

Total Net Assets $116,767

*Effective July 1, 2011, the Association changed its method of accounting from accrual (GAAP) to the modified cash basis.

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What opportunitiesawait you at the #VAM2013 Conference?by Gary Sandling

Take advantage of the amazing ven-ue of The Homestead to join your fellow VAM members to explore your career path, explore the power of evaluation, explore the potential of increasing your revenue via retail, and explore how museum roles are undergoing redefinition. All of these topics, and many others, will be part of VAM’s 2013 conference, March 9-12.

This year’s conference theme is “Ex-plore!” The direction you take and the paths you follow are up to you. Here are some highlights of what is on offer for you at #VAM2013:

• Take some STePs: the STePs program, developed by AASLH, is a great tool for benchmarking and determining best practices for small and mid-sized museums. It can be a great first “step” toward accredita-tion. (Registration and additional fee are required. )

• Mapping your Museum Passion: offered by AAM’s development guru Greg Stevens, this workshop will re-connect you with why you love working in museums and help you

map the path your career will take based on your passion. Particpants will also be sharing the maps they create as part of our crowd-sourced pop-up exhibition, What is Your Passion? (more about that in a mo-ment).

• Explore sustainability for your museum in a session on planned giving on Monday (10 am) and the plenary session on museum funding on Tuesday (9 am).

• Get your fancy dress gown or your tux (maybe a powder blue tux?) and come to the black tie evening dinner on Monday. Or dress as your favorite Downton Abbey character and come anyway.

• Historic house museum aficiona-dos will have plenty to discuss at a Monday forum on “trends, chal-lenges, and opportunities” with THE GUY—Max van Balgooy. If you don’t know Max’s work, read his blog (“En-gaging Places”) and plan to attend the lunch discussion and the follow up on Monday. On Monday evening, attend the premier of a documen-tary on Virginia’s “Year of the Virginia Historic Home,” 2013.

• Create and contribute to our “pop-up exhibition” that highlights why you got into the field and

what you have contributed. We will feature the exhibition, curated by teams, based on things YOU bring to #VAM2013 that explore your muse-um passion. Why did you enter the field? What have you contributed to it? We will be firing up a Pinterest board for you to see and be inspired by your colleagues and to contrib-ute to. Details on what to bring, how to curate, and what we can learn from our pop up exhibition will be shared via Facebook, Twitter and our very own Pinterest site in the New Year. Stay tuned!

On behalf of the VAM Council, your #VAM2013 Program Committee, and the “Pop-Up Committee,” I look forward to seeing you at The Home-stead in March.

Take advantage of Early Bird Registration through February 8, 2013!

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...continued from page 3.

Scientists describe the behavior of nature. Scientific phenomena is very dynamic, and challenges scientists to describe science in dynamic ways.” Kamen sees art and creativity as one way to address that chal-lenge. Again, the importance comes back to making connections, for Kamen: “We’re all in the business of creating narratives – stories. Both science and art create narratives about nature. We observe nature. We create a narrative – a compelling one – about nature. The more we can teach students to see connections and relationships – we need to connect people to the things we are teaching them. Art can be a bridge for that. Museums and our educational systems have a unique opportunity in humanity at this time. We have a defining moment to really begin addressing these issues and start changing things.”

Much museum education programming is tuned into the STEM move-ment. However, what about museums that are not focused on science or nature? Kamen sees museum and archive collections as a muse to create works of art, and as a way to explore what we think we know about science and the world around us. “Museums have an opportu-nity to re-envision their collections through the eyes of others – who see their collections in new and different ways,” says Kamen. We can learn through playing with ideas – play gives birth to exploration, which gives birth to discovery. Kamen gives us the example of expe-riencing a fashion exhibit presented through the lens of physics – the physical science behind light and color. “Museums have this incredible opportunity to use their collections to connect us with their relevance. It goes back to the narrative. It’s all real and it all has to do with us. At age fourteen, Einstein wondered what it would feel like to ride on a wave of light. To connect that real person and his curiosity with today’s learners – museums can use [ideas like this] to connect people with history and science.”

Indeed, Kamen’s work has been all about approaching things from new perspectives. She offers insight into how museum educators can augment their work in the areas of history or science or art by making connections across disciplines. Says Kamen, “We are part of a continuum – museums can create a window and bridge between past, present, and the future. Museums can open up a whole world of opportunity by putting things in new contexts and creating new ways of seeing…” z

1 Society for Neuroscience, 12/01/06 News Release, accessed on 12/08/12 at http://www.sfn.org/index.aspx?pagename=news_120106. 2 Find out more about STEM learning at the STEM Education Coalition’s website, at http://www.stemedcoalition.org/.

STEM + History?Find out how STEM Meets History at a ses-sion by the same name at the upcoming VAM 2013 Annual Conference. We spoke to Nancy Hayward, chair of that session and the director of educational outreach programs for George Wash-ington’s Mount Vernon Estate. Says Hayward,

“Cross-curricular programming, particularly initiatives involving STEM, has tremendous potential to enrich the student experience and to engage them in looking at history through a wider lens. And, the reverse is true as well. We need to demonstrate that science, technology, engineering, and math are inher-ent in our history. Some very simple examples we can use are architecture, the technology of the 18th century gristmill or even an argand lamp, agriculture and natural resources, the angles of the 16-sided barn. It is an exciting challenge for all of us to find ways to for stu-dents to explore new ideas and make connec-tions between the past and our 21st century world. “

Read more about the upcoming session:

STEM Meets HistorySpeakers: Nancy Hayward, Director of Educational Outreach Programs, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens; Joyce Matthews, STEM Com-mittee Co-Chairperson, Walt Whitman Middle School, Fair-fax County Public Schools; Stacy Hasselbacher, Manager of Educational Outreach Media Productions, Publications, & Learning Ventures, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, has become the focus of national attention when discussing the future of education. In our role as adjunct classrooms, it is essential for museums to keep pace with student and teacher needs. STEM programming is a natural fit for Science, Natural History, and Children’s museums but what about history? This session will explore two creative and replicable STEM-based projects that can serve as models for any history museum or historic site to combine learning about science, technology, engineering and math by looking at our history.

Who is Rebecca Kamen?Artist, Natural Philosopher, Teacher, Visionaryby Heather Widener

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Built in 1813, Virginia’s Executive Mansion is the oldest occupied governor’s residence in the

United States. This survivor of war, politics, and changing taste has been a home, office, and a center of official entertaining for governors and their families for almost two centuries. During its history, the Executive Mansion, often referred to as the “Governor’s Mansion,” has been home to fifty-four governors. There have been two major interior renovations (Swanson and Gilmore Administrations) and one exterior renovation (Baliles Administration).

The Mansion has seen much of our state’s history - with many famous people and VIPs walking through its doors. The first floor was almost destroyed by fire, numer-ous stories of a ghost have been shared over the years, and it has even hosted three funeral view-ings. The families, the children, and their pets come and go, but the history that lives within the walls of the Mansion is rich and all who walk through the doors contribute to the legacy of this incredible symbol of Virginia and American history.

In 2013, Virginia’s Executive Mansion will celebrate its 200th birthday. Like many of Virginia’s historic homes, the past 200 years at the Governor’s Mansion have been rich with history. The anniversary year will be packed with grand celebrations, including a birthday party on Capitol Square with military bands, traditional games and activities. A documentary has been created in partnership with Blue Ridge PBS and Appeal Productions, telling the story of

the families and the life within the walls of the Mansion. The documentary is set to debut over a span of a week in each region of Virginia. The documentary roll out is going to be quite spectacular – starting on Monday, March 11, 2013 at The Homestead during the VAM Annual Conference! Each day the film will debut in a new region until the documentary hits Richmond on Friday, March 15th.

2013 is “Year of the Virginia Historic Home”To celebrate 200 magnificent years at Virginia’s Executive Mansion and to increase awareness of other historic residences in Virginia, the Governor and First Lady have declared 2013 as the “Year of the Virginia Historic Home.” In this year, Virginians and visitors are encour-aged to visit the many historic homes throughout the beautiful Common-wealth. Residents are encouraged to look around – they may find that many houses are hidden jewels right around the corner from their homes and places of work. A video highlighting the Year of the Virginia Historic Home and events can be found on the website: www.historicalhomes.virginia.gov.

Virginia Time Travelers: Historic HomesAs a part of their 2013 historic homes initiative, Governor and First Lady McDonnell have resur-rected the Virginia Time Travelers program with a twist to high-light historic homes throughout Virginia. Join us this year for an exciting adventure back in time! Virginia has a wealth of historic homes that have drawn visitors from around the country and even from around the world. These

Virginia’s Executive Mansion & The Year of the Virginia Historic Homeby Sarah Scarbrough

Virginia’s Executive Mansion

Virginia’s Executive Mansion & The Year of the Virginia Historic Homeby Sarah Scarbrough

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historic homes cover history from pre-Colonial times through the Modern era, telling the stories of major events and the people who have left their mark. Become a Historic Homes Time Traveler and walk the halls of these homes that were once inhabited by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, Woodrow Wilson, and many more famous Virginians.

VAM has been partnering with the Governor’s office to put this special program together, based upon the well-established Virginia TimeTravelers program. The Virginia Time Travelers: Historic Homes program is an excellent educa-tional tool for Virginia students and adults who often overlook the great treasures of our historic homes. It is the Governor and First Lady’s hope that this program will continue to receive support from future administrations.

Currently, the Governor’s office has close to 100 homes participating in the Virginia Time Travelers: Historic Homes initiative. Homes are constantly being added. If you would like your historic home added to the list of participating homes, please email Audrey Trus-sell at the Executive mansion at Audrey.Trussell@governor.virgnia.gov.z

Resources:• Governor McDonnell’s Press Release: Governor McDonnell Recognizes 2013 as the Year of the Virginia Historic Home – Governor and First Lady McDonnell Shine the Spotlight on Historic Homes around the Commonwealth of Virginia

• Visit Virginia’s Year of the Historic Home

website at www.historicalhomes.virginia.gov.

• View the video highlights of the Year of the Historic Home in Virginia

• Visit Virginia’s Executive Mansion online or in person. Tours are available

on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. (Note: Tour schedule is subject to change without notice, due to the First Family’s schedule). Contact Audrey Trussell at 804.371.2642, option 5, to schedule a tour.

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VAM News

Discount Prescription Cards from VAMMembers will notice a new benefit in their packets these days. VAM now offers discount prescription cards to all members! These cards work with any insurance you may have, whether it be VAM’s Optima Insurance or another. The cards are good for discounts at many participating pharmacies, imaging centers, and lab facilities to save you additional dollars!

Conference 2013 at The HomesteadRegistration is now open for another fantas-tic VAM conference - to be held March 9 - 12 at The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA. The Homestead has extended a great room rate of just $95/night for conference attendees - plan to join us!

Circuit RidersVAM is proud to announce the final recipi-ents of Circuit Riders visits for 2012 - 2013. Circuit Riders is a program of the Virginia Collections Initiative (VCI), which is funded by an IMLS Connecting to Collections Statewide Implementation Grant. The se-lected institutions receive a free collections assessment and written evaluation from the Circuit Riders team. The team consists of an archivist and a collections care expert, who will perform site visits in the Spring and Summer of 2013. Congratulations!African-American Historical Soc. of PortsmouthDanville Historical SocietyEdith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum in WythevilleMontgomery Museum & Lewis Miller Regional Art Center in ChristiansburgThe Fairfield Foundation in Gloucester

Coming in January 2013 Virginia Museum Advocacy Day will be held January 17, 2013, at the Capitol in Richmond. Join us and let your voice be heard! Workshop: Strategic Planning January 23, 2013, Wilton House Museum, Richmond. Speakers include: Wallace Stettinius, Strate-gic Planning Consultant and Walter Heyer, Management Consultant. Disaster Preparedness: Priority Disaster Plans January 28, 2013, Hampton University Library, Hampton.

Member KudosThe Science Museum of Virginia recently announced that it will receive one of 12 grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to design a Learning Lab, a new space where young people can connect with mentors and peers, as well as new media and tra-ditional materials to pursue their interests more deeply and connect these new skills to academics, career, and civic engagement. Inspired by YOUmedia, a teen space at the Chicago Public Library, and innovations in science and technology centers, these labs will help young people move beyond con-suming content to making and creating it.

The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation of Richmond has pledged a $250,000 challenge grant in support of gallery exhibits at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, planned to open by late 2016. Work is under way on the new museum, which will replace the Yorktown Victory Center. The Parsons Foundation will match 50 percent of up to $500,000 in gifts from individuals and private foundations made through November 2013 for the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown galleries. “The grant comes at a crucial time for the new museum,” said Philip G. Emerson, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, the Virginia state agency that operates Yorktown Victory Center and Jamestown Settlement history museums. “The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation’s commitment to this project helps us move forward with critical elements of gallery planning.”

In October the Virginia Historical Society’s Unknown No Longer: A Database of Virginia Slave Names was honored with the C. Her-bert Finch Online Publication Award by the Arline Custer Memorial Award Committee for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Con-ference. This award honors online publica-tions devoted to the promotion and use of archival materials created by individuals or institutions in the mid-Atlantic region.

Between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities awarded $167,000 to support 43 important community-based humanities projects across Virginia. Many museums, and many VAM members, are among the grantees. Recently the James Monroe Museum and

Memorial Library received a generous dona-tion of $4,000 from the Stewart Jones Chari-table Trust. This donation will be used in part to support next year’s public programs.

The Barrier Islands Center has produced a new illustrated hardcover children’s book, The Hog Island Sheep in a Twisted Christmas Tale, written by Andrew Barbour and illustrat-ed by Cameron Waff. The book tells a holiday story of the Hog Island Sheep and Amanda, an orphan who lived at the Almshouse for the poor at the Barrier Islands Center.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) announced the Virginia Living Museum has been awarded Top Honors in Marketing for budgets under $175,000 for its Protect What’s Precious campaign. “This award provides well-deserved national recognition for the creativity and marketing expertise of the staff at the Virginia Living Museum,” said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) was awarded two federal grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recently. In July, VMFA received a Museums for America grant for $150,000 to support the purchase and implementation of a new collections management system (CMS). The CMS, a software package that tracks all artwork-related data in one cen-tralized location, will allow the museum to publish more images of the collection on its website. Additionally, in April, VMFA received a $20,298 grant from IMLS to support a con-servation survey of nearly 1400 works on paper associated with its Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts, and Art Deco collection. The initial survey, examining 200 posters as well as rare books, portfolios and periodicals, was completed this summer and conservation treatment of key works will begin in 2014. The Museum Assessment Program (MAP) announced its latest group of participating museums. MAP helps museums strengthen operations, plan for the future and meet standards through self-study and a consulta-tive site visit from an expert peer reviewer. The following museums in Virginia are participating in organizational MAPs:

* AMA Museum & Alumni House, Fort Defiance* Casemate Museum, Fort Monroe* Hermitage Museum & Gardens, Norfolk* Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, Forest

Museum News in Your

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Member NewsUniversity of Mary Washington historic preserva-tion students are using technology to document changes over time at the Belmont caretaker’s cottage. The students substantiated nearly everything Belmont’s Site Preservation Manager, Beate Jensen, had thought about the structure. Namely, that the building was constructed in the 1840s and at some time the roof was raised to create a second story. Jensen also believes that the structure was originally a slave quarters and was converted into a home for Belmont’s caretaker’s family after the Civil War.

The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is one of four museums in the country hosting the winners of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. “ART.WRITE.NOW” is the first-ever traveling exhibition showcasing teen-produced, winning artwork from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Sweet Briar’s historic 19th-century slave cabin is open to visitors for self-guided tours. Current research suggests that the cabin was built during the antebellum period to house enslaved laborers, who lived in dozens of similar dwellings on the Sweet Briar Plantation. This cabin, located behind Sweet Briar House, is the only one that survives.

A number of artworks were acquired in Septem-ber 2012 by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. VMFA is a state agency and a model public/pri-vate partnership. All works of art are purchased with private funds from dedicated endowments. After the VMFA Board of Trustees approves pro-posed acquisitions on a quarterly basis, the art becomes the property of the Commonwealth of Virginia to protect, preserve, and interpret. See the complete listing of acquisitions.

StudioAmmons (a VAM business member) is currently moving forward with the design of the permanent exhibits for the Robert Russa Moton Museum in Farmville as the National Center for Civil Rights in Education in Vir-ginia. StudioAmmons completed work on the building restoration earlier this year. The building and auditorium, a designated National Landmark, has been restored to its 1951 period when the 16-year-old Barbara Johns gave the speech to the student body calling for them to strike for better school conditions. This student strike led to the court case Davis v. Prince Edward County which became one of the five cases that made up Brown v. Board, which led to the eventual desegregation of our nation’s public school system. Permanent exhibits are planned for completion in May of 2013.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello recently installed a Marioff HI-FOG® water mist fire suppression system as part of its ongoing efforts to protect Jefferson’s iconic home. The Taubman Museum of Art will remain open with free general admission under a plan an-nounced recently by a new board of directors led by Nicholas Taubman and Heywood Fralin. The new board, representing some of the region’s leading business and community leaders, has personally committed to securing the museum’s fiscal future with significant financial contributions. In addition, a $150,000 contribution from Advance Auto Parts (founded by the Taubman family) will enable the museum to offer free general admis-sion effective immediately. “The Taubman Museum of Art is a vital part of the fabric of our community. Every day, it touches the lives of children, college students, art lovers, visitors, fellow cultural institu-tions and non-profit organizations throughout the Roanoke Valley and beyond,” said Taubman, the new board chairman.

Stratford Hall recently launched “Securing A Place for the Past,” a $17 million comprehen-sive campaign. The campaign will include fur-ther restoration to Stratford Hall’s great house and gardens, a newly expanded Visitor Center, new electronic based tours, new entrance gate house, endowment funding as well as provid-ing road and trail improvements. The campaign has already raised $10.1 million of its $17 mil-lion goal. “We are excited about the impact this campaign will have for the future of Stratford Hall and its visitors,” said Custis Glover, Robert E. Lee Memorial Associaton Board President, and Lee family descendant.

From the Museum of the Confederacy: Nine of the entire set of 31 paintings of the harbor and defenses of Charleston, South Carolina, by Confederate soldier Conrad Wise Chapman and acquired by the Museum of the Confed-eracy from the artist, are to be on display in the exhibition “The Civil War and American Art,” presented by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. This exhibition, organized by Eleanor Jones Harvey, senior curator, also contains paintings by Winslow Homer, Eastman Johnson, Frederic Church, and Sanford Gifford.

The Valentine Richmond History Center recently hosted the Richmond History Makers Celebration. Honored this year were John C. Purnell, Jr., Dr. Charles Price, Homeward, Domi-nic Gibbons Barrett and Ralph White.

Hails and FarewellsMartha Katz-Hyman has accepted a new position - as curator at Yorktown Victory Center. Martha begins work December 26th. Congratulations Martha! The Virginia Historical Society recently wel-comed two new staff members. Claire Hope, who holds a master’s degree in history from Virginia Commonwealth University, has joined the VHS as project archivist. Additionally, Edward “Tony” Walters is the new VHS Library Clerk. Tony graduated in May 2012 from the College of Wil-liam and Mary. While there he majored in history and environmental policy.

From Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont: Junior Julia Wood, a History and Geography major at the University of Mary Washington, is working with Site Preservation Manager Beate Jensen to continue the work of documenting and mapping the various parcels of land belonging to the Melchers and the Fick-len family in ArcGIS database, creating digital maps and plats of the estate.

Julie Westhafer Basic and Carter S. Sonders, both of Williamsburg, have assumed new lead-ership roles in the development office of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, whichoperates Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center history museums. Ms. Basic has been appointed senior director of develop-ment, and Ms. Sonders has been named direc-tor of principal gifts.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has hired Gary Richardson as the Federal Reserve System Historian. This new position was established in connection with the upcoming Centennial. The Federal Reserve System will mark its 100th anniversary in December 2013. Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont, in Falmouth, VA recently announced the addition of two docents to its staff roster. VAM would like to extend a warm welcome to Jen Rowe and Barbara Pixley!

The James Monroe Museum announced two Bowley Scholars this year - Candice Roland and Sarah Mendelsohn. This year, the Bowleys will be working on digital imaging of collec-tions, loan organization, education, and exhibit development.

Backyard, and Beyond...

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Dear Members,

I suspect you are as sick of politics as I am after this past election year. Noth-ing like misleading negative attacks to take the joy out of the democratic process! But now that campaigning is over, it’s time for elected officials to start concentrating on governing.It’s also time for the rest of us to get involved. In order to govern in a democratic system, our elected officials need instructions from their constituents (that’s all of us). With the Commonwealth’s General As-sembly getting ready to convene on January 12, now is the time to plan for museum advocacy and get some valuable experience in promoting your museum.

Our third annual Virginia Museum Advocacy Day will be held Thursday, January 17, 2013. Organized by the Virginia Association of Museums on behalf of museums and historic sites throughout Virginia, it is an oppor-tunity to talk to Virginia’s delegates and senators about the importance of museums. Museums serve their communities as vital educational

institutions, stewards of heritage and cul-ture, and economic engines in tourism and business devel-opment.

Plan now to be in Richmond on Janu-ary 17 for a full day of activities. We will meet at 9:00am in Room 405 of the General Assembly building (corner of Broad St. and 9th St.) – which is the office of Del. David Bu-lova (Fairfax) – then move to the 5th floor conference room for breakfast with legisla-tors and their staff at 9:30am. Last year we had a great turnout of legislators – 27 attended in person and many more sent their aides (the real gatekeepers!). It is an informal meet-and-greet that will last until 11:30am. Following the breakfast we will go to the State Capitol to be recognized in the House and the Senate, and then we will participate in group meetings to individual legislators.

There is no cost to participate, and we would love to have you join us! We will have talking points for you, and if you are not comfortable in a speak-ing role we will partner you with a seasoned advocacy vet. It’s a great opportunity to learn about advocacy and get some experience. To RSVP or to get further information, contact me at mcarlock@vamuseums.org.

See you at the Capitol!

Sincerely,

Margo

Margo Carlock, Executive DirectorVirginia Association of Museums

Director’s Corner

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Our Governing Council

President, Tracy GillespieVP, Planning & Resources, Al SchweizerVP, Programming, Gary Sandling

Secretary, Barbara Batson

Treasurer, Sean FearnsPast President (Acting), Scott HarrisPast President (Acting), John Verrill Ex-Officio Member, Robert C. Vaughan Ex-Officio Member, Robin Nicolson

DirectorsGretchen BulovaDonald BumaNorman BurnsApril Cheek-Messier Diane DunkleyLin EzellDebi GrayPage Hayhurst Anna Holloway Melanie L. Mathewes Robert OrrisonCheryl Robinson Barbara Rothermel Charlotte Whitted Our StaffExecutive Director, Margo CarlockDeputy Director, Jennifer ThomasCommunications Dir., Heather Widener Accountant, Su Thongpan

Project Manager, VCI, Christina Newton

Our VoiceVAM Voice is a member benefit pub-lished quarterly for museum profes-sionals and volunteers. The editor encourages readers to submit article proposals. Contact the Communica-tions Director for more information.

Our Contac tsPhone: 804. 358.3170 Fax: 804. 358.3174www.vamuseums.org membership@vamuseums.orgmcarlock@vamuseums.orgjthomas@vamuseums.orgtimetravelers@vamuseums.orghwidener@vamuseums.org

Our News D eadlinesSpring: February 15th

Summer: May 15th

Fall: August 15th

Winter: November 15th

Our MissionThe mission of the Virginia Association

of Museums is to serve as the resource

network of the Virginia and District

of Columbia museum community

through education, technical assis-

tance, and advocacy.