In Art: American Association of Museums Expo

In Art: American Association of Museums Expo

“Leadership: An Open Mic for New Ideas”
2008 Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo™
April 27 - May 1, Denver

The American Association of Museums (AAM) marked their 100th anniversary in 2006.
Their mission is to “enhance the value of museums to their communities through leadership, advocacy, and service.”

This organization is the only one of its kind that represents more than 15,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, 3,000 institutions and 300 corporate members nationwide. All types of museums are represented in their mission, anything from, art, history, and science, to zoos, botanical gardens and more. They have spent years helping to develop standards and best practices as well as gathering and sharing insight and advocacy for the entire museum community keeping them a vital part of the American landscape.

This week, the AAM is having their 2008 Annual Meeting and Expo in Denver, inviting their members, participants to come together and take part in this year’s theme,
“Leadership: An Open Mic for New Ideas.” The theme was built to encourage innovative approaches to leadership; sharing stories, experiences and wisdom with one another in Denver and beyond.

The AAM is providing great recourse to make these museums and their professionals more successful with fantastic networking opportunities, seminars, an annual conference, expo and much more.

Museums are some of the most loved institutions in our culture and our communities. They house the archives of our history and our hopes for the future. It has become know too many of them how crucial it is to commit themselves to more disciplined and innovative ways to lead themselves into the future. They want to break away from the stereotypes, and the mold to redefine themselves for new generations to come.

“We will find persistent points of discussion in sessions devoted to standards and best
practices to policies and procedures, to governance and development—in short,
to those areas where established patterns of leadership are most evident but
for which new leaders must arise to present novel, even revolutionary, ideas to
propel museums into the future.

In Denver, while we may still arbitrarily talk of small museums, no participant will
be defined by the size of his or her institution. Leaders reject such limits. All of
us will have the chance to expand our knowledge and to engage in conceptual
thinking, both to learn about the latest theories of museology and to study their
applications as well.” - William Underwood Eiland, Director, Georgia Museum of Art

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There are numerous events taking place at Denver’s Convention Center, as well as numerous other venues around town. To see the entire program of these events you can find it at: http://www.aam-us.org/am08/upload/prelimprogram4.pdf

These events are open to the public, but you must REGISTER to attend here:
http://www.aam-us.org/am08/registration.cfm

For more information about AAM: www.aam-us.org
or download: http://www.aam-us.org/aboutaam/governance/upload/AAM_AR07web.pdf

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The AAM’s New President

The most memorable event of the year was the museum field welcoming Ford W. Bell as AAM’s new president in June. With more than 30 years’ experience as a nonprofit executive, board chair, donor, trustee, educator and scientist, Bell has a longstanding relationship with the museum community. As a trustee of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, he helped raise $103 million through the museum’s “Bring Art to Life” capital
campaign.

Under Bell’s leadership, AAM has begun to develop two important initiatives to benefit the field. The Center for the Future of Museums will be the field’s first, national think tank, bringing together innovative leaders and accomplished practitioners from within and outside the field to explore new ways to serve the public and prepare our institutions for the challenges of the future.

The second initiative, tentatively titled the Campaign for the Value of Museums, will develop new strategies for strengthening public support and advocacy for museums, both nationally and locally.

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Overview of Events Include:
SUNDAY, APRIL 27
8:30 A.M.–2:30 P.M. Committee Meetings
9 A.M.–6 P.M. Registration
9 A.M.–6 P.M. Bookstore
9:30 A.M.–1:15 P.M. Tours
11 A.M.–2 P.M. Business Lunches
1–2 P.M. First Time Attendee Reception
2:15–3:30 P.M. Program Sessions
3:45–5 P.M. Program Sessions
5:30–9 P.M. Business Receptions
9–11 P.M. Museums Rock!
AAM’s Opening Party

MONDAY, APRIL 28
MUSEUM TRUSTEES DAY! NEW!
A new feature to the Annual Meeting, the day
will include sessions that focus on the trustees’
critical role in fundraising and financial oversight.
A welcome breakfast and luncheon with a
featured speaker is planned. In partnership
with the Museum Trustee Association.
7:30–8:30 A.M. Business Breakfasts
8–9 A.M. Idea Lounge
8–9 A.M. Public Speaking Workshop
8 A.M.–5 P.M. Networking Lounge
8 A.M.–5 P.M. Career Café NEW!
8 A.M.–5 P.M. Creativity Room™
8 A.M.–5:30 P.M. Registration
8 A.M.–5:30 P.M. Bookstore
9–10:15 A.M. Program Sessions
10:30 A.M.–noon General Session
Terry Tempest Williams
Noon–2 P.M. MuseumExpo™ Opening
Reception
Noon–6 P.M. MuseumExpo™
12:15–1:45 P.M. Business Luncheons
12:30–1:30 P.M. Idea Lounge
2–3:15 P.M. Program Sessions
3:30–5:30 P.M. Marketplace of Ideas
5:30–10 P.M. Receptions
6:30–10 P.M. Evening Events

TUESDAY, APRIL 29
SMALL MUSEUMS DAY!
Back by popular demand! Developed in partnership
with AAM’s Small Museum Administrators
Committee, concurrent sessions focus on issues
pertaining to small museums. A luncheon and
evening reception celebrating the accomplishments
of small museums is also planned.

7:30–8:30 A.M. Business Breakfasts
8–9 A.M. Idea Lounge
8–9 A.M. Public Speaking Workshop
8 A.M.–5 P.M. Networking Lounge
8 A.M.–5 P.M. Career Café NEW!
8 A.M.–5 P.M. Creativity Room™
8 A.M.–5:30 P.M. Registration
8 A.M.–5:30 P.M. Bookstore
9 A.M.–4:45 P.M. Technology Tutorials NEW!
9–10:15 A.M. Program Sessions
10 A.M.–5 P.M. MuseumExpo™
10:30–11:45 A.M. Program Sessions
12:15–1:45 P.M. Business Luncheons
12:30–1:30 P.M. Idea Lounge
2–3:15 P.M. Program Sessions
3:30–4:45 P.M. Program Sessions
5:30–9 P.M. Business Receptions
6:30–10 P.M. Evening Events (DAM)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30
7:30–8:30 A.M. Business Breakfasts
8–9 A.M. Idea Lounge
8 A.M.–3 P.M. Networking Lounge
8 A.M.–3 P.M. Career Café NEW!
8 A.M.–3 P.M. Creativity Room™
8 A.M.–3:30 P.M. Registration
8 A.M.–3:30 P.M. Bookstore
9–10:15 A.M. Program Sessions
10 A.M.–2 P.M. MuseumExpo™
10:30 A.M.–12 P.M. General Session
Michael Chabon
12:15–1:45 P.M. Business Luncheons
12:15– 1:45 P.M. New Professionals & Mid-Career
Mentoring Roundtables
2–3:15 P.M. Program Sessions
3:30–4:45 P.M. Program Sessions
5:30–6:30 P.M. Business Receptions
6:30–9:30 P.M. Evening Events

THURSDAY, MAY 1
7:30 A.M.–5 P.M. Workshops
8 A.M.–5 P.M. Tours

www.aam-us.org