Wednesday, June 20, 2007 • Thursday, June 21, 2007 • Friday, June 22, 2007

Friday, June 22, 2007

8:00AM – 5:00PM           Registration

8:00AM – 9:00AM           Tailgate Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast with your new acquaintances in Centennial Park (behind the museum) at the corner of Wenatchee Avenue and Yakima Street. (Please bring a few dollars to cover the cost).

9:00AM – 10:15AM           Breakout Sessions

Lessons Learned from Collaborative Community-Based Exhibits
Moderated by Ellen Terry, Program Director: Grants & Exhibits, Humanities Washington. Panelists include Karen Marshall, Director, Skagit County Historical Museum, Lee Musgrave, Curator of Contemporary Exhibitions, Maryhill Museum of Art and Don Stuart, Northwest Field Director, American Farmland Trust
For small museums, the thought of collaborating with community organizations to create exhibitions "from the outside in" can appear too time-consuming and overwhelming. This session explores the challenges and successes of several community-based exhibits. We hope you’ll leave inspired to see what opportunities await in your community.

Strong Policies: Protecting Objects on Exhibit
Presenter: Mike Siebol, Curator of Collections and Archives, Yakima Valley Museum
Participants will learn different strategies to preserve collections in the exhibit environment. Topics will range from lighting to materials that make up the exhibit. The lecture will address issues for the small to medium-sized museum. Handouts will cover proper materials, lighting, timetables for light exposure, exhibit mount making, and documentation.

Strengthening Community through Empowering Docents 
Presenters: Maureen Devery, On-Site Education Coordinator, The Museum of Flight; Barry Latter, Docent Leadership Council Chair, The Museum of Flight; Margaret Smith, Docent Services Specialist, The Museum of Flight
This session will discuss the strategy and implementation of The Museum of Flight’s education department and docent council plan that empowers the docent corps to become an integral part of the training and scheduling process. This process led to increased ownership in the docent program and museum processes.

10:30AM – 11:45AM           Breakout Sessions

We’re All In This Together: A Collections Management Dialogue
Moderators: Jennifer Heinzelman, Museum Specialist, Naval Undersea Museum; Lorraine Scott, Curator, Bainbridge Island Historical Museum; Dana Senge, Objects Conservator, DKS Conservation Services, LLC; Erica Varga, Curator, Poulsbo Historical Society & Museum Specialist: Naval Undersea Museum
This interactive roundtable discussion session brings together conference participants who work with museum collections. The focus is on those issues that often appear clear-cut in museum textbooks, but may become more complex in ‘real-world’ applications. Moderators will encourage active group discussion of current issues in collections management, and create a place for collections colleagues to formally network. We’re all in this together…how can we help each other?

Pods and Cells: The Audio Experience
Presenters: David Lynx, Curator of Education & Technology, Yakima Valley Museum
Current trends in technology and popular culture can provide museums with new ways to connect to their audience. Audio and video clips, known as podcasts, can provide an online experience or be downloaded as a personal tour guide. The same audio clips can now be accessed by cell phone, allowing visitors without ipods to dial in for their audio experience. Advances in internet video streaming and technology also allow museums to provide new and exciting media on their websites. This session explores Internet technology, current trends in audio technology, and how they can be utilized in the museum.

Community Partnerships:  Museums and Schools
Presenters: Michelle Loudon, Education Coordinator, Wenatchee Valley Museum and Susan Ballinger, Science Field Experience Coordinator, Wenatchee School District
Presentation of the partnership between Wenatchee Valley Museum and Wenatchee School District in developing elementary-level science field experiences, followed by group discussion of other museum/school partnerships.

1:30PM – 2:45PM           Breakout Sessions

“Please Touch” Hands-on Components in Museums
Presenter: Putter Bert, Executive Director, KidsQuest Children's Museum and Alissa Rupp, The Portico Group
History and art museums have a lot to learn about hands-on experiences for kids. KidsQuest Children’s Museum provides interactive exhibits and programs integrating art, science, technology, and daily experiences to inspire life-long learning in children and families. Learn how your museum can capture the imagination of your younger guests.

Go Into The Light: Illuminating Your Exhibit for Conservation and Drama
Presenter: Andy Granitto, Curator of Exhibits, Yakima Valley Museum
Lighting is perhaps the most important aspect of exhibit design. Yet, because it is usually the last task on the production schedule, many exhibits suffer from rushed or poorly planned lighting. In addition, conservation concerns that necessitate low light levels are often thought to be at odds with goals related to entertainment, drama, and visitor flow–this is not true. This workshop-style lecture will discuss different lighting systems and styles, focusing in particular on those for the small museum, and demonstrate effective ways to plan and install lighting that meets all your exhibit needs.

Nobody loves a Cockroach
Presenter:  Jeffrey Weier, Board Certified Entomologist and Technical Director, Sprague Pest Solutions
Insect pests in museums can be devastating to priceless collections. Many objects contain materials that are highly attractive to destructive insects at the same time that they are sensitive to many common insect control materials. This presentation will cover typical–and some not so typical–insects found in collections. We will also discuss control measures and how they can affect sensitive materials, as well as new and innovative methods of control.

3:00PM – 4:15PM           Breakout Sessions

Help for Washington Museums! HB1386 Amendment: Dollars Within Your Reach
Presenters: Susan Tissot, Executive Director, Clark County Historical Society & Museum; Lauren Danner, Head of State Capital Museum and Outreach Center; Val Wood, Deputy State Archivist of Washington, Office of the Secretary of State
All museums can use additional financial support. In 2005 Senator Craig Pridemore, D-49th District, penned an amendment to HB1386 that created a new source of funding for museums and other historic preservation organizations in Washington state. The monies are attached to the document recording fees associated with the annual real estate transactions in our state. Because the legislation was broadly worded, many counties have not yet created a formal program to allocate this new source of funding to their local heritage agencies. Clark County created a new granting program with their portion of the money. The Historic Preservation Grants program completed its first round of awards with $142,445 allocated to six recipients for 2007 projects. Learn more about this source of funding and what steps you can take to get your piece of the pie.

Bringing Your Women in History to Life
Presenters: Georgia Bakke-Tull & Joan Tucker, Leavenworth Women's History Weavers
Take from this workshop the tools to create a Readers Theater or dramatization production, customized to your communities. As the focus on collecting and preserving women’s history increases, we have become aware of the scarcity of collectible artifacts and historical documents regarding women. Many times it is difficult to locate their given name short of an obituary. With what information can be collected from family, diaries, journals and newspaper or genealogy records, we can ‘recreate’ or capture the essence of a woman’s place in history.

Developing engaging interpretive programs in the Historic House Setting
Presenters: Patti Larkin, Curator of Campbell House, Northwest Museum of Art & Culture and Kirsten R. Schober, Director, Kirkman House Museum
This session will concern itself on the place of historic house museums in their communities, and how to develop successful interpretive and educational programs.