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

Thursday, June 21

8:00AM – 5:00PM          Registration

9:00AM – 10:15AM        Welcome and Awards
Marsha Rooney, WMA President and Lisa Hill-Festa, WMA Awards & Scholarship Committee Chair
Hear what’s happening in Washington’s museums, as WMA honors award-winning exhibits, programs, institutions, volunteers, and staff.

1:30PM – 3:00PM          Breakout Sessions

Exhibit Label Design and Fabrication for Small Museums, Part 1
Presenters: Victoria Blackwell, Curator, Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Museum and Chris Erlich, Exhibit Services, chrisworks
Victoria will discuss and demonstrate label and photo preparation techniques, based upon her extensive experience in graphic design. Topics include:

• Different font styles and sizes for headings, body text, and captions

• How to space text to provide reader-friendly “white space”

• How to use color to add impact

• Scanning and printing photos

• Using what you have: computers, printers, software and what should be “essentials”

Selection and Implementation of Automated Collections Databases
Moderator: Rebecca Engelhardt, Collection Manager, Museum of Glass
Presenters: Janae Huber, Collections Manager, Art in Public Places Program, Washington State Arts Commission; Patricia Relay, Program Manager, Washington Art Consortium; Mike Siebol, Curator of Collections, Yakima Valley Museum; Jane Roth Williams, Curator, Kitsap County Historical Society Museum
This session focuses on the selection and implementation of automated collections databases. The panelists represent a variety of institutions that are working with automated collections databases of different designs. Our goal is to give valuable advice about what to watch for when planning for collections automation, what to look for in software applications, and what to watch out for when beginning your project.

Creating Strong Bonds: Developing Lasting Relationships and Lifelong Advocates
Presenters: Seth Margolis, Director of Education Programs, The Museum of Flight; Katie Peterson, ACE Coordinator, The Museum of Flight; Avery Reed, Museum Apprentice, The Museum of Flight; Jenna Schrengohst, Collections Curatorial Technician, Whatcom Museum of History & Art
Museums do not typically form lifelong relationships with program participants. By creating a variety of programs that transition into each other and continually empower participants, museums can turn participants into ongoing stakeholders. This panel of staff and current and former program participants will explore methods that museums use to create enduring connections and enable people to ‘grow up’ within their galleries.

3:15PM – 5:30PM          Breakout Sessions

Exhibit Label Design and Fabrication for Small Museums, Part 2
Presenters: Victoria Blackwell, Curator, Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Museum and Chris Erlich, Exhibit Services, chrisworks
Second session: Chris will demonstrate and lead hands-on participation in easy label and photo mounting techniques. Chris is a former museum director and current independent exhibit curator and designer. Topics include:

• Paper types

• Mounting materials and adhesives

• Cutting equipment

• Hanging labels

• How to find and purchase materials

Demystifying Digitization
A diverse audience that uses the World Wide Web for accessing information, entertainment, and consumer goods coupled with the fact that more and more human creative products are born digital pushes museums to leap into the digital age – ready or not. This session examines three approaches to digital programs mixing practical advice with theory and best practice. The session concludes with an overview of current information from the field including federal support of digital collecting and preservation research.

Tamara Georgick wants us to “know what we are getting into!” After dissecting the layers of human creativity, hardware, and software that make the Internet work, Tamara dives into a strategy for scaling projects through planning product tiers and sharing some of the challenges and solutions experienced by Washington State Historical Society staff.
David Lynx describes why the Yakima Valley Museum pursues its dynamic program of digital media that includes website, online collection exhibits, kiosks, audio tours and how he balances his dual role as Curator of Education and Technology.
Rose Sliger Krause presents a case study about the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture’s efforts to build a persistent digital archive to improve intellectual access to its archival and museum collections.
The State of the Digital Arts in America’s Museums: Laura Thayer, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, shares information from the field about how America’s cultural heritage organizations and the United States government are finding ways to navigate Information Age challenges.

Collaboration: A Key to Reaching Community
Presenters: Julie Pisto, Director of Marketing and Communications, Museum of Glass; Kristy Gledhill, Communications Director, Tacoma Art Museum; Brenda Hanan, Marketing Manager, Washington State History Museum
The session will focus on the positive and supportive reaction from the community that has resulted from the visible collaboration between the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, and Washington State History Museum. The goal is to encourage other institutions to consider the possibilities within their own communities.

5:30PM – 6:30PM          Special Tours
Led by the Staff of the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center
Choose from three different tours.
• Behind the Scenes Museum Tour
• Historic Properties Tour
• Museum Exhibit Tour