MuseNews

"There's Still More To Do"

Alexander Brooks, History Section Member

Since 1995, the National Women's History Alliance has dedicated a theme to each year's March celebration of National Women's History Month. In 2020, that theme was to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of women's suffrage and the passing of the 19^th Amendment. Because many of celebrations were curtailed by the events of that year, the theme has been extended for 2021 to “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.”  The passing of the 19^th Amendment was pivotal, but it was by no means the end of the struggle for women's voices to be heard.

The spirit of Jim Crow legislation and a women's rights movement that often discriminated against non-white women prevented all women from gaining voting rights that day. Black women had to fight for another forty-five years to gain their own right to vote through the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The story of women's voting rights and the struggles women continue to face in the United States cannot be fully explained in one moment or one day on a calendar. Genuine progress on these issues was, and is, limited, piecemeal, and slow-moving. 1920 is but one date on a larger timeline of struggle and activism for women's rights in U.S. history. With hope, there be many more to add to future calendars.

Interested in supporting NCMC’s work while developing professionally and building your network? Consider volunteering for one of the NCMC board positions, which has different openings each year. From maintaining archives to public relations to event planning, the NCMC board always has projects under way! If you are interested in volunteering but not ready to commit to a board position, there are lots of opportunities throughout the organization, including assisting our Section Chairs or assisting with various subcommittees.

Like most of my fellow North Carolinians, I was shocked and saddened by the events of last week. To see mob rule take place in our country was nothing short of appalling. Insurrectionists stampeding through the halls of democracy looking to disrupt and cause mayhem was heartbreaking. This did not have to happen, and the results were the tragic loss of life and destruction of our hallowed halls.

History unfolded before our eyes. We were reminded that democracy is fragile. However, the human spirit is not. The events of this past week, as grim as they were, reminded me of these qualities that allow the human spirit to persevere curiosity, compassion, and determination. 

This is where museums, across all mediums, can continue to play a vital role in how we interpret the past, and how we discuss and put into context the social structures that led to what we are witnessing unfold in our American society today. Years of oppression and systemic racism led to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Andre Hill, among many, many, others. The rhetoric and perpetuation of propaganda and misinformation from leaders, that led to domestic terrorists storming our halls of democracy. As grim as we may feel in the wake of these events, we as museums must continue to hold important discussions around race, violence, equality, and the role of democracy in our country.

Museums will and must continue to be places to contemplate, absorb, listen, and host these important discussions. Though COVID-19 has made this more challenging, it should strengthen our resolve as museums to bring together thoughts and conversations around the history and future of race and democracy, to work with BIPOC artists, historians, and activists who explore these ideas and experiences in their own work, and to listen when we engage so that we can do the work. Listening can, and should, play just as an important of a role as any when museums engage our visiting public, both in-person and virtually.

How should we move forward? We must engage with difficult topics, we must work for our communities, we must seek out and create these opportunities. Our work as museum professionals must continue, whether virtually or in personal encounters with our visitors, to hold these discussions around civil engagement, race, and consider what must be done as a nation as we move forward.

Thank you for your continued commitment to do this important work!

Yours in museums,

Scott Warren
President
North Carolina Museums Council

On October 21, NCMC launched our newest member perk, the Museum Services Resource List. This resource is designed to help museums seeking professional assistance in North Carolina. The searchable PDF directory, accessible in the members only area of the NCMC website, lists assorted businesses' contact information, areas of expertise, and geographical areas of operation. Museums are encouraged to research and interview businesses to find the best professional fit. We are still welcoming submissions as we develop this list.

Please direct any questions to Lindsey Waldenberg at membership@ncmc.org.

     Happy Fall everyone! As we move towards the end of this election cycle, I was reminded how fortunate that we truly are that we are part of the greatest experiment in democracy and that even though it may not turn out the way that you want the election to, I feel that we still can reach out to one another to find that common ground that makes the process the best in the world. I hope that if you have not already voted that you will do so on Tuesday.

     This is a truly exciting time for NCMC! We are wrapping up our great Brown Bag Lunch Series, thank you to Adrienne Nirdé and Felica Ingram for an amazing job, where we presented informative talks on a variety of subjects.

     We also have a great committee that is already hard at work in planning the 2021 NCMC Conference, March 22-24. Although our next conference will be all virtual, we are planning opportunities for you to connect and grow. This year’s theme, “Shifting Roles: Finding a New Path” promises to be one of the most educational conferences in our recent history. Do you have an idea for our next conference? Then please submit your ideas now at http://www.ncmuseums.org/2021-Annual-Meeting-Session-Proposals. We would love to hear your ideas! The deadline for submission is Friday, November 20, 2020.

     Our next newsletter will not be out until after the new year so with that, I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family. I know it is easy to get lost in everything that is happening. Take the time to ask your friends, family members and colleagues, “How are you?” because isn’t that one of the reasons for the holidays? Please stay well, safe and healthy!

-Yours in museums!

Scott Warren

President

2021 NCMC Conference Moving to All-Virtual Format
by Scott Warren, President, NCMC

     Next year’s NCMC conference, scheduled for March 28-29, 2021 in Rocky Mount, NC will transition to an all-virtual format. While the council is disappointed that we can’t meet in person, we made this tough call for two reasons.
     1) Our first priority is the safety of all attendees. With so much uncertainty around COVID-19 and what its status will be in the spring, we feel it is necessary to be cautious. While we all hope a safe and effective vaccine will be developed in time, we cannot be certain it will be widely available by the time of the conference.
     2) Our second concern is financial. I have heard from many colleagues around the state that operating budgets for state and local museums, as well as private museums, are being slashed and that professional development line items are a common target. Between this and potential future staff reductions, travel to Rocky Mount may not be feasible for many of us. We at NCMC are working hard to help alleviate that burden. We’re planning some great, low-cost professional development opportunities that you can read about on NCMC's Events page.
     We are working with many of our corporate sponsors and donors to bring you next year’s conference at a reasonable rate. In the coming months, our Professional Development Chair Adrienne Nirdé and Assistant Chair Felicia Ingram will roll out important dates, schedules and an open call for session proposals. Those announcements will be shared on our website, www.ncmuseums.org, via email and on our social media pages.
     Lastly, I cannot thank the vendors, venues and members of the local arrangements committee enough for their understanding, flexibility and willingness to help guide us through this situation. We will be back together in person one day. My term doesn’t end until 2022, but I feel like when we are able to meet again in person, it will feel like my very first conference. Do you remember yours?
     Thank you for your continued support of your statewide museums association. I am excited about our future and the direction we’re heading despite the wild ride 2020 has been so far. Hang on tight and stay well!

Check out the list of awards the North Carolina Museums Council has presented this year for great work by NC museums and individuals in 2019.

2019 Award of Excellence

The Gaston County Museum of Art & History for “1929 Strike: A Community Divided”

2019 Award of Excellence

The North Carolina Museum of History for “QuiltSpeak: Uncovering Women’s Voices Through Quilts”

2019 Award of Excellence

The North Carolina Museum of History for “One Giant Leap”

2019 Award of Special Recognition

Glavé & Holmes Architecture for their support of NCMC

2019 Award of Special Recognition

Sam Rogers for his untiring support of North Carolina museums

2019 Professional Service Award

V. Ann Tippitt for her dedication to the North Carolina museums community

2019 Dennis T. Lawson Memorial Award

Charlton K. Torrence champion of the Schiele Museum

Honorable Mention:
2019 Award of Excellence

Alamance Battleground: 2019 Descendants Gathering

From the COVID Arts Study FAQs.pdf.

To support the cultural sector and help strengthen communities around the U.S. during and after this crisis, Slover Linett Audience Research and LaPlaca Cohen are collaborating on a national research and strategy initiative, which also involves Advisory Board for the Arts, Wilkening Consulting, and a range of advisors, funders, and stakeholders. By conducting survey research and qualitative research among both arts audiences and the wider U.S. public, we hope quickly answer a range of urgent, complex questions about the place of the arts and culture in the hearts, minds, families, and social and emotional lives of Americans during these painful times — and, crucially, help make strategic sense of those answers via forward-looking, inclusive dialogue that leads to adaptation, resilience, and relevance.

We want this study to deepen our understanding of how arts & culture organizations can help their communities during these times...and how communities can support their arts and cultural organizations.

Read more and consider participating in this survey
COVID Arts Study FAQs.pdf

Greetings fellow museum professionals!

I am very excited for the annual conference coming up in just over two weeks. We have some exciting events planned and some great sessions lined up. I would like to thank Adrienne Nirdé, Professional Development Chairperson, Alicyn Wiedrich, Annual Meetings Chairperson and the Local Arrangements Committee in Rocky Mount. These folks really have gone above and beyond to put together a conference that will reflect our theme, “Small Town, Big Impact."

Speaking of thanks, there are two companies that I would like to recognize for their leadership in support of our annual conference. Sam Rogers, with Carolina Publishing, and Steven Blashfield and Randy Holmes with Glavé and Holmes. These gentleman have really made this conference possible and without their gracious support of NCMC, we would not be able to bring in our dynamic speakers, Anne Ackerman and Joan Baldwin or provide scholarships to deserving museum professionals across the state. Please join me in thanking them for their generous support.

In closing, I would be remiss if I did not mention the current situation around the COVID-19 epidemic that is gripping not only our state and nation but the world. I have written an open letter to our conference attendees, supporters and friends. Please be rest assured that we are keeping a close eye on the situation and we will update you as we go through this process together.

Safe travels to Rocky Mount and if I can be of service, please email me at president@ncmuseums.org. I look forward to personally meeting everyone in Rocky Mount and my hope is that this conference will have a big impact on you.

Yours in museums,

Scott Warren

NCMC President