2006 Annual Conference

"Learning Large in the Small Museum"
Ocean City, Maryland
February 26-28, 2006

Where is Ocean City?

Area map (28 K gif)
Google map (zoom in/out, get directions, see geography)

What kind of conference is it?

More than 200 museum professionals attend, representing a wide variety of small museums. We offer a balance of beginner’s and advanced sessions in an informal and friendly ambiance.

Speakers:

The keynote speaker, Kathryn "Katie" Boardman of the Cherry Valley Group, will address possibilities for education in small museums. The plenary speaker, Dr. Schroeder Cherry, Director of Museum Services at IMLS, will speak on the role museums play in communities.

We offer both breadth and depth in session choices:

Attendees will choose from a plethora of session topics including the following, to name just a few:

• Grant-writing for beginners
• Effective workplace communication, based on the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator.
• Disaster planning
• College collaborations
• Caring for outdoor exhibits
• Living history in a small museum setting
• NEH initiatives for small museums
• Roundtable for young professionals

Poster session:

We look forward to our first poster sessions, which is idea for researchers and graduate students. Printable Application Form [PDF, 37 KB] Deadline for application: November 1, 2005. Accepted entries announced December 1, 2005. [more]

Awards:

The Small Museum Association will honor one individual and one small museum for outstanding work. Nomination forms are here [PDF, 108 KB]
2005 Award Winners

The hotel:

 Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel (Directions)

Guests arriving early will find the Fontainbleau (and many area hotels) full until Sunday. One possibility is the Comfort Inn Gold Coast Mall (410-524-3000), just across the street.

During the SMA conference, the State Highway Administration may be milling and resurfacing the Route 90 bridges over the St. Martin’s River and Assawoman Bay. When the work occurs, eastbound Route 90 from Racetrack Road (MD Rt. 589) to Coastal Highway (MD Rt. 528) will be closed, while westbound traffic is maintained.

Local culture:

Register for the bus trip to Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware.
Other interesting activities

Scholarships:

Congratulations to the ten winners of this year's scholarships!

• Pamela Silvestri - Northeast States Civilian Conservation Corps Museum - Stafford Spring, CT
• Joan Whitson Wallace - Forest County Historical Society - Tionesta, PA
• Pat Murphy - Richardson Maritime Museum - Cambridge, MD
• Louis Grimaldi - Connecticut Trolley Museum - East Windsor, CT
• Darwin Braund - Penn State Pasto Agricultural Museum - University Park, PA
• Michelle Zaloom - Hallockville Museum Farm and Folklife Center - Riverhead, NY
• Catherine Moschou - Voelker Orth Museum Bird Sanctuary and Victorian Garden- Flushing, NY
• Nicole Benson - Portlock Galleries at Sono - Chesapeake, VA
• Tanya Yang - Japanese House and Garden - Philadelphia, PA
• Katherine Maas - Penns Valley Area History Museum - Aaronsburg, PA

Handouts:

(All files are small Microsoft Word documents unless otherwise noted.)

Keynote: Small Boats Turn Faster (PowerPoint, 2.27 Mb)

Bringing the Next Generation into History Centers

Caring for Outdoor Exhibits

Cleaning Historic Homes (references)

Child's Play: The Effect of Revolution on the Colonial Household

• Making the American Revolution Come to Life for Elementary School Summer Campers
• Kitchen Pepper spice recipe
• Riddles
• Sample Suggested Reading List for Campers

College Collaborations:

• What students can do for you
• Practical suggestions
• Press release written by a student intern
• Resume additions gained by a student intern

Creative Fundraising for Historic Properties (PowerPoint, 632 Kb)

Exhibitors: Lighting Fixtures (PDF, 1 .34 Mb)

From Idea to Exhibit

Increase Your Visibility by Working with your Partners

Katie Boardman's Keynote Speech

Living History in a Small Museum Setting

No Child Left Behind

Saying No: Effective Collections Policies

Target Marketing (PowerPoint, 682 Kb)

Registration:

Early bird registration for this 3-day conference is $150, with reduced fees for students. Registration is now available on the web -- download registration materials (334 K PDF). SMA members will receive a mailing by January 1.

Check back here often. We will post more details each month. See you in Ocean City!

2005 Winter Conference archive

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