It's been a little over a week since my last post and I apologize for the gap! It's been a bit hectic here at the ranch last week. I do hope that you were able to follow the 2020 American Alliance of Museums Museum Advocacy Day (https://www.aam-us.org/programs/museums-advocacy-day/) here in Washington D.C. February 24th-25th! This event for those who don't know Advocacy Day (as described by AAM) is a unique opportunity to join with fellow museum professionals and supporters to make the case for museums to our representatives in Congress. Professionals from across the country come to lobby their state's congressman (or woman) to support policies that support museums and cultural institutions across the country.
I unfortunately couldn't attend this year's event in person. However, I did want to highlight this excellent and important initiative which I would encourage anyone interested in having a broader impact on the museum field to attend! After participating in Virginia Museum Advocacy Day in early February I was excited to see what my fellow museum professionals would do on a national scale and I was not disappointed. The museum advocacy hash tag got quite a work out as attendees shared information on the workshops and meetings leading up to a robust day of museum advocacy.
As constituents, attendees were encouraged to lobby their representatives on issues impacting both their individual states and national cultural organizations such as the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities. By sharing effective personal stories, advocates are able to connect with their representatives on a more personal level.
Earlier this month, I was able to share personal stories with our delegates in Richmond to connect them to specific issues impacting Virginia Museums. I have no doubt (and based on the social media posts, I'm sure I'm right) that our national museum advocates were equally successful. Please stop below to see some of the great post from museum professionals across the country! Remember, Museums are not Neutral!
Before heading out, I did want to share that leading up to the upcoming Virginia Association of Museum's conference in Chantilly, VA, running March 7-10, 2020, that I will be launching a survey based on the research and work I have been doing as a leadership and advocacy fellow for VAM! Can't wait to share it with you. Stay tuned!
