What does politics have to do with museums? One way to frame this question is to ask how are local, state, and federal politics affecting your institution’s community? As a Western Museums Association (WMA) 2014 Annual Meeting session’s title suggests, All Politics Are Local. Spending cuts continuously loom over government budgets, many of which are targeted at museums. Museum professionals must ensure that that both communities and all governments know the key role that they play in education, job creation, tourism, economic development and much more.

Jayceen Craven Walker asked in this blog post, “If museum professionals don’t advocate for their museums, then who will?”

The WMA strives to strengthen museums in the Western region and beyond by offering museum professionals unique opportunities to connect and collaborate with each other.

American Alliance of Museums (AAM) President Ford Bell further explains, "In February 2015, dozens of new members of Congress will be in office and it’s up to us to make sure that every legislator knows the essential value of museums and the services they provide in nearly every community. I hope all museums will identify a representative to join us for Museums Advocacy Day 2015.”


The WMA is a proud sponsor of the 7^th Annual Museums Advocacy Day—a two-day event on February 23-24, 2015, in Washington, DC. Help the WMA support advocacy for museums and against potential budget cuts for the future.

WMA members receive a FREE registration to Museum Advocacy Day 2015. Please contact us for details and to obtain the code for a FREE registration.

Register for Museum Advocacy Day 2014 here.

You can learn more about membership to WMA here.

AAM President Ford Bell addresses advocates at MAD 2014 (image courtesy of AAM here).

Museums Advocacy Day is an opportunity to promote the value of museums to Capitol Hill, while advocating for policy and funding issues that affect our field. If you cannot make it to Washington DC, there are many ways you and your museum can still participate. Visit the American Alliance of Museums’ (AAM) Year-Round Advocacy for Museums for tools to maximize your impact, whether you are attending Museums Advocacy Day in person, or advocating from home.

Join WMA and AAM at Museum Advocacy Day 2014!