WestMuse Blog

Here on the WestMuse Blog, you’ll find a variety of articles and resources to help guide you through this difficult time as we all stay home to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Check in every #WestMuseWednesday and Fridays for our latest blog posts discussing current topics from learning how to work from home to sharing social media best practices.

If you’re seeking information on a specific topic related to the museum industry or COVID-19, please feel free to reach out to us at blog@westmuse.org. Thanks!

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March 15, 2017
Robert R. Janes is an independent scholar-practitioner, a former museum director, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Museum Management and Curatorship, and a Visiting Fellow at the School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester (UK). He has a Ph.D. in archaeology and began his career as an archaeologist in Canada’s remote Northwest Territories. Janes was given a traditional Blackfoot (First...
March 3, 2017
By Joy Hyatt
Implementing change requires courage. For me, the duality of this experience can be equally inspiring and a challenge to demonstrate. Focusing on this year’s theme of change, the Western Museum Association (WMA) Annual Meeting did not shy away from considering the struggles and joys related to change. Before attending the Meeting, I often wondered how museum professionals might...
February 21, 2017
By Catherine Salthouse
I remember sitting in a middle school library, answering questions about how I would react to student misbehavior. I was terrified. I was about to work with kids with autism for the first time and I had no idea what to do. I accepted the job because I liked teaching teens, I was broke, and nothing could be much worse than night shifts at a postal distribution center. I’m...
January 10, 2017

The Western Museums Association (WMA) presents WestMusings | 10 Minute Museum Talks, which took place during the 2016 Annual Meeting. WestMusings is a program of short, engaging presentations by unique voices—intended to inspire the museum field. This year, speakers delved into topics that explored the unique ways that we relate to our work as museum professionals. Join WMA as we celebrate the...
January 5, 2017
By Mollie Fullerton
I came to the 2016 WMA Annual Meeting in Phoenix from Green River, Utah. Green River has no stoplights, about 950 residents, a giant watermelon float, and a twenty thousand square foot museum where I am the Education and Programs Manager.    
The John Wesley Powell River History Museum was built over 25 years ago when the Green River city council, mayor, and other stakeholders...
January 4, 2017
By John Bello
Frequently in the field of museums, we operate without much acknowledgment of others. That is not to say that museums do not talk with one another. Museums operate in a singular vacuum of oneness. Yet, museums are all dealing with the same changes from outside forces. With new digital media, social media, programming, strained funding, and other challenges, museums are constantly...
December 7, 2016
By Joseph Govednik, Museum Curator, Foss Waterway Seaport & President, Washington Museum Association

Being a recipient to the Wanda Chin Grant is something I am grateful for.  Without the assistance of this grant my attendance, and professional development opportunities associated with participation, would likely not happen this year.  The WMA annual meeting in Phoenix was a treasure of...
December 1, 2016
By Claire Blaylock
From October 23-25th, the Oregon Museums Association hosted our annual meeting in the scenic college town of Eugene, Oregon. The conference theme, “Engage!” drew representatives from museums across the state. From small local institutions to large regional museums, volunteers and staff members discussed how museums can engage with their audiences in the 21st century.
OMA was...

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