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.

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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...
November 28, 2016
I’m going to start with a confession: it often takes me several weeks after a professional conference for the information I’ve to crystallize into useful lessons. Being a typical introvert, the conference and networking can render me feeling highly energized and highly depleted at the same time. Once the overstimulation wears off and I am back in my routine, the lessons and conversations shared...
November 22, 2016
By Sarah Seiter
This year, we at the Oakland Museum of California were honored to win the WMA Charles Redd Award for our exhibition, Altered State: Marijuana in California. This award was an exciting step for us, because OMCA deals with state and local issues, and the 2016 WMA annual meeting was a chance to see how other museums are tackling similar issues in their communities. I felt fortunate...
November 9, 2016
On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Labor Department announced overtime final regulations that, when they go into effect on December 1, 2016, will mean that many employees earning less than $913 per week ($47,500 annually) will be entitled to overtime compensation.

In this interview, Christine Searles discusses how her museum is preparing for the new overtime laws. Christine Searles has been the Human...

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