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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January 6, 2016
By Mardi Maxwell
(Continued from: Engaging Senior Audiences- Part I: Community Profile)
At a time when the arts face new challenges, organizations are trying out new ways to increase and diversify their audiences. The Palo Alto Art Center (PAAC) recognized that building a senior audience took looking inside their programming and operations and ‘outside their four walls’ to create meaningful...
December 23, 2015
By Mardi Maxwell
What does it take for museums to engage senior audiences? And how should they go about developing and sustaining this relationship? With community research through John F. Kennedy University’s Museum Studies program, we are now one step closer to having answers to these questions.
In spring of 2015, graduate students, Betsy Ringrose, Christina Samore and Mardi Maxwell embarked on...
December 14, 2015

The Western Museums Association (WMA) presents the third installment of WestMusings | 10 Minute Museum Talks, which took place during the 80th Annual Meeting. WestMusings is a program of short, engaging presentations by unique voices—intended to inspire others in the field. This year, speakers delved into topics that explored how museums can be more engaging and relevant to the communities we...
December 8, 2015
By Sriba I. Kwadjovie
This was my inaugural year attending the Western Museums Association Annual Meeting and moderating a panel discussion titled Understanding Image Copyright. As the Senior Intellectual Property Associate for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the location of this year’s conference was ideal since it was held in San Jose. Upon my early morning arrival and registration...
December 1, 2015
By Kate Skelly
Dr. Julie K. Stein, Executive Director of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture received the 2015 WMA Director’s Chair Award. Julie has been an invaluable leader to the Western Museums Association, and has served as a WMA Treasurer and President. In this interview, Julie shares her thoughts about leadership in the field and the future of museums.
What do you think your...
November 20, 2015
By Marianna Pegno, Marge Pellegrino, and Morgan Wells 
The Tucson Museum of Art (TMA) has partnered with the Hopi Foundation’s Owl & Panther Project for a program entitled Museum as Sanctuary (MAS). This program helps foster expressive arts healing through in-gallery and hands on art-making activities on Tuesday evenings throughout the academic school year. This is the fifth year that TMA has...
November 3, 2015
Dear WMA 2015 Annual Meeting Volunteers,
On behalf of the Western Museums Association (WMA) Board of Directors, staff, and members, I want to thank you for your work as a volunteer at the WMA 2015 Annual Meeting in San Jose. WMA’s Annual Meeting provides museum professionals an opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices, network with colleagues, and learn more about museums in the Western...
October 14, 2015
By John Bello
Community museums are part of a shift in the museum field where there is an emphasis on developing community connections and engaging with visitors in new and different ways. Organizations of all kinds are reaching out to community museums and seeking partnerships to help them connect with the people they serve. I am involved in one such partnership in Tempe, Arizona. The Tempe...

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