Local Perspectives


by John Larson, Director, Polson Museum in Hoquiam, WA
A museum staff’s worst nightmare became reality the morning of June 9, 2018 when fire gutted Aberdeen’s historic 1922 armory destroying much of the Aberdeen Museum of History in Aberdeen, WA.  The sizeable structure also housed the Coastal Community Action Program, Aberdeen Senior Center and Grays Harbor Genealogical Society whose offices...
By Michelle Powers
You walk through the front door of Pho Hoa Noodle Soup and place your order at the counter. The decor is simple and inviting. As you sip on your jasmine milk tea, you listen to the conversations around you, all of which are in other languages, some of which are unfamiliar to you. You close your eyes, take in the sounds and smells around you and—for a minute—imagine that you...
By Lindsey Kouvaris
As museums, our charge is to care. We take possession of historical objects, cultural artifacts, and works of art. We commit to exhibiting them, caring for them, and preserving their place in history. And, we adopt institutional missions, collections policies, and collecting goals to help guide us through the process.
But, what about the objects that don’t seem to fit our...
By Chloe Verrey
Aside from four years of college, I have lived in San Jose, CA my entire life. In high school, I didn’t see much value in the place I called home. All I wanted was a place of my own, so I left. After four years living in Eugene, Oregon, I could not wait to get back to San Jose. How could such a short period of time change my mind? And now, years later, San Jose is more my home...
By Danielle Kelly
Las Vegas and the visual arts are for more sympatico than convention might suggest. By design, much of the city is acutely conscious of why and how it chooses to stimulate the senses, full of noises that keep you perky and patterns to dazzle and disorient. It is a supremely visual place whose art making and exhibiting often mirrors the town’s Wild West spirit. The scarcity of...
By Nathan Harper
In previous communications on this blog my Las Vegas colleagues have highlighted the significant changes in the cultural life of the city. Food and culture are so intertwined, is it surprising that a dizzying number and diversity of restaurants have popped up in Las Vegas? In the past decade this city of sunburned tourists, five-dollar blackjack and shrimp cocktail has...
By Jenette Purdy
A closer look at the Western Museums Association 2013 Annual Meeting host state…
Nestled in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains, Park City is a mountain treasure located only 30 miles from downtown Salt Lake. Park City bustles with skiers and snowboarders from all over the world in the winter months, but summer and fall have made this mountain town a true year round destination. From...
A closer look at the Western Museums Association 2013 Annual Meeting host city…
By Chrissy Upton
The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) is a lucky institution indeed. Located in the heart of Salt Lake City, UMOCA is surrounded not only by the beautiful landscape, but also by a supportive and talented artistic community. In fact, Martin Prosperity Institute named Salt Lake City the 8th most...
A closer look at the Western Museums Association 2013 Annual Meeting host city…
By Iris Moulton
A blank canvas waiting to be marked


Drawing Lab, which opened May 17, 2013 at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA), is inspired by the idea that mark-making is a fundamental human impulse and that there is no wrong way to do it. Within this hands-on, interactive exhibition, museum visitors of any age...
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