Saturday, October 7, 2023
Play has a Role to Play
Learning Format: Active Learning
Engaging in different types of play is central to how children grow their bodies and minds. Self-directed play and unstructured learning allow children to imagine and explore all senses of possibility. We will ask participants to critically think about their definition of play and their impressions of the role play plays in museum settings. In this interactive session, participants will get charged up to think differently about engaging early learners and supporting caregivers in their space.
The Tongva and the Importance of Creating a MOU with Museums
Learning Format: Conversation
The panel will discuss their experience in creating a Memorandum of Understanding with a group of Tongva Cultural Educators. They will also explore the importance of acknowledging Tongva presence in Los Angeles and why museums across the country should create MOUs with tribes in their homelands
Museums in Militarized/Colonized Spaces: The Case of the Mariana Islands
Learning Format: Passive Learning
The Mariana Islands, comprised of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands exist on the edge of the United States in multiple ways. These islands are modern-day colonies of the US and are of significant strategic value to its US. This panel will focus on the challenges that are faced by the indigenous people of the islands in terms of managing museums and other similar educational institutions in heavily militarized, colonial spaces.
Museum Exhibitions and Difficult Content: How to Support Visitors
Learning Format: Conversation
Exhibition content can be difficult, and it is vitally important for museums to anticipate how to help visitors not only engage with challenging content but also to provide support after they have viewed an exhibition. The panelists in this session will share their experiences presenting exhibitions at their institutions that contained difficult content, strategies for supporting visitors, and suggestions for museums who are looking to best serve their audiences.
Embracing Change: Lessons Learned from Navigating Career Transitions in the Museum Field
Learning Format: Active Learning
WMA Community Lunch
A celebration of the WMA Community with special guest speaker Regan Pro, Deputy Director, Public Programs and Social Impact, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. She will share the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s approach to social impact.
Cost: $65
Armory Center for the Arts
Enjoy an evening at the Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena’s treasured art center where contemporary art exhibitions and community-based arts education intersect to nurture joyful, healthy, and equitable communities shaped by imagination, creativity, and diverse voices.