The WAM 2024 Conference focusing on Balance, was timely for me as I had just finished my first year as the Education Director at The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho and was feeling the effects of a busy and educational year. I was honored to attend the conference as a recipient of the Wanda Chin Scholarship.
During the opening session of the conference, Jason B. Jones invited attendees to, “Immerse yourselves in the spaces around you.” I took that invitation to heart and found myself benefiting from the wise advice. My tensions about meeting new people from across the western United States seemed to dissolve from that moment forward. Although the museum settings in which we all work require us to meet a variety of people from all backgrounds, we sometimes need a reminder of basic life skills that help us to live a more balanced life. Marilyn Jackson, current AAM President stated that “[Museums] are places of reflection and remembrance.” And that they “give use a sense of vitality.”
Why do so many people continue to help organize, build, develop, and maintain museums daily? We all know the importance of museums as places of remembrance and reflection. Philosophies of a visitor-centered museum resonate with us simply because we are all museum visitors. We are also all a part of communities and know what museums can do to help communities. WMA President, Lorie Millward stated, “Our mission is to strengthen museums to serve diverse communities.”
The WMA 2024 Conference helped me to see myself as not only a museum worker, but also as a visitor who utilizes museums as a place of learning, reflection, and refreshment. Visiting the Miniature Time Machine Museum during the conference introduced me to an unfamiliar new world of exquisite craftsmanship, design, and fun in one place where I would not be able to experience the artwork otherwise.
Meeting people with similar interests, challenges, and roles was the highlight of my visit at the conference. I was enlightened in each of the sessions as we discussed current best practices and innovative programming. During this time, I was able to practice balance as we attended off-site outings and practiced mindfulness throughout the week.
Emily Wunderlich is the Education Director of The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho. She received her BFA in Art Teaching from The University of Utah and her MA in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She is a studio artist with experience in drawing, oil painting, installation art, hand-built ceramics, and sculpture. She resides in Idaho Falls with her husband, Jason.
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