By: Jill Connors-Joyner and Nik Honeysett

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, the Rebel Alliance stood bravely against the evil Galactic Empire, never backing down despite overwhelming odds. Formed by a brave few after the Clone Wars, the Rebel Alliance worked in secret for decades to restore democracy to the galaxy. Eventually, armed with the significant firepower and iconic leadership, the Alliance triumphed and everyone went home for tea and medals.

Similarly, a few years ago, in a city far, far away (from Palm Springs, on the East Coast) AAM laid down plans to address the challenges of the known museum universe. A small band of brave few, created the Spark (http://aam-us.org/about-us/who-we-are/strategic-plan), a bold and ambitious plan to rethink how AAM serves the museum field. Based on a set of core beliefs and values, it identifies AAM’s future in a vision statement to “champion the vital role of museums in the 21st century” through the four goals of Excellence, Advocacy, Sustainability and Alignment.

What you are witnessing now are the fruits of that plan culminating in a name change from the American Association of Museums to the American Alliance of Museums and its call to action to Champion Museums and Nurture Excellence. Why the name change? Simply because a new organization requires a new name. The new logo is pretty cool too.

The Alliance really is a new organization and while many things have changed, many of the hallmark programs remain, only now, you have many more ways to get access to standards, programs, networks and resources.

To witness the spoils of this heroic battle against all the odds and what a new AAM means for you, your organization and the museum field, join us, Jill Connors-Joyner and Nik Honeysett, for a free workshop at the WMA meeting, “Excellence in Every Museum: Applying Standards to Your Museum” on Sunday, October 21 at 3:00 P.M.

What is the Continuum of Excellence? What’s changed in AAM’s membership structure? How is the Accreditation process easier? How can AAM help museums pursue and uphold standards and best practices?  How can you use Jedi mind control to effectively communicate the value your museum brings to your community and your audiences?

All these questions and more will be answered at the workshop, so please join us.

Jill Connors-Joyner runs the Museum Assessment Program at AAM. Nik Honeysett, Head of Administration at the Getty Museum sits on AAM’s board of directors.