Thank you to our August E-News Sponsor: | |
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A leading thinker of the Revolution, George Mason formulated many of his ideas at Gunston Hall, his 5,500-acre Potomac River plantation. Today, we remember Mason for the signature accomplishments of writing the Fairfax Resolves, the Virginia Constitution, and the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights.
In writing the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Mason was the first to create a document that enshrined in law fundamental American liberties such as religious tolerance and freedom of the press. However, the story of Gunston Hall and George Mason is not without complications. Despite his writings about equality and his advocacy of rights, Mason enslaved hundreds of people.
Today, Gunston Hall is a 554-acre National Historic Landmark fulfilling its mission to stimulate the exploration and understanding of principles expressed by George Mason in the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights. In doing so, Gunston Hall facilitates opportunities to learn about Mason’s ideas, choices, and actions, but also to reflect on and understand the contradictions of a revolution inspired by the belief that all are equally free, but led by people who limited rights of many and held others in slavery.
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VAM Council Adopts New Strategic Plan | | |
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As I shared with you all last December and again at our conference this spring in Harrisonburg, VAM’s Council has been hard at work planning for the future of our museum association—our first strategic planning effort since before the pandemic.
In an effort to hear first from our members directly, VAM launched the Community Conversations Initiative in 2021, hosting a series of virtual focus groups and in-person charettes throughout the Commonwealth over a six-month period. Armed with this input from members, VAM adopted a new Mission Statement, Vision, and Values in November. We then turned back to you, our members, in March, to collect input on early planning drafts, and spent the last few months revising the plans and aligning them with our budget and operational processes.
The Plan linked below lays out not only an aspirational vision of a collaborative museum community serving as cornerstones throughout our Commonwealth but also the more concrete goals and objectives that will serve as the roadmap to accomplishing that vision in the days ahead.
We’ll include updates on our progress in future e-news and welcome your continued input and ideas. VAM is only as strong as you—our members—and in this plan, we chart the course for VAM’s future: advocating for the importance of museums in our communities and strengthening the cultural sector by supporting museum professionals throughout their careers with professional development, networking, and thought leadership.
Thank you for supporting us through our planning effort.
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Karen L Daly
VAM Planning & Resources Committee Chair, President-Elect
President, Stratford Hall
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Upcoming VAM Member Events | | |
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Join Pamela Ostrom, Founder, and Principal Consultant of The Leadership Practice, for an informative and engaging dialogue to develop practical, tactical strategies for creating an inclusive climate, a sense of belonging, and safety for all employees. | |
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Fostering Psychological Safety
August 23 | 10:00 am - 11:30 am | Virtual | Register
September 14 | 10:00 am - 11:30 am | Virtual | Register
October 18 | 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm | Virtual | Register
November 14 | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm | Virtual | Register
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Do you feel included? Safe to learn, grow and contribute? Do you feel safe to explore new ideas? We invite you to one of our newest workshop sessions that provides pre-workshop content via a 10-min prerecorded video and a live session to develop tangible ways to create safety within organizations.
Psychological safety is the foundation for developing workplace cultures that increase the overall sense of belonging for all employees. Register to learn about psychological safety from our DEAI director, Richard Josey.
*Please note, the space is limited to 30 people. Secure your seat today!
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September 21 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Virtual
| Leave with a better understanding of how to adapt your institution's strategy to maximize success in the current fundraising climate. | |
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Learning to Engage Federal, State & Local Representatives
October 5 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm | In-Person
Hanover Museum of History and Culture
| Join us for an in-depth workshop to learn about what advocacy looks like at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as how you can interact with your legislators. | |
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Stay tuned for monthly in-person & virtual workshops in August-November! | |
Have a session that you want to present at the conference? Proposals are due on August 25, 2023.
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VAM Annual Conference
March 9 - 12, 2024 | Virginia Beach
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The theme for this conference is Building Community: Engagement, Access, and Support.
VAM 2024 invites our museum community to add your experiences, challenges, successes, failures, and more to the discussion on the value and means by which we build community inside and outside of our walls. We look forward to these discussions with you all in Virginia Beach!
Be on the lookout for more information.
Visit the hotel here.
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Join Garrett Channell, the Salem Museum’s director of education and archives, will share Lewis’ heroic story, the role he played in the French and Indian War, and how his actions during the Revolutionary War helped secure the Colonies’ independence. | |
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Mini Bluegrass Festival
August 19, 2023 | 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm | Chesterfield
Pocahontas State Park
| Pocahontas State Park presents a Mini Bluegrass Festival with The Hot Seats, Into the Fog, Josh Grigsby and County Line, and The Slack Family. | |
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September 4, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Richmond
The Valentine
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Get ready for an immersive 2-hour journey through the historical highlights of Richmond, guided by none other than Valentine Director Bill Martin. From its early days as a port settlement to the evolving city we call home, this bus tour will showcase Bill’s favorite sites and stories that have shaped Richmond’s remarkable history. Join us to explore Richmond from Barton Heights to Maymont, and maybe even Southside!
The ticket includes same-day admission to the Valentine.
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Hear how Congressman Charles Diggs fought for equal opportunities for Black Americans in aviation and how he played a key role in desegregating "Jim Crow" airport terminals, fighting for civil rights, and opening employment opportunities in aviation for Black Americans during his career.
Presenter: Dr. Marion E. Orr
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Now Through January 21, 2024 | Richmond
VMFA
| This selection from VMFA’s collection of Art Nouveau posters highlights the late 19th-century design style, which emphasized beauty in natural forms and movement and was often expressed through flowing, stylized lines and flourishing patterns. | |
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When the Philippines fell to the Japanese in the spring of 1942, tens of thousands of American and Filipino troops became POWs. To discuss this in more depth and to highlight the experiences of US Army medical personnel held captive in the Philippines, Andy Watson, Chief of the U.S. Army Medical Department Center of History and Heritage, joined the MacArthur Memorial Podcast. | |
VAMers! Got #Summer Pics You Want to Share? | | |
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Germanna Foundation Unveils New Brand, Broadened Vision, and Name Change to Historic Germanna
The new Historic Germanna logo encompasses its unique history, many resources, and vision for growth.
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Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and Virginia Wesleyan University Unveil Plans for Groundbreaking Partnership
The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA) and Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) proudly announce their collaboration on the construction of a state-of-the-art facility to be built on the University’s Virginia Beach campus.
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Would you like to share exciting updates or how your museum is innovative? Contact our Communications Coordinator, Kristina, at kristina@vamuseums.org. Our readers would love to hear from you!
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Cheers to Tony Pierucci to be named the Deputy Director of Gunston Hall.
Cheers to Shannon Doherty and Christina Newton for starting at Historic Germanna. Shannon is the Education Manager and Christina is the Director of Outreach & Engagement. Congratulations!
Cheers to Jennifer Cottle who has been selected to serve as the MacArthur Memorial's new Education Manager!
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Tony Pierucci
Deputy Director of Gunston Hall
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"My interest in history probably had something to do with growing up in the same town as four previous generations of my family (Stockton, California) - every street seemed to have a family story attached to it and every item in our house once belonged to some not-quite forgotten ancestor.
I felt grounded in a way I didn’t recognize until I moved away. I’ve spent my career advocating for preserving places and things that matter to diverse communities so that others can experience the same sense of place I felt growing up - the same innate sense of context and belonging that countless studies have shown provide for a healthy and happy life..."
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Contact kristina@vamuseums.org if you would like to share what got you interested in the museum field and be featured on the e-newsletter! | |
It is never too late to make a gift to support career development opportunities for present and future Virginia museum professionals. | |
Congratulations to Sam, Dorette, and Jeremy on their new seats on Council! | |
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Sam Mckelvey
Director, History
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Dorette Sobolewski
Director, Mountain & Valley
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Jeremy Ray
Director, Historic Homes & Historic Sites
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Are you interested in starting or advancing your museum career through these training and networking opportunities?
Get involved with VAM today by serving on a committee, attending one of our many programs to come this fall, and checking out the resources that we have on our website!
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Don't forget to pay your VAM membership dues. To see if you have an open invoice, log in to your VAM account. If we can be of any assistance, contact VAM's Membership and Program Coordinator, Whitney here. Thank you!
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The Virginia Association of Museums helps our
museum community succeed.
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