Sudheer K’s Post

Five insights from my time at last week’s Western Museum Association’s 2024 Annual Meeting in Tucson: ► So many of us needed to hear Seema Rao’s keynote address. My takeaway? Your work doesn’t love you. There are more important things to focus on in our lives – our own happiness, our family, our mental health. Your job/career should not be your identity. ► Museum professionals genuinely care about their community. While collections are important, it’s the engagement of people of all ages in experiencing, interpreting and even developing their exhibits and programs that drives the industry – how people connect with the collections and with each other. ► Museums are refreshing their exhibits, programs, events and facilities to meet the changing needs of their communities. This requires more resources, which has been challenging as the industry is still navigating the impacts of the pandemic. If you have a local museum you love, please visit it and make a donation! ► A nonprofit’s executive leader, board and staff have a special, nuanced partnership that requires ongoing work and communication. This is rooted in respect for each other as people and for our roles. If someone in that partnership disrespects you, and that disrespect is tolerated by others, it’s not the right place for you. ► Bingo happy hour and speed networking are a fun way to meet new people! I’d love to hear from museum professionals (and visitors!) on trends you’re seeing in the industry. Share in the comments! #WMA2024 #MuseumPartnerships #Museums

Are you one of those people that think Museums are all Glam because of the events you see on TV or movies? Well, think again!!! Reality is far from what is shown on movies and TV shows which are often depict museums as luxurious venues for glamorous events. In reality, museums exist to collect, preserve, and exhibit cultural treasures which of course can be valued in a lot of money, but because of its cultural value—NOT to host parties. Sure some events happen and they can be quite flashy because of the people that attend, but they are not as you may think. All is about Preservation Over Parties!! Exhibits are carefully controlled environments to protect artifacts, meaning events don't happen in exhibition halls. When museums do host events, it's for fundraising to support operations, not profit-making. People working in museums are dedicated Professionals, NOT Millionaires. Museum staff are passionate specialists working to preserve culture, not wealthy elites. Museums operate as nonprofits, relying on donations and memberships to sustain their mission. Support your local museum to help safeguard our shared heritage! 👉 Let me know what you think in the comments 👉 Follow me to know more about museums, or even better… 👉 Contact Me for consultation on your cultural project! #MuseumsMatter #CulturalHeritage #MuseumMyths #SupportMuseums #ArtPreservation #CulturalProjects #ExhibitionDesign #MuseumArchitecture #ArtCollectives #CreativeSpaces #MuseumPlanning #CulturalManagement #ExhibitionSpaces #ArtExhibition

New collections funding opportunity for AIM - Association of Independent Museums members🎉 Museum Fundamentals combines the existing invaluable collections care and conservation support from the Pilgrim Trust with new funding from the Julia Rausing Trust, which covers collections documentation. It includes support for collections review, documentation materials and equipment, and collections management software. The new grant will allow small and medium sized museums to create projects based on their collection needs, which improve knowledge, care and access to our nation’s heritage. Up to £20,000 is available Find out more 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e4A5t3za #Museums #MuseumDocumentation #Funding #Grant

The Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded grants to 15 children’s museums to support innovative and creative efforts to nurture character through exhibitions, public programs and community collaborations! For the last year, ACM has served as a strategic thought partner to participating museums in the development of ideas, strategies, and resources to foster character in children’s museums. To learn more about how The Lilly Endowment is helping children’s museums nationwide, check out their latest press release, here: https://buff.ly/4ivR2qO This work has been made possible because of additional grant funding from the Lilly Endowment to ACM to administer the Fostering Character through Children’s Museums initiative. 📷 Photo provided by Boston Children's Museum and captured by Chris Disario

In the GLAM sector, there are important conversations happening around balancing the need for funding with transparency and independent research. On National Philanthropy Day, we invite you to dive deeper into these tensions by reading "Whose Museum is it, Anyway?: A Case Study of the Effects of Large Scale Funding on National Museums" by Julie Zungri from our Spring 2018 issue. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e9UTj2Ng #ijournaluoft

It's always great to get media coverage of the lesser seen aspects of museum work. Caring for 2.5 million objects on display or in storage is a mammoth task. Dealing with the 1,500+ offers per year of items for the museum, often the entirety of the possessions of a recently deceased relative, is significantly more challenging. I wish we could have gone into more detail about people's motivations for donating, the reasons why the museum needs to be so selective, and the difficulties of managing the expectations of would-be donors. https://lnkd.in/eHaaJVSB

Museum is derived from the Greek word, mouseion, which means “seat of the Muses”. Museums have the power to transform the world around us. As incomparable places of discovery, they teach us about our past and open our minds to new ideas–two essential steps in building a better future. This International Museum Day, the ICOM (International Council of Museums) encourages members of society to come together and realize the full potential of museums and their role in the sustainable development and well-being of the environment and people. As an individual, you can observe this day by visiting local museums and learning about the culture and history of your state or country. Educate others about the importance of museums and encourage them to do so as well. You can also make donations for the development of museums in your region. Here are 6 interesting fun facts about museums you did not know: - There are more than 55000 museums in the world. - Warley Museum is one of the smallest museums in the world. - There are museums of SPAM, PEZ candy, potato, salami, mustard, chocolate, banana, and ramen. - The Louvre, Paris, France is the largest museum on Earth. - There are more than 35000 collectibles in The Louvre. - In Texas, there is a museum dedicated to barbed wire. ..................................................................................................... #showupcommunications #museums #culture #heritage #museumsday #internationmuseumday #IMD2024 #ICOM

We’ve just awarded £1 million in funding to support local museums and galleries across the country through the latest round of our Reimagine programme. Our Museum Directors Survey 2024 revealed that financial strain on civic museums has worsened following a decade of austerity, the pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, with two thirds of museum directors concerned about funding shortfalls, a rise from half in 2022. This round of Reimagine therefore prioritised museums relying on local authority support. Since 2020, Reimagine has evolved to address urgent sector needs, like rebuilding audiences, caring for collections and diversifying workforces. The projects we’ve funded this year include sensory exhibitions for disabled and neurodivergent adults at MK Gallery; behind-the-scenes tours for rurally isolated groups at Fermanagh County Museum; Manchester Art Gallery loaning artworks to local schools to improve visual literacy amongst children; and creative workshops for men accessing mental health support services at Hartlepool Art Gallery. Read about the projects we’ve funded: https://bit.ly/4f4wMuh

In 2022 the Paul Mellon Centre awarded a Curatorial Research Grant to Museum of the Home to support Curator Louis Platman’s research towards a permanent gallery redesign project. The project saw the transformation of the Museum’s latter half of its Rooms Through Time display - greatly increasing the representation of London’s diverse history as well as changing the format to make them more engaging for all ages. Part of this work was the creation of a Vietnamese period room which was the outcome of a co-curation process which drew on active community involvement through the leadership of the Lien Viet fund as well as oral histories, object donations, collected materials and interviews conducted by researchers Julia Thanh, Hannah Vu and Mila Su, all of which helped to embody the essence of a Vietnamese home. By foregrounding community voices and lived experiences the room helps to transcend traditional museum exhibitions and the Museum of the Home will provide ongoing event programming and opportunities for engagement around the room to it be both a cultural artifact and a living interactive space. All of the redesign work is now on display at Museum of the Home and is free to visit: https://lnkd.in/ebZzhEqP

The financial landscape for museums can feel like a constant tightrope walk. Now, add in the uncertainties of a new administration, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed and out of control. One powerful opportunity often overlooked? Your museum store. My latest blog post explores: ⭐ The financial landscape for museums ⭐ Leveraging nonprofit retail as a strategic revenue driver ⭐ The importance of financial resilience in the face of funding challenges Learn the full potential of your museum store and proactively build a sustainable future for your institution. #MuseumRetail #MuseumLeadership #Fundraising #MuseumFinance #Nonprofit