Museums Newsletter @ Utah Arts & Museums

Greetings Utah Museums! The 2012 Museum Survey is open! Each year we gather information about Utah's museums to help us benchmark our progress as a state, provide information to legislators, and determine training and technical assistance needs. You can see previous survey reports here. Please designate a representative from your museum to fill out the survey by January 31 so we can have results ready for you to use on Museum Advocacy Day. Wendi Hassan Community Outreach         whassan@utah.gov                            801-860-6396 Museum Advocacy Day at the Capitol, February 28 Register now for Museum Day at the Legislature by January 28. 7:30 Load in 8:30 Introductions and orientation 9:00 Legislator contacts, rotunda displays 2:30 Load out Click here for directions and parking information What you can do now: Familiarize yourself with your, and your institution's legislators. There have been a lot of changes this year. Find a directory here.  Create a quick fact sheet about your museum with your mission statement, number of visitors served, how you've used Utah Arts & Museums grant funds and contact information. Emphasize "substance over style". Museum Advocacy Day is less about "show and tell" and more about communicating the need for continued legislative support. -Utah Museums Association Free Online Collections Care Courses Heritage Preservation is offering a series of free courses in collections care, Caring for Yesterday's Treasures - Today. The first webinar is Wednesday, January 9. The registration process does require a commitment form signed by a supervisor. The 90-minute interactive webinars begin at noon. Collections Care Basics January 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 23 Risk Evaluation - First Step in Disaster Planning February 5, 7, 12, 14 Protecting Your Collection - Writing a Disaster Response Plan March 5, 7, 12, 14 Caring for Digital Materials - Preventing a Digital Dark Age April TBA Caring for Photographic Materials May TBA Courses on audiovisual materials, fundraising for collections care and outreach activities to come in the fall. Resources Are museums job creators?  Use the American Alliance of Museums Economic Impact Template to help tell the story. Also use past Museum Survey reports and the Utah Creative Vitality Index (CVI) - watch for the 2011 CVI report in the coming weeks. Need extra hands?  Visit your local volunteer center to recruit the help you need. How to make an entire museum a work of art Check out this story about Smith College Art Museum. Dig Into Reading This year the Collaborative Summer Library Program will encourage children to "Dig into Reading" providing a perfect opportunity for libraries to collaborate with museums. The teen theme is "Beneath the Surface" and the adult theme is "Groundbreaking Reads." Reach out to local libraries, or connect with Matt McClain at State Library, 801-715-6742. Upcoming Events Jan 15, 2013 - Utah Emerging Museum  Professionals Event at Thanksgiving Point Feb 28, 2013 - Museum Day at the Legislature Mar 29, 2013 - Utah Arts & Museums  museum grants due. May 2, 2013 - Mountain West Arts Conference