As fall begins, the MANY staff and board know we will be seeing colleagues in September in Catskill, Canandaigua, Fort Ticonderoga and in Cooperstown for 2019 conference planning. But there are so many opportunities for museum professionals in October, it could be renamed “Continuing Education Month” and we could start a new tradition with all of the choices of places and ways to learn.

I don’t think I’d be exaggerating if I said that all of the museum professionals I know enjoy learning. We devour texts, track down clues to unlock mysteries, and joyfully attempt to decode beauty in nature, art, and material culture. Learning from peers in small group settings may be my favorite way to learn.

I’ll start the month of October at the Long Island Museum Association’s Roundtable at the Long Island Children’s Museum on the first. On the 4th, I’ll be at the Edward Hopper House Museum and Study Center in Nyack at MANY’s Mid Hudson Meet-Up at the Hopper House.

On the 10th in Syracuse, I will participate in the “How to Facilitate Community Conversations with Humanities New York” workshop at the Erie Canal Museum, tour the museum, and welcome colleagues for our Central Region Meet-Up.

Coming from the education and development side of museums, my most recent learning has been in exhibition and facilities design. I am beyond excited for our behind-the-scenes tour at Hadley Exhibits on October 11th in Buffalo. I hope that you can join us there for our tour, Meet-Up, and special workshop, “How to Write Labels Your Visitors Will Want to Read,” led by Erin Doane, Curator at the Chemung County Historical Society.

Growing up on Manhattan Island with the East River outside my window, I learned at an early age that water both connects and separates us — we crossed New York Harbor on bridges, through tunnels, and stood at the back of the Staten Island Ferry, watching the skyline fade. At the New York State Canal Conference October 14-16 on Staten Island, participants will celebrate the role that New York Harbor has played in the success of the State’s historic inland waterway system.

On Tuesday, October 16, we will continue our waterfront celebrations at the Brooklyn Historical Society’s new DUMBO location with a Humanities New York workshop, a tour, and a Meet-Up with the Brooklyn Bridge acting as a backdrop to frame our conversation.

From the 140th annual meeting of the American Folklore Society in Buffalo, to the Re-Visioning Change workshops in the Southern Tier and Capital Regions where the most highly rated presenters from our annual conference will reprise their presentations and interactive programs for colleagues who couldn’t make it to Rochester, MANY will be present all season to help shape the future of our profession.

I’d love to hear from you if you will be learning alongside me this October! Send me an email and let me know where I might find you in the next chair or gallery.

Safe travels,