Welcome to the September edition of This Month in NYS Museums! In this newsletter... | | | | | Dear MANY Members, I love this time of year. You see, I love the seasons, all the seasons. I see the beauty in how each is special in itself. I also see the beauty in the process as we move from one to the other. As I complete my first six months in the Interim Executive Director role, I continue to see the beauty in all the phases of the life of MANY. I also see the beauty in the process as we move forward to a new phase and a new leader. As we look at the Fall and coming months, we at MANY, board, and staff, are focused on two exciting initiatives: our Executive Search process and our 2025 Conference. Yes, we have begun the important task of finding the next leader of the Museum Association of New York. We are excited to see where the next leader can take MANY, following in the footsteps of our amazing Erika Sanger. We are so excited, standing on the foundation laid, led by an amazing Board of Directors, and fortified with a dedicated and committed team, to find that person who will bring their vision and excitement to not only MANY but the entire New York State Museum sector. We know our sector has a stellar talent pool, and we are committed to an open and equitable search. If you or someone in your network feels a calling for this role, we encourage you and them to apply. For more information, please click here to view the job details on the MANY job board. We also love this time of year because it means it is Conference planning time. It gives us so much joy when we gather with you all at our annual conference. This is the time we start planning in earnest. We reach out to you for proposals. We begin identifying our Award and scholarship recipients. We begin the creative planning of exciting events and activities. During our visit to Ithaca this summer, we met with our amazing Host Committee, who shared their amazing offering of activities and venues, including Ithaca’s first fully electric conference center. We are so excited for what this Ithaca experience will be. So, let’s get this on everyone’s calendar, MANY Annual Conference, April 5th – 8th, 2025, in Ithaca, New York. Be on the lookout for our Call for Proposals on September 30th, Awards of Distinction nominations on October 3rd, and Scholarship Recipients applications on November 7th. We look forward to seeing you all in Ithaca. Enjoy the Colors of Fall, | | | Sheila McDaniel, Interim Executive Director | | | Conference Call for Proposals Opens Monday, September 30 | | | In 2025, we will be gathering in Ithaca, in the Southern Tier Region of our state, located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ (the Cayuga Nation). We're pleased to share with MANY members, a first look at our 2025 annual conference theme, Cultivating Community: Looking In, Reaching Out. Over the past few years, New York’s museums have placed a greater emphasis on fostering and deepening their community connections, aligning and elevating institutional missions while strengthening education, sustainability, and a crucial sense of civic belonging. Nearly 90 percent of American museums now center their audiences and communities in their mission and vision statements. Their missions and work focus on expanding and diversifying their audiences and engaging with their local communities. But what is community? Who are the members of our communities? How can we evaluate our internal structures to help us better understand our organization, define our audiences, and serve our communities? How do we bring all communities together to support our field? How can we support and develop our internal community of staff, volunteers, and board members? How can we advocate for funding that meets operational capacity needs and includes equitable staff support? What changes do we need to make to prioritize the health and well-being of our museum workforce that will support the longevity and sustainability of our institutions and strengthen our ability to build meaningful community relationships? Call for Proposals opens Monday, September 30. | | | | | Institute of Museum and Library Services Funding Opportunities | | | In FY24, the Lewis Latimer House Museum in Queens, NY, was awarded $195,000 to hire staff to improve collections management and create a digital exhibition from the museum’s collection.
| Last year, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) received the most applications ever, making FY2024 the most competitive, especially in the Museums for America program category. In New York State, 43 museums were awarded $7,741,317 in IMLS grants in FY 2024. This year, museums and related organizations across the United States have eight opportunities to apply for grants from the IMLS. Applications are due no later than November 15. We took a closer look at each funding opportunity available for museum, including sharing previous NYS museums awarded grants in these categories. | | | | | MANY Board Spotlight: Eliza Benington | | | Eliza M. Benington is the Senior Director of Marketing and Engagement at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York, where she has worked since 1990. She oversees the museum’s communications and marketing activities, publications, digital engagement, guest services, exhibitions, and programs. She is Chair of the Art Museum Marketing Association Board and a Vice President and Marketing Committee Chair of the Museum Association of New York (MANY) Board. A former member of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) board, Benington is past chair of the Public Relations and Marketing (PRAM) Professional Network of AAM. She is an active member of Visit Rochester and is a past president of its active volunteer arm, the Visitor Industry Council. She is a recipient of the I Love New York Award for Cultural Tourism Promotion. We spoke with Eliza to learn more about her career journey and what motivates her. | | | | | | | In case you missed it... we are excited to announce the launch of our newly redesigned job board at the Museum Association of New York! Whether you’re looking for your next career move, looking to post job opportunities at your institution, or just curious about the opportunities out there, our job board has got you covered. Here’s what you can expect: -
User-Friendly Design: A new interface to make navigating different job opportunities easy and finding the information you need. -
Enhanced Search Features: Search for jobs by location, department, and position type to find positions that match your criteria. -
Job Alerts: Never miss a job posting by signing up for our new job alert emails. | | | | | Hiring? MANY Organizational and Industry Members post museum jobs for free. For other job posting opportunities, please contact the MANY office at info@nysmuseums.org or call 518-273-3400 | MANY is committed to salary transparency. All job postings require a salary range. | | | | | | | Led by museum professionals from across New York State and beyond, join us online in this webinar series. Webinars are free; advance registration required. Virtual programs are made possible thanks to support from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. | | | Friday, September 27 12 - 1:30 PM EST Preservation Plans: An Overview A preservation plan is an essential document that helps collecting institutions thoughtfully and carefully chart a course for the preservation of their collections. In this webinar, participants will learn about the components that go into an effective preservation plan, tips for preparing for planning, and how to use a preservation plan to advocate for support for your collections.
| | | | | | | Friday, October 4 12 - 1:30 PM EST Design & The Olympic Winter Games: A New Live Virtual Field Trip for Classrooms
Learn how the Lake Placid Olympic Museum (LPOM) created its first live virtual field trip for schools–extending our reach and giving voice to our unique collection. During this webinar, attendees will “get a taste” of Design and the Olympic Winter Games with some quick highlights of what students see and do in the live virtual field trip program hosted by the LPOM education team. | | | | | | | Friday, October 11 12 - 1:30 PM EST Civic Actors: Communities of Practice to Support Civic Engagement Museums can and should be active in civic learning and engagement, as core parts of their mission and mandate. As trusted “third spaces” in communities, museums have a unique opportunity and obligation to build civic mindsets, knowledge and skills among community members, to present multiple viewpoints on difficult topics, and to cultivate museum spaces as places for honest discussions. Partnering with organizations already doing civic work and participating in capacity-building initiatives like Made By Us and Educating for American Democracy can position museums to be relevant and community-oriented in ways that are mission-aligned. | | | | | | | Friday, October 18 12 - 1:30 PM EST What's in a name? (and what we learned about changing one)
The Buffalo AKG Art Museum, formerly the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, opened to the public in June 2023, after being closed for nearly four years for a development and expansion project. Just down the road in Utica, the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute worked concurrently on a new Campus Master Plan and a new brand, resulting in what is now the new Munson. This webinar will offer practical information about the process of remaking museums, from a sharpened focus on community to a new name, a new graphic identity, and a new campus. Find out how the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and the Munson Museum of Art (re)introduced their new identities to their staff, their city, and the world, along with tales of what was learned in the process. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | New York State Council on the Arts Governor Hochul announced $80 million is available to support non-profit arts and cultural organizations across New York State NYSCA Capital Projects Fund includes three grant categories, including a first-time opportunity for Capital Design Grants for arts and culture. NYSCA's Capital Projects Fund will support arts and cultural nonprofits seeking State funding for investments in capital improvements that allow organizations to sustain and expand cultural programming for diverse audiences, promote accessibility and environmental sustainability, preserve and create jobs, and ultimately contribute to the growth of New York's dynamic arts and tourism sectors. The three opportunities are: Small and Midsized Capital Improvement Grants for Arts and Culture: This opportunity funds projects initiated by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations of any size, with grants of up to $2 million that prioritize accessibility, artistry, cultural development, sustainability, health and safety, and structural and historical improvements. No-match grants of $10,000-$25,000 and $50,000-$99,000 are available for organizations with operating budgets under $2 million. Strong projects combine excellence in design with informed decisions about organizational capacity and community needs that will positively affect the future of arts and cultural organizations across New York. Large Capital Improvement Grants for Arts and Culture: This opportunity will support arts and cultural nonprofits across the state that are undertaking impactful, large-scale capital improvements. Grants will range from $2 million to $10 million for projects that have a total cost of $4 million or more. This funding will support investments that allow organizations to thrive by expanding cultural programming, reaching new and diverse audiences, and promoting accessibility. These grants will also help advance the State's goals around economic development, diversity, equity and inclusion, and will require all applicants to commit to social equity initiatives and access plans that serve all New Yorkers. Capital Design Grants for Arts and Culture: This new opportunity will support the development of mid-stage and advanced design documents for arts and cultural nonprofits with operating budgets of $10 million or less across the state that are planning eligible capital improvements and are currently in the early stages of design. Grants will range from $50,000-$500,000, for a maximum of 50 percent of the design phase’s total cost. No-match grants of $50,000 to $99,000 will also be available for organizations with budgets under $2 million. The application portal and guidelines for these opportunities are now open, and can be accessed on NYSCA's website, arts.ny.gov. The deadline to submit completed applications is January 14, 2025. All eligible New York State nonprofit arts and cultural organizations are encouraged to apply for NYSCA's Capital Projects Fund. Learn more | | | Institute of Museum and Library Services IMLS is accepting applications for eight grant programs, all due no later than November 15, 2024: - *NEW* Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture - Designed to build the capacity of American Latino history and culture museums to serve their communities, and broadly advance the growth and development of a professional workforce in American Latino institutions.
- Museums Empowered - Supports projects that use the transformative power of professional development and training to generate systemic change within museums of all types and sizes.
- Museums for America - Supports museums of all sizes and disciplines in strategic, project-based efforts to serve the public.
- National Leadership Grants for Museums - Support projects that address critical needs of the museum field and that have the potential to advance practice in the profession to strengthen museum services for the American public.
Learn more | | | | | Preservation League Announces Call for Nominations for 2025-2026 Statewide Seven to Save Program The Preservation League has been helping New York State communities retain, rehabilitate, and reuse threatened sites through its Seven to Save Endangered Sites Program since 1999. Building on partnerships with groups and individuals, Seven to Save listing has been a key catalyst to the successful revival of dozens of buildings, downtowns, neighborhoods, and landscapes endangered by threats such as lack of regulatory protections, neglect, imminent demolition, and incompatible development. This Call for Nominations will result in the listing of seven at-risk sites. Sites selected for the Seven to Save program will receive enhanced attention from the Preservation League’s experienced advocacy and technical assistance staff from January 2025 through December 2026. The League remains active with Seven to Save sites beyond their initial listing as needed. Nominations should reflect the Empire State’s diverse people and places. As New Yorkers prepare to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, nominations are encouraged for sites that reflect the state’s full history; its social, cultural, and economic diversity; and its extraordinary heritage of architecture and design, including all property and building types, from vernacular to high style. Program goals, benefits, nomination criteria, and a link to submit a nomination can be found at preservenys.org/seven-to-save The 2025-2026 listing will follow the League’s 25th Anniversary Seven to Save Retrospective that has taken place throughout 2024. The last biennial listing covered 2022-2023. Priorities for inclusion on the 2025-2026 Seven to Save list are: - Historic places important to communities who are historically underrepresented within preservation, including, but not limited to, places associated with women, immigrants, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, Black Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, and LGBTQ+ communities.
- Historic places directly threatened by the impacts of climate change.
- Historic places that have a direct connection to the nation’s Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) in 2026, including places that help tell the story of social change and the fight for civil rights, since the nation’s founding.
The nomination deadline is Friday, November 1, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Questions can be directed to the League’s Director of Preservation Caitlin Meives via email: cmeives@preservenys.org.
| | | Sign up to be a 2025 Museum Grant Review with the Institute of Museum and Library Services Reviewing grant applications can be a great professional development opportunity, offering you the chance to share your personal expertise and read about a wide range of fascinating projects from museums across the country. Basics for Reviewing: - Former museum grant reviewers should indicate their interest in serving again by completing the application form.
- Your service as a reviewer would take place within a 3- to 5-week period between February and May 2025.
- Program staff may select applicants to participate as either a field or panel reviewer. Field reviewers work virtually and independently. Panel reviewers complete their reviews virtually and also participate in a meeting that may be held virtually or in-person at IMLS offices in Washington, D.C.
- If your organization applies for a grant in the same fiscal year, you may still serve as a reviewer and will not review your organization’s application.
- On average, reviewers receive 7 to 12 applications, which may take approximately 1 hour each to review.
- Reviewers are eligible to receive an honorarium of either $300 or $500 for their service, depending on the type of review. The Office of Museum Services also pays travel expenses for panel reviewers.
Learn More: Want to learn more about serving as a museum grant reviewer? Watch this short Webinar for Potential Museum Reviewers. What’s Next: Apply to be a museum grant reviewer by clicking the Learn More button below. Enter your information and upload your current resume in PDF format. This information allows us to match applications with reviewers who have the appropriate expertise. The application deadline is Friday, December 6, 2024. Learn more | | | AASLH American 250 Programming Handbook Now Available The American Association for State and Local History is pleased to announce the publication of the 250th Anniversary Program Handbook, our latest resource to help state and local history organizations prepare for the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. This publication features more than 30 low-cost program ideas specifically geared towards smaller organizations to provide them with practical program suggestions they can use. The handbook includes ideas for: - K – 12 and youth programs
- Inviting your community to share their stories and learn from each other
- Expanded tour offerings
- Reimagining exhibitions
- Social and digital media
- Civic engagement
- History-themed gatherings
In addition, the handbook also includes: - A checklist with steps on how to design audience-centered programs that align with your mission
- Advice on how to ensure that everyone in your community sees their history represented at your organization
- Recommendations on collaborating with other organizations or groups in your community
AASLH is thankful for the support of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, which has made this resource possible. You can find additional resources to help you prepare for the 250th at aaslh.org/250. Learn more | | | | | | | What's happening at your museum? How is your museum growing institutional resources, including welcoming new staff and board members and securing funding for projects, how is your museum working with their community and visitors; and how we use our exhibitions and collections in new ways. Share your news by emailing meves@nysmuseums.org | | | | | |
