We are excited to announce that we have extended the proposal deadline for our 2019 conference! The WV Association of Museum’s Annual conference “Falling Into Rank – Discovering our Military History” will take place March 28th through March 31st in Kingwood, WV.
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the WV Museum Community, submit a proposal today to museumsofwv@gmail.com, download this Proposal Form and send in your great ideas today!
We are pleased to announce that the West Virginia Association of Museums’ annual meeting and conference will be held March 28-31, 2019, in Kingwood, West Virginia.
The theme of our 2019 conference is “Falling into Rank: Discovering our Military History!” As we move past World War I’s centennial and approach anniversaries of modern wars, it is important to reflect on our collective military history, whether for West Virginia or the United States broadly. Interpreting military artifacts and monuments has increasingly become more difficult, especially those pertaining to the Civil War. We hope our conference will be an opportunity to collaborate and discuss unique and considerate ways to remember our military history, veterans, and their impact on society and culture.
We are now accepting proposals for papers, presentations, workshops, exhibits, and poster sessions addressing our theme, “Falling into Rank: Discovering our Military History!” As always, we are also accepting sessions which focus on collections care and management, interpretation, non-profit management, grant writing, exhibit design, fundraising, and emergency preparedness – as well as proposals which address materials conservation, history, and preservation-related issues. We especially encourage hands-on sessions that will teach our members new skills. Don’t worry if your idea does not fit into one of the categories above–just reach out to us if you have any questions or ideas about a topic. You can email us at museumsofwv@gmail.com or call Bekah Karelis at 304-830-3485.
The 2018 conference schedule has been announced! From our pre-conference tours to evening meals to our 18 sessions to our keynote to our snack times, everything is in there! Go to our conference page on our website to download it. We look forward to seeing many of you at conference!
The West Virginia Association of Museums is pleased to announce our keynote speaker for our annual conference in Charleston, WV on March 22-24, 2018: Nancy Moses, the chair of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC). Nancy began her career as a Program Chief at the National Endowment for the Humanities and then went on to top management positions at WQED-Pittsburgh Public Broadcasting, the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Philadelphia Studies, and the City of Philadelphia.
As an independent consultant, and through her firm, Collaborations, Inc. Nancy has helped clients create heritage tourism entities and digital learning labs; launch international, environmental and civic initiatives; and establish new philanthropies. Her clients range from government, foundations, and national cultural treasures to community-based heritage, economic development, and service organizations.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Nancy Moses has lived in Philadelphia since 1976, where she has been active in numerous boards and civic initiatives. She holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in American Studies from The George Washington University.
Her first book, Lost in the Museum: Buried Treasures and the Stories They Tell, “takes the reader behind the ’employees only’ doors to uncover the stories buried―along with the objects―in the crypts of museums, historical societies, and archives.” Her second book, Stolen, Smuggled Sold: On the Hunt for Cultural Treasures, “tells the dark and compelling stories of iconic cultural objects that were stolen, smuggled or sold, and eventually returned back to their original owner.” Both books will be available for sale following the keynote address.
The keynote address will take place the first day of the conference, March 22, in Charleston, WV. Location and time will be announced soon. The keynote is free and open to the public; however, the rest of the conference requires registration.
On March 21, 2018, the day before our annual conference begins, WVAM will hold its pre-conference tours! Our first visit will be J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works in Rand, WV. Our next stop is the town of Malden, which is full of history associated with the life of Booker T. Washington, the salt industry, and slavery in the Mountain State. The day will conclude with a buffet-style dinner and evening program at the historic Craik-Patton House in Charleston with a special guest speaker (to be announced soon). Registration is limited to only 30 participants and costs only $30. Register here.
Join WVAM as we build our museum community and take over Charleston! Communities are ever expanding entities; people come and go, interests change over time, and new ideas and time-tested tactics must come into play to both maintain and build relationships. By strengthening our community ties, whether within our organization, county, state, or nationally, we can better serve as stewards and advocates for culture, science, and history.
We are now accepting Session Proposals for our 2018 Conference. Please fill out the downloadable form below and return a digital copy to museumsofwv@gmail.com or mail your form to
West Virginia Association of Museums
P.O. Box 4589
Morgantown, WV 26504
Deadline for proposals is October 15th.
