From the Inside Out:The Duality of Museum Advocacy

Mary GrahamBeth DeWitt

Mackenzie MassmanJames Watson

Jannelle Weakly

From the Inside Out:The Duality of Museum Advocacy

The Arizona State Museum

Culture Campaign GoalsA. Clarify to the public who we are, what culture and anthropology are, and why cultural sustainability matters.B. Articulate, renew, and communicate our commitment to public service.C. Identify and serve our communities’ needs as they relate to culture, and inspire our audiences to become actively involved in behaviors that support and sustain cultural diversity.D. Increase ASM’s visibility and relevance locally and beyond.

“Cultural institutions are either helping to create a more just society, or they

are reinforcing existing inequalities and injustices. Neutrality is not possible.”

Mark O’Neill

Externally: Foster critical thinkingPromote and encourage cultural sustainabilityPromote increased community involvement & responsible actionContribute to the cultural wellbeing of our community Inspire cultural heritage stewardship/ethic of place

Internally: Focus on audienceChallenge assumptionsIntegrate Research, Collections and Public ProgramsCreate a culture of learningClearly articulate goals, objectives and outcomesIntegrate scientific, local and traditional knowledge

Museums have a tremendous capacity for bringing knowledge to the public to help nurture a humane citizenry equipped to make informed choices in a democracy and to address the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly global society.

AAM Excellence & Equity 1992

The Culture Campaign calls for internal dialog and reflection on our notions of culture as a concept, and an exploration of our own 'corporate' culture.

To accomplish this, the Culture Campaign Task Force will sponsor a series of in-house "Culture Conversations"

•“ ASM Image & Culture as projected to the public” Historic (1993) slideshow of ASM; How others see us: Flandrau video; How do we portray ourselves to others – Beth Grindell’s R.N. presentation to community.

•“How do we see ourselves at ASM? What kind of culture do we operate in?” How does ASM's internal culture interface with the relevant vision of culture that we seek to promote as part of the Culture Campaign?

•Corporate Culture Summary Powerpoint

•Multicultural Education & Museums

•Digital Culture

•CultureSmulture

•Marketing

•The Social Underpinnings of the Concept of Culture

Culture Conversation Topics:

Viral Readers: Professional Reading Group

“Viral Readers: Reading stuff and spreading it around”Purpose:

The ASM professional reading group was formed to create a collegial learning community for professional growth. Our goal is to use professional literature and scholarship as a unifying, common experience for staff development and institutional improvement to create shared understanding and vision.

Viral Readers: Professional Reading Group

Reading and discussion for professional growth.Foster leadership & organizational self-awareness.Encourage personal & institutional improvement.Apply new knowledge to benefit ASM.

We are: We are not:Inclusive CompetitiveCross-Divisional NarcissisticReflective DidacticSupportive All-knowingCurious Disrespectful

Topics: Museum Methods & Practices and Organizational Theory with an emphasis on recent research & scholarship.

Viral Readers: Professional Reading Group

Participant Guidelines• READ the selection (!), make notes or highlight key ideas, and try to make personal

and professional connections to the readings. • Avoid monopolizing conversations and encourage quieter members to speak up.• Be respectful of each other, and avoid dismissive comments like, “That’s

ridiculous!” • Be supportive – we’re here to learn together. Think about how you can apply what

is being discussed at work.

Viral Readers: Professional Reading Group

Facilitator Guidelines• The facilitator gets the conversation rolling and keeps it on track. The facilitator is not expected to be the expert or the final word on a

topic. • The facilitator develops 8 to 10 open-ended questions for discussion. • At the beginning of each meeting, the facilitator takes a few minutes to briefly summarize the last discussion and to ask participants to

share how they might have applied what was discussed at the last meeting to their work. • The facilitators help make connections between comments. If someone is monopolizing the conversation, the facilitator may need to cut in

and allow others to have a turn to speak.• The facilitator helps to rein in tangents – this will be a fun opportunity to socialize, but conversations should be directed back to the text.• The facilitator watches the time or appoints a timekeeper. • The facilitator wraps things up at the end of the meeting with a brief summary of what was discussed.• Make it fun!

Viral Readers: Professional Reading Group

Sample Questions for discussion:1. What stood out most for you- what were some of the most provocative or important points in the reading for you?2. Do you agree/disagree with the author’s premise and why?3. I highlighted this area in the text [read excerpt] because…. Did anyone else want to comment on this part of the article?4. Did you enjoy this author & do you want to read more of his/her work?5. What personal connections did you make? Does this ring a bell in your personal or professional experience and if so, how?6. What do you think you learned from the reading?7. Does this article relate to the museum? If not, why not or how could it relate to our work or our institution? How could it inform our work?8. If you believe ‘X’ about this reading, what does that LOOK like in a museum?

Viral Readers: Professional Reading Group

Resources for finding appropriate articles:ERIC: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ Chronicle of Higher Education: http://www.chronicle.comSociety for Organizational Learning: http://www.solonline.org/aboutsol/ American Association of Museums: http://www.aam-us.org/pubs/index.cfm

Museum Yoga (Pots-asana)

• Weekly yoga class provides an opportunity for physical activity for staff that has trouble fitting it into their busy work/family schedules, or affording the cost of a class after salary cuts.

Cleveland, OHDallas, TX

Baltimore, MD

Denver, CO

Coffee with the Curators

• Monthly informal conversation, and opportunity for personal connections with visitors, in the Museum’s lobby. Topic is curator’s choice.