coming up in Affiliateland in April 2016

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shiftingPENNSYLVANIA
Rex Ellis, associate director for curatorial affairs at the National Museum of African American History and Culture will deliver the keynote talk at the Shifting Narratives symposium, to be held at the African American Museum in Philadelphia in partnership with the National Park Service, 4.16.

GEORGIA
Smithsonian staff from the National Zoo, National Portrait Gallery and more will speak as part of the People, Passion and Purpose event to be held at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, 4.19.

WASHINGTON
Smithsonian Acting Provost Richard Kurin will speak on the Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem at the Northwest Museum of Art and Culture in Spokane, 4.21.

Everyone Eats! South Dakota's Food Heritage history conference in Pierre in April.

Everyone Eats! South Dakota’s Food Heritage history conference in Pierre in April.

RHODE ISLAND
Jeff Post, curator at the National Museum of Natural History, will give a public talk on the Hope Diamond and other gems in the National Gem Collection at the Rhode Island Historical Society in Providence, 4.28.

SOUTH DAKOTA
Susan Evans McClure, Director of the American Food History Project at the National Museum of American History will deliver the keynote talk at the 2016 History conference sponsored by the South Dakota State History Museum in Pierre, 4.29.

what’s up in Affiliateland in March 2016

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CONNECTICUT
Roger Connor, Curator at the National Air and Space Museum, will present a talk on “By the Stars to Victory: Making Aerial Celestial Navigation Practical Between the World Wars” as part of the Stars of the Smithsonian lecture series at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, 3.3.

PENNSYLVANIA
The traveling exhibition Toys of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s opens at the Heinz History Center with two artifact loans from the National Museum of American History – a toy computer from 1965 and a vintage Mr. Potato Head, in Pittsburgh, 3.4.

NATIONWIDE
Over 40 Affiliates nationwide will take place in the special edition of Museum Day Live!, offering free admission and special programming on 3.12.

Carla Dove, Program Manager at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology

Carla Dove, Program Manager at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology

NORTH CAROLINA
Carla Dove, forensic ornithologist at the National Museum of Natural History, will explain to visitors her job in identifying what types of birds collide with airplanes, and how that helps to make aviation a safer industry at the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, 3.12.

NEW MEXICO
Jeffrey Post, Curator at the National Museum of Natural History, will present a talk on the American gemstone jewelry collection at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque, 3.15.

IDAHO
The Idaho Museum of Natural History opens SITES Titanoboa: Monster Snake exhibition in Pocatello, 3.19.

Briana Pobiner of the National Museum of Natural History holds a hominid skull.

Briana Pobiner of the National Museum of Natural History holds a hominid skull.

MASSACHUSETTS
Dr. Briana Pobiner, educator at the National Museum of Natural History, will present a talk on “Ancient Appetites: What Our Ancestors Really Ate and How We Know” at Framingham State University in Framingham, 3.21.

Affiliates in the news: March edition

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Congrats to these Affiliates making news!  If you have a clipping that highlights a collaboration with the Smithsonian or with a fellow Affiliate, or a clipping that demonstrates leadership in education, innovation, and arts/culture/history/science you’d like to have considered for the Affiliate blog, please contact Elizabeth Bugbee.

A Boa constrictor skull is scaled up to the same size as Titanoboa and compared to a human skeleton using 3-D tech in the IVL. Render courtesy of Jesse Pruitt.

A Boa constrictor skull is scaled up to the same size as Titanoboa and compared to a human skeleton using 3-D tech in the IVL. Render courtesy of Jesse Pruitt.

Idaho Museum of Natural History (Pocatello, ID)
Idaho Museum of Natural History uses 3-D technology to bring Titanoboa monster snake to life
“Having the opportunity for something I made to go along with something the Smithsonian created is personally very cool,” Schlader said. “Not to mention the fact that the University of Florida made the scans of the fossil available so we can print it and actually hold a copy of a piece of this snake is just amazing.”

The Museum of Flight (Seattle, WA) and Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor (Ford Island, HI)
12 Museums for the Aviation Enthusiast

Hagley Museum and Library (Wilmington, DE)
Hagley Now Has World’s Largest Private Collection of Patent Models
The Rothschild Patent Model Collection of 4,101 one-of-a-kind models – going alphabetically from an adjustable pillow sham to a wrestling toy – builds upon 849 patent models already at Hagley and the early innovations and patents from the DuPont Company.

Space Center Houston (Houston, TX)
Space Center Houston Drives Greater Houston Economy With More Jobs
“The museum plays a vital role in the region by bringing tourism dollars and stimulating the workforce,” said the center’s President and CEO Richard E. Allen Jr. “Globally, it is inspiring creativity and innovation in people from all over the world. With our hands-on educational programs, we’re exciting young minds and inspiring them to think about a possible future career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”

Photo courtesy Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum.

Photo courtesy Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum.

Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum (Miami, FL)
Remember ‘Pac-Man’? Museum exhibit has fun with classic video games
Video games have scored their way into one South Florida art museum. Atari, PlayStation and other home systems are the main players of “The Art of Video Games” exhibit at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum Florida International University in Miami.

‘Art of Video Games’ on exhibit now at the Frost Art Museum
One take-away Rodriguez hopes students visiting the exhibit will go home with is that the museum is a fun, exciting place that asks a question: what is the role of art in your life?

FROST ART MUSEUM PRESENTS THE ULTIMATE MAN-CAVE EXPERIENCE: “THE ART OF VIDEO GAMES” EXHIBITION
On March 16, 2012, “The Art of Video Games” opened at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. The exhibition is Melissinos’ homage to the world of Marios and Sonics. For the past three years, “The Art of Video Games” has been on a cross-country adventure visiting various museums. The final stop of the tour is Miami’s Frost Art Museum.

The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU opens “The Art of Video Games”
The Art of Video Games is one of the first major exhibitions to explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking graphics, creative storytelling and player interactivity.

Smithsonian’s Video Game Exhibit Opens in Miami
Organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the exhibit and revolves around the 40-year evolution of video games, and their art expression.

The Art of Video Games” National Tour’s Final Stop in Miami
By teaming up with Florida International University’s Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum for The Art of Video Games exhibition as Presenting Sponsors, we have another great opportunity to be active in the community that is at the heart of Alienware,” said Frank Azor, General Manager of Alienware. “It was almost 20 years ago that Alienware started in Miami and even though we’ve evolved to a global community of gamers it’s great to have this incredible exhibit conclude in the South Florida community that’s been so instrumental in our success.”

A view of Above and Beyond, the new exhibit at the Saint Louis Science Center. Photo by Oscar Williams.

A view of Above and Beyond, the new exhibit at the Saint Louis Science Center. Photo by Oscar Williams.

Saint Louis Science Center (Saint Louis, MO)
Saint Louis Science Center unveils new exhibit
 “Above and Beyond” is produced by Evergreen Exhibitions in association with Boeing, in collaboration with NASA and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, and in educational collaboration with The Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Antique Automobile Club of America (Hershey, PA)
Pioneers in African American Automotive History at the AACA Museum
While learning the history, visitors can take the opportunity to assemble their own paper traffic signals, patented by Garrett Morgan, courtesy of the Western Reserve Historical Society.

Challenger Space Center Arizona (Peoria)
Challenger disaster: 30 years later
Inspired by and named for the lost shuttle, the Challenger Space Center in Peoria opened in July 2000. Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and the Challenger Learning Centers, it was the first stand-alone facility not only in Arizona, but in the entire Southwest.

 

National Museum of African American History and Culture building

Let’s welcome the Smithsonian’s newest museum to the family

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Scheduled to open on September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture will be the Smithsonian’s newest addition to its campus on the National Mall.  Activities to commemorate and welcome the new Museum are being planned around the Smithsonian, to include special events and exhibitions that celebrate the African American experience.  We’d like to get Affiliates in on the action too!

NMAAHC, November 2015.

NMAAHC, November 2015.

Is your organization planning anything special in September that might coincide with the celebration?  We’ve also been brainstorming additional ideas for Affiliates – could you host a speaker (even via webcast?), display African American objects from your collection, display a banner or postcard, help us blanket social media channels?  What other activities might be meaningful to your community that we can provide, or collaborate on, to make the opening of the Museum unforgettable?

Please send your ideas to affiliates@si.edu and thank you in advance!

kudos Affiliates! February 2016

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Congrats to these Affiliates on their recent accomplishments.

Funding

MassBay Community College and Framingham State University (Framingham, MA) have received a $5,000 grant from the Sudbury Capital Grant Fund for the new MetroWest College Planning Center. The center has been set up to improve college readiness, participation, and completion among underserved student populations and nontraditional adult learners in the region.

The National Civil War Museum (Harrisburg, PA) has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the NRA Foundation. The funds will be used to construct a new exhibit recognizing firearm manufacturers of the Civil War era that are still in operation today as well as highlighting gun safety programs and firearm education and training offered through the NRA.

Awards and Recognition

Jose Santamaria, Executive Director of the Tellus Science Museum (Cartersville, GA), was recognized with one of the most prestigious awards – Museum Professional of the Year – during the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries, for his service to the museum industry.

Leadership and Staff Changes

The Board of the American Jazz Museum (Kansas City, MO) announced that Cheptoo Kositany-Buckner has been named executive director of the museum.

The board of directors of Conner Prairie Interactive History Park (Fishers, IN) announced the hiring of Norman O. Burns II as President and CEO. Burns succeeds Ellen M. Rosenthal, who retired from the museum’s top position on January 4 after 12 years at the helm.

44th annual legal issues in museum administration conference- Affiliates receive a 30% discount

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legalissues

The Smithsonian Institution Office of General Counsel invites you to attend the forty-fourth annual Legal Issues in Museum Administration conference, to be held Wednesday through Friday, April 6-8, 2016, in Los Angeles at the Getty Center and Loews Hollywood Hotel.  Smithsonian Affiliates may use the code CX006SME for a 30% discount on tuition (in person or webcast).  Do register soon if you plan to attend in person; in 2015 the program sold out early.  Registration and conference schedule are available online:  https://www.ali-cle.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=courses.course&course_code=CX006

The planning committee, chaired by the Smithsonian, has selected an outstanding faculty from museums, the entertainment industry, private practice, and higher education in order to provide a diversity of perspectives and lively presentations, and in-person attendance could not be more appealing.  Highlights include:

  • Keynote address by Dr. James Cuno, President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust
  • Current copyright issues by David Nimmer, editor of Nimmer on Copyright
  • Guidance on publicity and privacy rights in museum collections
  • Practical sessions on hot topics: cybersecurity, diversity, mobile technologies
  • All Wednesday sessions at the Getty Center Los Angeles

Those who attend in person will have the opportunity to engage with faculty and other attendees during networking lunches and evening receptions at the Getty Center and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  We are grateful to this year’s sponsors for their support of this rich program and exciting receptions, along with complimentary transportation to and from the Getty Center and LACMA.