Collecting More Than Objects

In my experience, museum professionals tend to have something in common: we love to collect. Sure, we work with physical objects—artifacts, art, specimens, documents—but our collecting doesn’t stop there. We collect experiences, stories, and friendships, too. We track things, we make lists, we document. It’s in our nature.

So, excuse me for getting a little personal here—I recently turned 49, and I decided to lean into that collecting instinct. I created a personal “bingo” card of 49 fun things I want to do before I turn 50. It’s a mix of new experiences, local adventures, and small joys that I want to collect along the way. You can check out my list at katyknight.com, and this coming week at the UMA Conference in Kanab, I’m excited to check off a few: eat at a new restaurant, play pickleball, and visit a new museum!

Conference Week Is Almost Here!

We’re just days away from the UMA Annual Conference, and I’m genuinely excited to spend time in beautiful Kanab with all of you.

One thing I’m especially looking forward to? Pickleball! I’ve been practicing my dinks and drop shots. 🏓 Whether you’re brand new or a seasoned player, all levels are welcome—it’s a fun, relaxed way to connect with colleagues. Don’t have a paddle? No problem. We’ll have some available, and you might just spot a few up for bid in the silent auction. 😉

We’re also thrilled to welcome Elizabeth Merritt as our keynote speaker. I remember hearing her speak years ago when our conference was in Cedar City, and I’ve never forgotten how thought-provoking and future-focused her message was. I can’t wait to hear what she brings to us this year.

Make the Most of Your Conference Experience

If you haven’t already:

• Sign up for a Wednesday morning field trip or service project.
• Check the conference program and plan which sessions you’re most excited about.
• Visit the conference registration page to make sure you’re signed up and ready.

And above all, I hope you’ll take a moment—whether it’s over a meal, in a session, or during a museum visit—to connect with someone. For me, this conference is a reminder that I’m not alone in this work. I’m part of a community of people who care deeply about informal learning, collections stewardship, and public service. When we share knowledge and resources, we amplify the impact of what we do across the entire state.

I can’t wait to see you next week. Let’s collect some memories together.

From the desk of Katy Knight | UMA Board President [2025-2026]

This year's Utah Museum Month is well underway and we have already had multiple requests for stickers from folks who have visited 5 or more museum! Be sure you are following UMA on social media (Facebook and Instagram) to learn about various participating museums. This is the third year we are sponsoring this program and we hope it is bringing more awareness and visitors to our wonderful Utah museums. Last week, Riley Lewis, from the BYU Museum of Art and a member of the museum month committee, was a guest on FOX13 to promote this fun summer program. Check out the interview here.

We hope many of you are planning to come to our annual conference this September in Kanab to learn from your colleagues and our keynote speaker, Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President for Strategic Foresight and Founding Director of the Center for the Future of Museums at American Alliance of Museums. NOW is the time to sign up as early bird registration ends TODAY (July 15)! Kanab will be a wonderful place to be in the fall and I look forward to interacting with many of you either in a program session, during a meal, or on the pickleball court!

We also challenge you to make your plan today to vote in the upcoming primary elections on August 12. Visit Vote.Utah.gov to learn about candidates and issues in your area and register or update your voter status.

From the desk of Katy Knight | UMA Board President [2025-2026]

This week the Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum hosted UMA for a Sites & Insights. In addition to exploring Utah's oldest existing governmental building we had a great discussion about how they run youth programming including overnight camps for youth groups. We even got the chance to make and eat some ash bread! 

We are just days away from the third annual Utah Museum Month that will begin on July 1. We hope your museum is participating and we encourage you to take time personally during the month to explore a museum that you are not familiar with - in a state with nearly 300 museums there are many to choose from!

July 1 will also kick off a year of events honoring the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The public is invited to join Governor Cox and Lt Governor Henderson at the Utah State Capitol at 10 am to mark the occasion. Is your museum doing programming during America's Semiquincentennial? We would love to hear about it! Respond to this email to tell us about your plans.

There are just a few more days to submit award nominations. Help us celebrate excellence in Utah museums and submit a nomination today!

Early bird registration for this year's conference is open through July 15. We are excited to announce, Elizabeth Merritt, American Alliance of Museums' Vice President for Strategic Foresight and Founding Director of the Center for the Future of Museums will be joining us in Kanab as our keynote speaker.

At times the world around us can feel chaotic and uncertain. It can be hard to know what to do to be productive and helpful. This month I am asking you to consider two opportunities:

First: I invite you to consider is participation in the National Museum Survey conducted by the Institution of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Participants will be able to access the data this summer and can see what trends and narratives are happening around the country. We’d like as many Utah museums to participate as possible so our data can be specific, relevant, and helpful. To participate you must be open to the public for at least 90 days a year. Survey responses are due March 7, 2025. Check your email to see if you received an email about the survey from IMLS or request an invitation for your museum to participate.

Second: I invite you to voice your support for the funding from the Black License Black to stay with the Utah Historical Society (see details here) &/or POPS/iSEE funding requests (see details here).

Thanks for your commitment to Utah Museums!

I want to wish everyone happy holidays as we wrap up 2024! At the close of a year, we sometimes pause and reflect on our involvement in various activities, both personally and professionally. If you are one who likes to reflect in this way and plan for the future, may I suggest that you consider your involvement in the Utah Museums Association. Did you attend the conference? Museum Exchange? Sites and Insights? Cultural Industry Advocacy Day? Participant in a P.O.D. or Museum Month? What were the benefits? How could you be more involved or engaged? Did you meet new people through any of these events or programs? As you reflect on these questions, please consider joining and connecting with us in 2025 in the way that best fits your individual needs (see website for details). We value all the museum professionals in the state of Utah and truly want to serve you. As our mission states, we seek to “build the capacity of Utah's museum community through professional development, networking, and advocacy opportunities.”

From the desk of Katy Knight | UMA Board President [2025-2026]

As the incoming president of the Utah Museums Association, I’m excited to report that we had a successful board retreat a few weeks ago in Kanab. We enjoyed staying at the famous Parry Lodge, where main casts and crews stayed while filming old movies (think John Wayne). Across the street from this lodge is the Kanab Center where our 2025 conference will be held (September 23-26).

UMA Board at the Kanab Center for the 2024 Board Retreat

(front row left to right) Emily Johnsen, Diego Velasquez, Katy Knight, Diana Call, Jami Van Huss, Ashley Clouse, Paul Stavast, Nancy Stoaks, Kylin Cummings, Raelyn Embleton, Katy Corneli, Katherine Ross

(back row left to right) Landon Wilkey, Tracey Collins, Elizabeth Nagengast-Stevens, Emily Johnson, Alana Blumenthal, Emily Bentley, Marie Desrochers

(not pictured) Alicia Cunningham-Bryant, Riley Lewis

The board spent time reviewing UMA’s strategic plan and discussing ways we can better serve the museums and all of you in this great state of Utah. I was particularly excited to get a quick tour of the Kanab Museum, located right next to the Kanab Center. We hope you all mark your calendars and plan to attend the conference next fall. The Kanab Center has a gymnasium attached and some board members (mostly me) got excited about the potential for a fun and friendly pickleball tournament during the conference (stay tuned).

Incoming Executive Committee (left to right):

Jami Van Huss (VP Professional Development), Katy Knight (President), Alicia Cunningham-Bryant (VP Governance), Landon Wilkey (VP Communications), Nancy Stoaks (VP Fundraising), Paul Stavast (VP Advocacy), Sharon Johnson (At-Large, not pictured)

Dear Utah Museums Association members and friends,

This month, I’d like to take the opportunity to talk to you about two different (but related) issues that are important to me as a museum professional, and that are important to the board of the Utah Museums Association.

We recently spent a day at the capitol, advocating for museums. This is an important annual opportunity for us to meet with our legislators, and speak to them about the issues that impact museums. We were thrilled this year when Governor Gary Herbert put $6 million in his budget for arts and museums grants. And we are grateful that the Business, Economic Development, and Labor Appropriations Subcommittee (BEDL) has prioritized this funding as 5th on their list at $3.5M. Learn more about this funding request.

We hope this important funding remains in the budget as the legislature does their work. If you haven’t yet, please speak to your legislators about this important source of funding for Utah’s museums, and how they can help ensure it makes it through the process (especially if they serve on Business, Economic Development, and Labor Appropriations Subcommittee). Read these talking points from the division outlining the why, how, and what on this important request. We also wanted to share some messaging tips to help you speak with your legislator.

Of course, your efforts to advocate for your museum should be year-round, and shouldn’t just be to your state legislators. We think of Museum Advocacy Day as the culmination of your efforts. If you haven’t started on your advocacy efforts for this year yet, make a plan, include your board, and get going!

Please mark your calendars for next year – Museum Advocacy Day will be March 10, 2020. Also another plea to help us in our continual quest to improve Museum Advocacy Day by giving us your feedback (whether you attend or not).

2019 Museum Advocacy Day Feedback  |  Did Not Attend Museum Advocacy Day Feedback 

Salary transparency is another important issue. We encourage Utah museums to share a salary range for all new hires¹ . There are a few reasons for this.

• First, increasing salary transparency removes ambiguity, and helps diminish the gender wage gap. Studies show that when there is high ambiguity, “men made $10,000 more than women on average.”² Further, “increasing transparency is low-hanging fruit. It is an easy and practical de-biasing design. Failure to do it is ethically dubious.”³ Salary transparency likewise benefits efforts to increase the diversity of museum staff.
• Second, posting salary ranges saves everyone time – candidates don’t apply for jobs that don’t meet their salary requirements, and museums don’t spend time evaluating candidates who would never accept the salary.
  
•  Third, well, there are lots of reasons, which many people have explained, including Vu Lee. I have heard some pushback from museum administrators. One particular complaint is that job candidates of a particular much-maligned generation always expect the top of the stated range, even when they have minimal relevant experience. I have seen job postings that clarify that hires are generally made on the low end of the range, which perhaps helps set expectations. But I consider this problem less disconcerting than the problems perpetuated by a lack of salary transparency.
  
  

Salary transparency is an easy step we can all take to improve equity in the museum field!

_________________________________

1 Our website cannot currently require it.
2 BOHNET, IRIS. 2018. WHAT WORKS: gender equality by design. BELKNAP HARVARD, pg 68.
3 BOHNET, pg 80. Emphasis added.

Think of a time when you felt like you didn’t belong. Perhaps you weren’t invited to a friend’s party, picked for a team, or went to a function where you didn’t know anyone. Remember what it was like to feel excluded? Every one of us has experienced the pain of not belonging at some point in our lives and, I’m certain, none of us would like to revisit those experiences or inflict that same pain on others.

Museums in Utah can be places where everyone who walks through our doors can feel a sense of belonging and find something - a story, an object, a location - with which to connect. We have such a wonderful variety of organizations in our state, from small history museums dedicated to preserving the story of Utah’s pioneers, to children’s museums dedicated to play-based learning, to large multidisciplinary museums dedicated to preserving Utah’s natural and/or artistic heritage, and so many more.  As museum people, we share a goal to be of service to our communities, to offer them opportunities to learn about the world, the west, Utah, their neighbors, and themselves. We do this by sharing those objects or experiences for which we are stewards, in our galleries, on our sites, and through our programs.

Never would we intentionally exclude any of our neighbors from engaging with us, but there may be some who don’t always feel welcome or who may not sense that they belong in our museums. Of course, there are many people in our communities that simply may not be interested in visiting our spaces – that’s ok! What I am suggesting is that there may also be those that might visit but don’t. Perhaps they don’t see themselves represented in a story or exhibit that is part of who they are or feel intimidated by the content or topics on display. Maybe it’s not feeling comfortable making a restroom choice or knowing if there will be adequate accommodation for a specific need.

We, as caring, compassionate museum people, can make a difference in our communities by ensuring that we welcome all of our neighbors. Museum people are always trying to improve, and we have the opportunity to evaluate our practices and our places, to reflect on whether or not we are being a good neighbor to all, and to make changes to create environments where the beautifully diverse people of Utah feel like they belong.

Thank you for the work you do to inspire, educate, and empower the people of Utah. I feel so very fortunate to belong to the Utah museum community.

Lorie Millward is Vice President of Design and Programming at Thanksgiving Point and currently serves as the Utah Museums Association's President.

As this is my first blog post, I want foremost, to thank you for welcoming me as your new UMA president. I am truly honored to be part of such a remarkable community. As a farm kid, I believed that museums were for people who were highly educated and more privileged than my family. In fact, the first time I remember setting foot in a museum was when, as an adult, I began working in one. I quickly discovered that museums are places where everyone is welcome and can have access to the important stories and objects that help us make sense of our respective places in the world. So, for over a quarter century, it has been my personal and professional mission to champion museums and museum people.

UMA has provided me with many opportunities to further this mission and I have grown as a result of the high quality professional development it offers. As a member of the Western Museums Association Board of Directors, I am a voice for Utah museums, representing the good work done in our state, and raising awareness of the issues that we grapple with here. As a Daughter of Utah Pioneers, I personally benefit from DUP’s efforts to preserve an important element of our community’s heritage, and as a regular museum goer, I appreciate the wide variety of interesting museums that my family can visit throughout the state.

I am appreciative of Sonja Lunde’s leadership over the past two years. She set a high standard and challenged UMA to focus on essential and achievable goals, and I will do my best to reach the high bar she set for this office as I work with the dedicated UMA Board members to serve you and your museums.

To that end, I will report on the Association’s efforts throughout the year to ensure that you are aware of the work we do on behalf of this statewide community. Our new Strategic Plan will guide UMA’s efforts over the next 4 years to strengthen Utah’s museum community; cultivate year round advocacy; deliver relevant professional development; and maintain excellence in association management.

The fast-approaching Museum Advocacy Day at the Capitol is an opportunity to make our legislators aware of the essential role that museums play in Utah’s economy; the importance of preserving and interpreting our shared heritage; and the necessity of the immersive learning experiences we provide. It is also a great time to get to know one another and to learn what is happening in museums across the state and I look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you for your continued efforts to make museums accessible and welcoming places for all people.

Conference, conference, conference… Network, network, network! Spring 2015 is certainly off to an eventful start and is chock-full of opportunities to connect, reconnect and learn from colleagues throughout the museum world.

March blew in – literally like a lion – with a blustery storm on UMA’s Museum Advocacy Day. As is seemingly a tradition for this event, it SNOWED! And for added drama, the flakes really started to fly just as many of you were arriving, parking, and loading into the Capitol Rotunda. Undeterred by the weather, our intrepid colleagues showed up with smiling faces, elaborate table displays, and ready to share their stories with elected officials. It’s always such pleasure reconnecting with colleagues while catching a glimpse of our state’s legislative process at work. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the many individuals and institutions that helped make the 2015 Museum Advocacy Day a great success! Regardless of whether or not you attended this year’s Museum Advocacy Day, I hope you’ll take a moment to write, email, or call your legislators over the coming weeks. Thank them for their support and share news from your institution; tell them how your museum contributes to the vitality of your community; and invite he/she to visit!

Though the weather may have calmed down, the calendar did not! Later in March, I was honored to be included in the Getty Leadership Institute NextGen 2015 program, an executive education program for museum leaders at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA. This month, I look forward to presenting a session and reuniting with colleagues from all over the country at the American Alliance of Museum’s Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo in Atlanta, GA. And finally, I am excited for the opportunity to see many of you at the Mountain West Arts Conference in West Valley City, UT on May 7^th… All experiences I hope to share more about in future blog posts.  Until then, I encourage you to continue building your professional network and wish you all a happy and inspiring spring!

Your friend and colleague,

Sonja Lunde

Selfie captions:

Capitol Rotunda / House of Representatives with Lorie and Carrie

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington, Vermont for the first time with my beloved niece. While exploring a new museum is always fun, experiencing the exhibitions, objects, and interactive displays through her three-year-old eyes was particularly enjoyable. We learned about land formations by playing in a topographic sand box, uncovered Beluga Whale fossils from an ancient Champlain Sea, and we learned about water currents as we skippered wooden boats down a lazy river display… It was a fun day.

Weaving through the museum displays at the hand of an enthusiastic toddler reminded me of my own early experiences visiting museums. I can clearly recall moments when a painting or object transported me back in time and otherwise elusive historical events suddenly came to life through an artist’s brushstroke or a fossil’s secrets. My childhood museum visits marked the beginning of a lifelong fascination with thinking about our natural history and social constructs through lenses only museums can provide… I could see the same seeds of wonder sprouting in my little niece.

Luckily, my brother and sister-in-law are members of this small, local institution along the shores of Lake Champlain and as such, my toddler niece has already spent countless hours there. She is well on her way to creating her own memories and inspirational museum moments, just as I did so many years ago. She is a brand-new museum lover and for that… I am so grateful.

Your friend and colleague,
Sonja Lunde, President

Sonja Lunde is the Director of Planning and Special Projects at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and currently serves as President of the Utah Museums Association Board of Directors. With over fifteen years of nonprofit experience, she is a versatile administrator skilled at defining vision and achieving goals.

Photo caption:
Selfie with Gia / Gia Floats Boats
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center – Burlington, VT

The whirlwind of midterm election season has drawn to a close and with it brings possible change in representation of your museum’s district. What might this mean for your museum and why does it matter? Simply put, building relationships builds advocacy. Knowing our elected officials leads to increased awareness, which in turn encourages and strengthens public and legislative support for our arts and culture institutions… All good things!

Now is a great time – before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season – to familiarize yourself with your museum’s legislative delegation. Has a new representative or senator been elected to your museum’s district? Do you know which incumbents will be returning to Capitol Hill? Loads of information can be found at www.le.utah.gov. From this site, you can use the search function “who represents me?” at the bottom of the page to discover everything you need to know about your museum’s legislative district and delegation. From there, further information can be found by following direct links to individual legislator pages as well as county clerk offices. I encourage you to explore the website and reach out to your newly elected and/or returning officials.

Lastly, as we begin to prepare our menus and shopping lists for the upcoming holiday, I will leave you with this month’s “President’s Pic”, snapped at the UMFA in front of James T. Harwood’s Preparations for Dinner (1890). It is my privilege to contribute to Utah’s rich and wonderful museum community and I am grateful every day to be surrounded by such inspiring and lovely works of art. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving… and may all your holiday feasts be as beautiful (and delicious) as this painting!

Sonja Lunde, President

Photo caption: Selfie with Preparations for Dinner (James T. Harwood, 1890). UMFA.

Sonja Lunde is the Director of Planning and Special Projects at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and currently serves as President of the Utah Museums Association Board of Directors. With over fifteen years of nonprofit experience, she is a versatile administrator skilled at defining vision and achieving goals.

It is my pleasure to submit this first blog post as UMA’s new President. I’d like to acknowledge former Past President Ryan Paul, and extend a personal note of gratitude for his dedicated service to UMA. It has been my pleasure to work with and get to know Ryan over the past several years and while he will be missed during the daily operations of UMA activities, he will never be far removed from the heart of Utah’s museum community. I’d also like to acknowledge and welcome my friends and colleagues Jayceen Craven Walker and Lorie Millward to their new board positions as Past President and Vice President, respectively. Jayceen and Lorie are both tireless champions of Utah’s museum community and I look forward to continuing our work together.

The future depends on us… Let’s keep the conversation going!

I’m not sure where September went, but here we are half way through October with the 2014 Annual Conference already behind us! It was a fantastic week of learning, exploring, and networking in Cedar City – with field trips booked to capacity, sessions delivered to standing-room-only audiences, and a roster of special events highlighting the town’s multitude of cultural and historical offerings. Like many of you, I was inspired by Elizabeth Merritt’s exciting keynote address, in which she dared each of us to imagine a bold future for museums. I urge you to keep the conversation going… Dust off that stack of business cards you collected at the conference and make a quick phone call or send a short email. Reach out to your new colleagues on LinkedIn, “like” UMA’s Facebook page, or subscribe to our blog! Maintaining a strong professional network and sense of community is vital to the continued growth and success Utah’s museums. Your support and participation is essential and I look forward to working with each of you to fulfill our collective potential. Together, our future looks very bright indeed!

Sonja Lunde, President

Sonja Lunde is the Director of Planning and Special Projects at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and currently serves as President of the Utah Museums Association Board of Directors. With over fifteen years of nonprofit experience, she is a versatile administrator skilled at defining vision and achieving goals.

It’s September!!! School is back in session, the days are getting shorter, the leaves are changing and the UMA conference in Cedar City is coming up fast—September 30 through October 2.

The conference committee has been working hard all year on our annual meeting and it will be one for the record books. Make sure to register for the conference, book your room at the Crystal Inn and as a special treat we are able to attend two wonderful shows at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for half off!  I for one am thrilled to see the shows since I was an actress for two seasons with the Utah Shakespeare Festival while attending school at Southern Utah University.

Unfortunately, our esteemed Past President, Ryan Paul will cycle off the board at this conference. He is an incredible asset to our organizations and will be sorely missed. With Paul’s departure this means that I will be moving to Past President, Sonja Lunde will be moving from Vice President to President and Lorie Millward will be moving to Vice President.

It has truly been and an honor and a privilege to be your President and represent you and your organizations for the last two years. Sonja has a great vision for the UMA as we move forward and I for one am happy to help in whatever way I can for my last two years on the board.

As always, I’m going to ask you if you have determined who is running for election and re-election this coming November. There will be lots of changes on Utah’s Capitol Hill this coming January so make sure you and your organization are ahead of the curve by contacting those that are running for office and introduce yourself, your organization and determine what their opinion is of your organization and funding. This suggestion includes not only your state and federal delegation but your city and county as well.

See you in Cedar City!

Your humble President,

Jayceen

Jayceen Craven Walker serves as President of the the Utah Museums Association. She has worked with Utah nonprofit groups and government organizations for over 19 years and is an influential advocate for museums in the state.

It’s August and Congress is in recess and in their home districts. The week of August 9-16 is AAM’s Invite Congress to Your Museum Week. Have you invited them to visit your facility? Even if the Congressperson isn’t able to visit be sure to invite one of their staff members. More often than not their staff member can have more of a positive impact on your federal representative.

The UMA Program Development Committee is hard at work preparing for our annual conference, “Storytelling for the Future,” in Cedar City, September 30-October 2, 2014. A special addition has been added to our conference in that you can purchase tickets to the Utah Shakespeare Festival shows for the time we are there at a discount. Take advantage of the discounted tickets and see some amazing shows.

Through the generosity of the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Office with funding from the State of Utah we are able to offer a number of scholarships to the 2014 UMA Conference. The application deadline is August 20, 2014. Find application details here.

Each year the Utah Museums Association presents awards to honor individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to Utah Museums. Nominations will be accepted from July 1 - August 15, 2014. You still have a couple of days to submit your nominations!

Each year UMA hosts a fundraising silent auction in conjunction with our annual conference. All proceeds support programs that help build the capacity for museums across our state. Please consider donating an item to the silent auction and come to the conference ready to bid!

Information on scholarships, awards criteria and the silent auction can be found at www.utahmuseums.org.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and I’ll see you in Cedar City the end of September!

Jayceen Craven Walker serves as President of the the Utah Museums Association. She has worked with Utah nonprofit groups and government organizations for over 19 years and is an influential advocate for museums in the state.

I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day, Mother’s/Father’s Day and are ready for a busy summer.

At this time of the year, we as museum folks shift our focus from school groups to tourists. For a lot of us, the summer season can provide most of our numbers and financial support. If you don’t already have one, consider a “Donations Accepted” jar at your visitor’s services desk or entrance. 

I also want to remind you to have a guest register or comments book for your visitors. If someone has a transformative experience at your location you want to be able to use what they have to say, and in some cases, talk more to the visitor about their experience or history. These are great to use when talking to your legislators whether they are on the local, state or federal level.

Speaking of legislators, the primaries are over and all across the state candidates are gearing up for the midterm election in November. Do you know who is running in your district? Have you introduced yourself to them? Invited them to your facility? Asked them their opinion about museums? You have incredible power as we head to the fall elections. Make sure whoever is running is supportive of your organization.

Lastly, speaking of the fall, I hope you are making plans to join us in Cedar City for the annual conference. It will be an amazing conference in an amazing place (I might be biased since I graduated from SUSC), with wonderful sessions and attendees!

 

Jayceen Craven Walker serves as President of the the Utah Museums Association. She has worked with Utah nonprofit groups and government organizations for over 19 years and is an influential advocate for museums in the state.

I had the honor of representing the UMA at the Mountain West Conference for the Arts May 1 and at the Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums (CWAM) May 8-10 in Cody, Wyoming.
I met both the President and Vice-President of CWAM at the Museums Convening event Ruth and I attended in Bentonville, Arkansas in March. Caty Lewis, Vice President of CWAM was at one the tables and we were talking about Utah and how well our museums advocate for their organizations and the success we have had with our legislators.

I was asked to be the Plenary Speaker and give my Advocacy 101 presentation which I was happy to do. I also assisted with their Thought Cafe and the concluding session on the nuts and bolts of advocacy.

I received many positive comments about my session and discussions continued throughout the three days with many organizations from small volunteer museums up to the largest in Colorado.

Colorado has a scaled down version of Museum Advocacy Day on the Hill like we do, but Wyoming is behind the curve and has committed to become more involved. It's a wonderful honor to have the UMA recognized for our member contributions and active participation in their advocacy.
Speaking of which, the primary elections are over or will be soon, so make sure you are aware of who is running for office, up and down the food chain (i.e. PTA, School Board, City, County, State and Federal) and what their opinions are of your museum.

On another note, I am no longer with Pathway Associates and am using the consulting business I set up when I left the planetarium. You can email me at jcraven@allwest.net and find me on FB under Jayceen Craven Walker Consulting Inc. My contact information is:
Jayceen Craven Walker
Government Relations and Advocacy
Jayceen Craven Walker Consulting Inc.
jcraven@allwest.net
801-597-5018 cell

As always I am your grateful for your support and the wonderful things you do for your constituency.

Jayceen Craven Walker serves as President of the the Utah Museums Association. She has worked with Utah nonprofit groups and government organizations for over 19 years and is an influential advocate for museums in the state.

Our trip out was very exciting. The flight to Houston was uneventful, but our connecting flight from Houston to Fayetteville was delayed, delayed…and then cancelled. While standing in line for customer service we met three other people who were trying to get to the conference as well. We went up to the counter en masse to see what could be done. After exploring the options (which weren't good), we decided to rent a vehicle and drive the TEN hours to Bentonville. We arrived in Bentonville at 3:15 am, went to bed at 3:30 am, were up at 6:30 and headed to the airport to pick up our luggage, and made the conference at 9:15.

In attendance, there were 80 representatives from 44 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and a handful of IMLS and AAM staff members—all there to determine the state of museum associations. The two and a half day retreat was very beneficial in learning that we are not alone in our struggles and most of us are experiencing the same issues. We worked in small groups to identify who our stakeholders are and possible partnership opportunities. We also shared our successes and challenges in meeting the needs of our members.

One of the major strengths of UMA is our advocacy at all levels. Many other states don't have an Advocacy component to their associations.

Because of our attendance at this convening and my experience in Advocacy, I have been asked to be the plenary speaker at the Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums (CWAM) Conference in Cody, WY on May 8. I am honored to be asked, and will look forward to representing the Utah Museums Association and our wonderful organizations! Look forward to my blog post which will cover the CWAM conference.

As always, make it a great day!!!!

Jayceen Craven Walker serves as the Utah Museums Association President. She has worked with Utah nonprofit groups and government organizations for over 19 years and is an influential advocate for museums in the state.

Photo Credit: Jayceen Craven Walker. Jayceen and Ruth traveling with new museum friends!

Undoubtedly, the proverb refers to actual travel, probably on foot. Imagine going alone through the African savanna. With no one else to slow you down, you can probably move quickly, but how far will you make it when you run into trouble? Illness, injury or predators can stop you in your tracks. With another person or a group, you can protect each other and help get each other out of sticky situations. You may move more slowly, but you’ll get where you’re going.

How does this apply to our work in museums? Some things are certainly worth doing alone if speed is of the essence. It takes time to form committees, hold meetings, discuss plans, etc. Sometimes you’re under pressure to complete a project, and sometimes it’s just a matter of getting a bunch of small tasks done so you can clear the slate for a larger task.

If you really want to make significant and meaningful progress on a project, however, the best thing you can do is to work together, either forming a team internally, recruiting volunteers to help, or collaborating with another organization. Just one other person can make a difference, even if all they do is act as a sounding board for your ideas and plans. Sure, it’s possible to research, plan, design and install an exhibit by yourself, but working with others on the exhibit, you will produce a much better exhibit. You will learn what parts aren’t as interesting as you first thought, you’ll discover a resource you weren’t aware of, and someone will show you a more effective way of displaying that piece.

We have an amazing opportunity coming up that none of us should pass on. What better place and time to network with other museum folk, discuss ideas, and form partnerships than at the 2013 WMA/UMA conference in Salt Lake City? This is a great opportunity to learn from other attendees. If you want your museum to “go far,” don’t go it alone. Network and collaborate.

First off, I would like to say thank you for your vote of confidence as I assume the mantle of President of the UMA Board for the next two years.

The ever-colorful Ryan Paul will continue on as Past-President for the same time period, and I am extremely grateful to have his continued wisdom and experience.

Sonja Lunde, Manager of Special Projects at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, became Vice President, Wendy Stuart Ashton and Carrie Snow, from the LDS Church History Museum are the Secretary and Treasurer, respectively and our ever capable and amazing Ruth White is our Executive Assistant.

The UMA board and staff are very appreciative of the Keynote speakers, presenters, panelists and most of all YOU for attending our annual conference, Celebrate Heritage/Strengthen Community, October 1-3 in Salt Lake at the Fort Douglas Officers’ Club.

Next year’s conference will be a collaborative effort with the Western Museums Association and will also be held in Salt Lake. The dates of the conference will be October 9-12, 2013. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer.

The UMA Board would like to thank our Benefactor and Sponsoring Partners that included: CBIZ and Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C., Institute of Museum and Library Services, Natural History Museum of Utah, Utah Division of Arts and Museums, Utah Humanities Council, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake County-Zoo, Arts and Parks, Cache Valley Visitor’s Bureau, Central Point Systems, LogiTrans, Map-n-Tour, and Pathway Associates. The conference would not have been anywhere near as successful were you not involved. We hope that you will join us again for the 2013 conjoined conference.

Two UMA members cycled off the board as their terms came to a close, Bob Voyles and Kerri Wilde from Fort Douglas Military Museum. We appreciate their volunteer service to the museum community and are thankful for their ongoing contributions.

Don’t forget to contact your legislators (newly elected and re-elected) as soon as you can in preparation for Museum Advocacy Day on the hill, February 28, 2013.

Our museums provide education to inform tourists about Utah’s heritage and strengthen our communities. We are economic development and tourism drivers for visitors to our state. As Ryan’s blog stated, “One message we have struggled to communicate is how much money our institutions actually contribute to local economies. I would highly recommend that you spend some time tracing the dollars that flow through your institution, and I think you might be surprised how great of an impact you have.” This information is one of the things we would like to convey to our legislators on February 28.

I will be traveling around the state and offering my Advocacy 101 training for UMA members. I presented this training in Delta and in Carbon/Emery this fall and am planning to do so in other parts of the state in 2013. More information and dates will be posted on our website in the calendar area.

Once again, thank you for your vote of confidence. We have an amazing group of UMA board members, staff and museums in the state. I look forward to representing you over the next two years.

Jayceen Craven Walker
UMA President

Although I am a little overweight, as Elvis was in his last years that is where the physical comparison ends. However, like Elvis, I am beginning the words of my own closing song. It has been nearly two years since I became the President of the Utah Museums Association, and in October I will step aside and Jayceen Craven-Walker will lead the organization to what I believe will be new heights. During my tenure, we upgraded the website, streamlined our conference process, and introduced new bylaws that will allow our organization to move forward in an unencumbered manner.

The board of the Utah Museums Association has been a constant advocate for our membership throughout the state. I wish that you could see how much the people I work with in this organization care about the conditions of our museums and, what I believe is more important, the people who run them. After all, without you, all of this would be for naught, and our great state would become a cultural wasteland.

Frontier Homestead State Park, my museum, is located right next to the Cedar City Cemetery and I often spend some time walking through that amazing space thinking about the stories of those who are interred there. I walk down tree-lined paths flanked on both sides by pioneer headstones, hand carved names and dates on their surface. What I have come to realize is how in some ways, this experience is unsatisfactory. I want to know more than birth and death. The most relevant part to me is the dash, the space in between the numbers. That is where the story is, and to be completely frank, I have never been good with numbers.

Friends, our museums, the stories we tell, are the “dash” of our state. We, along with a variety of other arts and cultural institutions define what “Utah” really is. Our history, our heritage, our culture, our STORY proves our humanity. These things shape who we are as a people and makes our state attractive to others and incidentally, increases the financial bottom line. One message we have struggled to communicate is how much money our institutions actually contribute to local economies. I would highly recommend that you spend some time tracing the dollars that flow through your institution, and I think you might be surprised how great of an impact you have. See, money and culture, Utah’s museums really provide it all.

Finally, two years ago I made a commitment to visit all the museums in the state. I am sorry to say I have not made it to all of you and I hope you will allow me to continue my visits until I reach my goal. You will still have me around, as I will serve as Past-President for a while. We have some big things on the horizon, and while it may seem challenging at times, I am extremely hopeful that all will be well. Our organization has phenomenal membership and we continue to bring in more every day.  Our membership and our board are an inspiring lot, and I would encourage you to get involved and prove how important the “dash” really is. By the way, if you have not seen “Blue Hawaii” recently, it is worth a viewing, especially when Elvis sings “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”

I was asked by Amanda Arthur at the USU Museum of Anthropology to present at one of their “Saturdays at the Museum” events.  These programs include a speaker and family friendly activities based around a theme.  They produced a schedule of topics ranging from Pirates to Forensic Science, Jazz to Chocolate, and Disability Awareness to honoring Utah Veterans.  My assigned subject was “Exploring the World of Comic Book Heroes,” which is an academic interest and to be honest, a hobby of mine.  I can’t speak to the success of the presentation, but the activities the museum provided were on the spot.  Seeing an organization involve the community in such a way and provide a service that meets their mission is exciting.

My trip up North also gave me an opportunity to attend the Utah Heritage Foundation conference.  The pre-conference workshop with Dr. Estevan Rael Galvez, an officer with the National Trust for Historic Presentation, was inspiring.  He spoke about the power of history and the way we use it to build community, create a sense of place, and engineer the future.  The workshop encouraged us, and to a larger extent the museum community, to focus on fiscal sustainability, structural integrity, and programmatic quality.  He invited us to be innovative, imaginative, and creative in designing our stories and the way in which we tell them.

Dr. Galvez primarily spoke about historic sites, but I think his points are applicable to most museums when he said, “We should think about historic sites (or museums in general) as a living laboratory for preservation, history, design, or an incubator for whatever issue is core to the site.”  I encourage you to rediscover what your core issues are and evaluate how effectively you are communicating them to your visitors.  This workshop really got me thinking, and I would love to bounce some ideas off anyone who would care to.  You can contact me at ryanpaul@utah.gov or (435) 586-9290.

I also had a chance to attend the Salt Lake educators meeting.  This is a group of museum educators in the Salt Lake area who meet monthly to discuss relevant topics and issues they are dealing with and share ideas with one another.  It proved refreshing to sit in a room with people who are passionate about what they do and are not shy in their love of education.  Seeing committed people like that group is one of the things I love about working in museums.  I would encourage you to look around your area and see if you can create a group like this.  Also look to the UMA website to become involved with our statewide community.

Two more quick pitches:  1) If you have not been to the Springville Museum of Art in a while, repent and go.  The education team, under the leadership of Jessica Weiss, has put together a way cool family friendly exhibit about art and animals.  Plus, that is where I really learned how to love and hate a painting.  2) Stop by the ISDUP in Salt Lake.  I had not been in there since I was a boy and was blown away by the changes.  Be sure however, if you take your scouts, to have the fire lecture and secure their matches.

The logistical tasks were Herculean, and Wendi Hassan, Jayceen Craven-Walker, and Ruth White, along with their accompanying boards, carried them out flawlessly.  Not only did these folks have to coordinate the arrival and departure of a menagerie of museums, they had to create legislative timetables to get the participants to the right place at the right time.  Many Senators and Representatives also toured the myriad of exhibits that were set up in the rotunda.  It is vital to the success of all our institutions that the message of our importance and relevance is communicated to our elected representatives.

I am amazed at the diversity of museums in our state.  In the rotunda we had displays from art, history, and science museums from every corner of Utah.  We even had live animals.  I am always excited to see what The Living Planet Aquarium, Tracey Aviary, and the Hutchings Museum of Natural History will bring.  Additionally, I enjoy visiting with my peers from throughout the state.  Other than the UMA Conference, which by the way is looking amazing this year, Museum Day is the largest gathering of museum professionals in Utah.  I learned that the Kimball Art Center in Park City is expanding into an additional structure that will further enhance their collection and looks way cool.  I also learned that the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is opening an awesome exhibit of racecars of the Bonneville Salt Flat variety, and that it is possible to bring a full-size buggy into the capitol.  I also had a pretty good hamburger in the cafeteria.

Museum Day 2013 will be held on February 12 and there will be more information to follow.  In partnership with the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, the Utah Museums Association will be providing additional training on advocacy and how best to communicate your message to local and state leaders.  Both groups are committed to your success. Please remember that the work you do is important, valuable, economically viable, and relevant.  I would encourage you to visit the following link to see a video and slideshow about Museum Day 2012.http://arts.utah.gov/things_to_do/events/museum_day_legislature.html

Thanks to the staff at the Utah Division of Arts and Museums for creating this piece.  I especially like the talent chosen to open the video.  I wonder what he is doing now?