OMA 2021 Virtual Conference Program

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2021 OMA Virtual Annual Conference Brochure

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Program Highlights

2020 OMA Awards

OMA Awards sponsored by: Museum Acrylics, Co.
Join us for the premier event of the OMA 2021 virtual conference, Sunday April 11 from 7:00 pm-8:30 pm! OMA is proud to celebrate our 
2020 Visual Communication and Award of Achievement winners during this live event. Don your best awards show looks (or your comfiest pajamas) and join OMA Master of Ceremonies, Board President Jason Crabill, as we recognize the outstanding achievement of Ohio museums and museum professionals.

OMA 2021 Opening Night Reception -  by Ohio's EMP Chapters

Join your fellow conference attendees at this virtual opening night after-party, Sunday April 11 from 9-10 pm! Ohio’s EMP Chapters welcome all museum pros and Emerging Museum Professionals to enjoy a virtual networking social hour at this annual conference kickoff reception.

Keynote Address

OMA Welcomes Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President of Strategic Foresight and Founding Director at the Center for the Future of Museums for our 2021 Keynote Address, presented by Ohio Humanities.

Closing the Gap: Redressing systemic inequalities of wealth and power

Wealth inequality in the US has been increasing for the past fifty years, built on structures and systems that restrict access to assets and power, and inflict the costs of our economic systems on marginalized communities. Museums are being called to account for their role in profiting from and perpetuating these inequalities.

Despite the difficulty of the challenge, the current crisis is an opportunity for museums to act as leaders in society, demonstrating how organizations can transform themselves by applying social justice values to their own work, and by using their influence to increase the power and authority of others.

This talk shares stories and analysis from the 2021 edition of the American Alliance of Museum’s TrendsWatch report.

Conference Sessions

Monday, April 12

10:30am-11:30am CONCURRENT SESSIONS MORNING I:

Scanning for Change: how to stop doom-scrolling and learn to love the news
LIVE SESSION (This session will NOT be recorded or available after the conference)
In this session, Elizabeth Merritt will lead participants through the process of creating a playful and productive structure for reading the news. Learn how to filter out stressful and unhelpful dross and focus instead on the futurist gold hidden in the stories that flood our feeds each day. By integrating scanning into their daily routine, museum staff can ground strategic planning in a broad understanding of the ways in which the future may unfold.
Speaker: Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President, Strategic Foresight and Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums

Cooking Up Engagement in a Pandemic
LIVE SESSION
Join us to learn how we adapted in person food science research to a global pandemic. From virtual cooking lessons to Sunday brunch Bloody Mary; we moved from local gardens to South America without ever leaving our homes. This discussion will help you expand or create a food science program. 
Speakers: Jacob Cason, Food Science Coordinator, Cincinnati Museum Center; Arynn McCandless, Labs and Makerspace Manager, Cincinnati Museum Center; Brian Pollock, STEM Resources Manager, Cincinnati Museum Center; Bradley Morris, Associate Professor & Program Coordinator, Kent State University; Kristen St. Clair, Director of Culinary Education, La Soupe

Reaffirming the Power of Learning: Engaging Students Through Innovative Practice
LIVE SESSION
With a change in how to engage K-12 students museums educators have to establish creative methods to develop, teach, and evaluate educational museum experiences. Virtual tours can offer an impactful and exciting way of connecting to museum collections, storytelling and inquiry-based learning. 
Speaker: Stacey Queen, Public Programs Manager; The National Veterans Memorial and Museum

12:00pm-1:30pm LUNCHEON & PLENARY ADDRESS - PRESENTED BY OHIO HUMANITIES

OMA Welcomes Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President of Strategic Foresight and Founding Director at the Center for the Future of Museums
LIVE EVENT

Closing the Gap: Redressing systemic inequalities of wealth and power

Wealth inequality in the US has been increasing for the past fifty years, built on structures and systems that restrict access to assets and power, and inflict the costs of our economic systems on marginalized communities. Museums are being called to account for their role in profiting from and perpetuating these inequalities.

Despite the difficulty of the challenge, the current crisis is an opportunity for museums to act as leaders in society, demonstrating how organizations can transform themselves by applying social justice values to their own work, and by using their influence to increase the power and authority of others.

This talk shares stories and analysis from the 2021 edition of the American Alliance of Museum’s TrendsWatch report.

2:00pm-3:00pm CONCURRENT SESSIONS AFTERNOON I: 

The Virtual Museum in the Time of COVID-19
LIVE SESSION
The uncertainty of travel and in-person events has forced entire industries to rethink their business models & processes. Frequently, we feel unprepared and rushed to come up with solutions—solutions that lack the impact of an in-person experience. How can artists and museums continue to champion the arts through these times? What tools are available to showcase art in dynamic ways? How can immediate needs be met—practically and cost-effectively—while building a new foundation that can continue to serve us after Covid? How can museums tap into new opportunities that have surfaced because consumers think differently about consuming content and learning? Join us as we answer these questions and more.
Speakers: Christine Fowler Shearer, President and CEO, Fowler Artistic, LLC; Hector Cabarcas, Special Projects Director, Fowler Artistic, LLC

Reimagining the Missions of Historic Landmarks & Museums
LIVE SESSION
This session would walk participants through the Rickenbacker Woods Foundation's success in reinventing its mission from solely being the care-takers of Eddie Rickenbacker's boyhood home, a National Historic Landmark to a community service institution; thereby maintaining relevance in an ever competitive environment. 
Speaker: Michael D. Aaron, President & Executive Director, Rickenbacker Woods Foundation National Historic Landmark & Learning Center

How to Transition from Classrooms to Living Rooms
LIVE SESSION
In March 2020, our Education team’s efforts transitioned fully towards our online resource platform, Rock Hall EDU. Learn how we expanded our online target audience from just teachers to include families seeking educational activities at home. We’ll also discuss new ways we found for working with partner community organizations.
Speakers:  Joe Butler, Manager of Education Programs; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; Mandy Smith, Director of Education, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Research Informed Practices in Accessibility - Before & During COVID-19
RECORDED SESSION with live intro and moderation
This presentation will provide visitor research about the changing accessibility needs and priorities of our community. Presenters will compare perspectives from before and during the pandemic with a focus on the future. This data will be presented alongside practical action steps for inclusive interpretive programming in the COVID era.
Speakers: Sara Birkofer, Manager of Accessibility and Gallery Programming, Cincinnati Art Museum; Caitlin Tracey Miller, Assistant Director of Visitor Research and Evaluation, Cincinnati Art Museum

Tuesday, April 13

9:00am-10:00am COLLEAGUE COFFEE CHATS:

Grab your coffee (or breakfast) and join your colleagues in breakout rooms by departments/job titles to have candid, informal conversations around the issues important to you and your career! This year's topics include:

      • Strategic Planning
      • Turning DEAI training into actual actions
      • Board relations
      • I have a museum degree…now what?
      • Does your budget reflect your mission?
      • Effective Evaluation - from pre-to post
      • Engaging Donors
      • Museum self-care and work/life balance in a post-COVID world

10:30am-11:30am CONCURRENT SESSIONS MORNING II:

Travel Trends and Capturing Visitors
LIVE SESSION
With frequent traveler behavior and sentiment changes as we work through COVID, learn what you need to know about visitation trends, opportunities and challenges. Session will cover leisure as well as group travel.
Speaker: Melinda Huntley, Executive Director, Ohio Travel Association

Engaging Your Community with Collaborative Exhibits
LIVE SESSION
Museums thrive when we engage our communities, and participatory exhibits foster deeply meaningful experiences. In this session, we’ll look at a case study and talk about how you can collaborate with your community in the exhibits process, ways to engage audiences, and lessons learned. Bring your own tips to share!
Speakers: Jeannette Rooney, Assistant Director, Local History Services, Indiana Historical Society; Julie Parke, Director, Elkhart County Historical Museum; Patrick McGuire, Curator of Education, Elkhart County Historical Museum

Virtual Teacher Professional Development
LIVE SESSION
Learn how the Cincinnati Art Museum pivoted from in-person teacher professional development programs to an online model. Hear about the new structure, time-frame and ways to keep teachers engaged on and off the screen.
Speaker: Samantha Gaier, Associate Director of School-Based Learning, Cincinnati Art Museum

Missing History of Massillon: Unheard African-American Stories
Speakers present for introduction and live Q&A, RECORDED SESSION
With racial inequity in the museum field becoming more transparent, Massillon Museum embraced opportunities to engage members of the African-American community in a project to ensure the historical narrative we preserve and interpret is inclusive of Black voices, now and in perpetuity. Learn how this community-curated project was born, nurtured, and through collection of oral histories is working to engage all ages in the process of establishing a living archive.
Speakers: Alexandra Nicholis Coon, Executive Director, Massillon Museum; Heather Pennington, Past Chair, Massillon Museum Board of Directors, Mandy Altimus Stahl, Archivist, Massillon Museum, Daja Simpson, President, Sisterhood of Jewels Community Connections, LLC

12:00pm-1:30pm VENDOR VIRTUAL LUNCH:

Grab your lunch and learn from museum service providers from across the state and region how they can help your museum and make your job easier during this virtual exhibit hall. Attendees at the vendor virtual lunch will be eligible for great OMA prizes like free memberships and 2022 conference registrations - but you have to be present to win!

2:00pm-3:00pm CONCURRENT SESSIONS AFTERNOON II: 

We Need to Fix Us Before We Can Fix the World
LIVE SESSION
From COVID-19, ongoing racial injustice, and growing political division Museum leaders are increasingly expected to address societal issues. But, before leaders can adequately deal with the inequalities and injustices outside their doors, they need to come face to face with their own internal deficiencies.
Speakers: Michelle Epps, Executive Director, Art Therapy Studio; additional panelist(s)

"Learning Lunchboxes": An Unprecedented Model to Deliver Distance Learning to Underserved Communities
RECORDED SESSION with live intro and moderation
In recognition that education is the great equalizer, COSI has initiated bold new partnerships, with meal providers, as one example. to address the digital divide in underserved communities. “COSI Connects for All” promotes scientific discovery & in-demand career pathways through the delivery of “Learning Lunchboxes” – a physical STEM kit that includes 5 hands-on activities.
Speakers: Allie Greiwe, Director of External Affairs, COSI; Alex Wilkins, Manager of Adult Engagement Programs, COSI

Education Equity - Effective Strategies for Museums to Engage Underserved Youth and Public Servants in Urban and Rural Communities
Session Format Coming Soon
Our nation continues to face two unprecedented moments: a global pandemic and a reawakening of societal inequities. Museums play a unique role to address education equity and we must communicate this important role to the broader community. This workshop will showcase specific strategies on how to both engage underserved youth through informal education while also partnering with public officials to showcase the critical role of museums play in our community.
Speakers: Stephen White, Esq., Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, COSI; Denise F. Su, Ph.D, Chief Academic Engagement Officer, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Re/Considering Access as An Aesthetic
LIVE SESSION
In this workshop APO will educate and explore intersections of disability and how art access can be more than an invitation to your museum. After a short introduction to the history of the disability movement in connection to museums, we’ll explore active steps museums can take to creating a more inclusive experience for individuals who identify with multiple identities of systematic oppression. This access centered approach leans toward accepting a more open-ended definition of access through the understanding that access can be an aesthetic, rather than an afterthought.
Speakers: Megan Fitze, Director of Programs, Art Possible Ohio, Molly Uline Olmstead, Executive Director, Art Possible Ohio

3:30pm-4:30pm CONFERENCE WRAP-UP AND LIVE Q&A:

Join us for the final session of the OMA 2021 Virtual Conference as we wrap up the event. Separate breakout rooms will be available for live Q&A time with our session presenters for attendees to get those last questions in before the conference concludes.

 

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