OMA 2023 Conference Program

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2023 OMA Annual Conference Brochure

Click here to download the OMA 2023 Conference Brochure

Program Highlights

Saturday Conference Tours

Coming to Newark-Lancaster a little early for OMA 2023? Not able to make it to the full OMA conference but still want a great OMA 2023 experience? Join us Saturday, March 25 for a full day of exploration and fun at six amazing regional museums! Learn more about the 2023 OMA Saturday Conference Tours and register here.

2023 Opening Reception - Sponsored by Ohio's EMP Chapters

Join your fellow conference attendees at this OMA 2023 opening reception! Ohio’s EMP Chapters welcome all museum pros and Emerging Museum Professionals to enjoy networking and fun at this annual conference kickoff gathering!

Sunday Conference Workshops

OMA is proud to present two Sunday Conference workshops in 2023.

Emerging Museum Professionals: Facilitating Meaningful Communication, will take place on Sunday, March 26 from 1:00-3:00 pm, and is presented by Ohio's EMP Chapters. Learn more about the OMA 2023 Sunday Conference EMP Workshop and register here.

Museums & Your Local CVBs: Partnering for Success, will take place on Sunday, March 26 from 1:00-3:30 pm, and is presented by Explore Licking County, Visit Fairfield County, and the Ohio Travel Association. Learn more about the OMA 2023 Sunday Conference EMP Workshop and register here.

Sunday Evening Museum Tours

Enjoy an evening of exploring two iconic Newark museums! Buses will leave the Cherry Valley Hotel for the Dawes Arboretum where guests can tour the Daweswood House, Archives Building, & History Center, then explore the beautiful grounds on a driving tour.

Then, we’ll head to The Works, central Ohio’s best destination for hands-on discovery with local, history, art, science, and glassblowing. Check out the interactive science labs, have an immersive experience in the SciDome planetarium, view a hot glassblowing demo, and learn about the rich history of innovation and industry in Licking County.

2022 OMA Awards

The Annual Ohio Museums Association Awards Dinner will be held at OMA 2023 HQ, the Cherry Valley Hotel. Enjoy networking with museum professionals from across the state as the Ohio Museums Association recognizes our 2022 Visual Communication and Award of Achievement winners.

Keynote Address

Presented by Ohio Humanities

OMA welcomes Stacey Halfmoon, Executive Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation for the Shawnee Tribe for our 2023 Keynote Address, Truth, trust, and museums: where do we go from here?

The identities of traditional museums are facing a defining moment. It’s a moment that can offer pause, ponderance, and one we should embrace, because, as Bob Dylan said, “the times, they are a changing” and it is always better to know what is coming and be prepared, than to be reactionary.

We have an opportunity to re-think our work and expand traditional museum roles thereby strengthening trust, relationships, and partnerships with the communities we represent and within whose neighborhoods we live.

In this address, Stacey Halfmoon (Caddo Nation) will share insights from her career working with and for Tribal Nations, as well as, serving in liaison roles at the federal and state level, to her leadership role in opening new cultural centers.

Stacey worked from 2015-2019 at the Ohio History Connection as the Director of American Indian Relations and she will share examples of tribal consultation protocols that serve as model processes for developing more meaningful partnerships based on respect.

Afternoon Keynote Leadership Workshop

Presented by Ohio Humanities

OMA welcomes  Stacey Halfmoon, Executive Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation for the Shawnee Tribe for our 2023 Afternoon Keynote Leadership Workshop, Re-think, Re-interpret, and Re-spect: A hands-on workshop for mapping out new and inclusive approaches for programs, partnerships and exhibitions.

Stacey Halfmoon will lead participants through two separate creative exercises designed to help them map out new approaches & ideas to the work we do. How can we include new community members, are we telling stories accurately, are our public programs inclusive? Some of these questions will drive the two separate workshop exercises; one a group exercise, another designed for each individual.  Concepts will be taken from the keynote delivered earlier that day and will focus on how we can use meaningful consultation to re-think why, how and for whom we do our work. 

OMA 50/50 Raffle

Get your raffle tickets for OMA’s first 50/50 raffle! Support Ohio’s museums and the work OMA does on behalf of Ohio’s museum community, and enter to win a cash prize in the process! Tickets will be available at the registration desk and with Raffle team members throughout the day. Winner will be announced during the afternoon break.

Conference Sessions

Sunday - March 26

1:00pm-3:00pm Sunday Conference Workshop
(Ticket Required—This workshop can be included as an add-on to conference registration)

Emerging Museum Professionals: Facilitating Meaningful Communication
Connect with Emerging Museum Professionals from across the state in this open dialogue between institutions & EMPs. Discussion will focus on several topics that act as barriers or concerns to full integration of EMPs into the museum field: intergenerational communication, state of the  field, the shifting economy, and organizing efforts.
Speakers:  Christopher Shanley, Lead Interpreter, Ohio Village; Tony Pankuch, Archives Assistant, Cummings Center for the History of Psychology, Amanda Davidson-Johnston, Education & Tour Coordinator, Lorain County Historical Society 

1:00pm-3:30pm Sunday Conference Workshop
(Ticket Required—This workshop can be included as an add-on to conference registration)

Museums & Your Local CVBs: Partnering for Success
Join us for an engaging conversation focused on best practices when working with local visitors bureaus. Explore national and state-wide trends in cultural tourism, and how your local CVBs can help you market your museum and community heritage to the traveling  consumer in a fun, informative package.
Speakers:  Dan Moder, Executive Director, Explore Licking County; Jonett Haberfield, Executive Director, Visit Fairfield County, Melinda Huntley, Executive Director, Ohio Travel Association

Monday, March 27

9:15am-10:15am CONCURRENT SESSIONS MORNING I:

Outwardly Focused Infrastructure: Community-centered governance through responsive responsibility
If your museum's essential documents follow a template that checks administrative boxes rather than serving the particular needs of your community and staff, you risk losing the confidence of critical constituents. Learn how to craft policies and strategies that embrace change, build trust, and forge relationships to move your institution forward.
 
Speaker: Jennifer Souers Chevraux, Principal + Founder, Illumine Creative Solutions, LLC

Designing Accessible Museum Exhibits For the Blind and Visually Impaired
Session sponsored by Exhibit Concepts, Inc.
This session will provide practical information on how to make museum exhibits accessible to the blind and visually impaired, and why museums should want to make their exhibits accessible. The session will include examples.
Speakers: Todd Elzey, Treasurer and Publicity Committee Chair, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio; Caroline Karbowski, Executive Director, See3D; Samuel Foulkes, Director of Braille Production & Accessibility Innovations, Clovernook Center for the Blind

Building a Youth Program
Is your organization trying to recruit young volunteers? In this session, learn about how to get students through the doors of your museum in a meaningful and impactful way. Representatives from the Ashland County Historical Society will talk about theirexperience in building a successful Youth Board composed of local high school students and share tips on how you can build one too.
Speakers: Jennifer Marquette, Executive Director, Ashland County Historical Society; Sydney Miller, Event Coordinator, Ashland County Historical Society

Filling the Gaps with Public Programs
How can museums and historic sites use public programs to help supplement gaps in collections, especially the stories from marginalized and minoritized communities?  Participants will learn how to repair, or even build, bridges and create trust between their institutions and under-represented communities through vibrant and innovative public programs.
Speaker: Traci Manning, Curator of Education, Mahoning Valley Historical Society

10:15am-11:00am MORNING BREAK AND ROUNDTABLE SESSION:

Take a break to explore the OMA exhibit hall, and network with your colleagues in the ballroom during our morning roundtable sessions. Choose one of many discussion tables with topics important to Ohio museum professionals.
Morning roundtable topics coming soon! 

11:05am-12:05pm CONCURRENT SESSIONS MORNING II:

A Few Bad Apples
 
As museums step into the ugly role of reexamining the worthiness of historical figures to be idols, we find ourselves balancing on a thin line with erasure on one side and ignorance on the other. How do we uplift the idea of a person without erasing or downplaying all sides of the complex human experience?
Speaker: Mikaela Prescott, Director of Projects, Johnny Appleseed Educational Center and Museum

Expanding Access to the Arts
Expanding Access to the Arts: Arts and culture spaces can be exclusionary to people with disabilities, who are often unable to fully experience exhibits due to the lack of planning or historical space restrictions. Learn how FRONT, Art Therapy Studio, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities collaborated to create an accessible exhibition experience at the FRONT PNC Exhibition Hub, welcoming thousands of local, national, and international visitors of all abilities to a critically acclaimed contemporary art exhibition.
Speakers: Michelle Epps, Executive Director, Art Therapy Studio; Sarah Spinner Liska, JD, PhD, Deputy Director, Director of Exhibitions, FRONT International, Allison Smith Hernandez, Special Projects & Digital Media Manager, FRONT International; Stefanie Galbreath, Community Development Specialist, Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities

Trust Doesn't Change, but We Sure Do
In 2005, The Ohio History Connection partnered with gay and lesbian Ohioans to create the Gay Ohio History Initiative (GOHI) – a relevant and community-driven approach to preserving a more equitable history. At the foundation of this work was trust building. Fast forward almost 20 years, GOHI’s initial collecting model created progress, but also perpetuated traditional power imbalances within a community reckoning with an evolving understanding of intersectionality. Hear and share about lessons learned and discuss the future of responsive, impactful LGBTQ+ community engagement that still holds trust at its core.
Speakers: Ben Anthony, CommunityEngagement Manager, Ohio History Connection ; Alex Ingley, Community Engagement Coordinator, Ohio History Connection

How Museums Produce Award-Winning Communication Content: A Road Map
COSI produces original shows to start rich conversations, build community trust, and expand our audiences. Your museum can do this too! By sharing insight from its own journey creating Emmy-winning communication content with in-house resources, COSI will equip and inspire diverse teams to find powerful opportunities within their own contexts.
Speakers: Dr. Frederic Bertley, President & CEO, COSI; Tony Auseon, Senior Director of Creative Media, COSI; Dr. Marci Howdyshell, Senior Director of Scientific Content and Research, COSI; Dave Buker, Director of Creative Media Production, COSI

12:10pm-1:30pm LUNCHEON & PLENARY ADDRESS - Presented by Ohio Humanities

OMA Welcomes Stacey Halfmoon, Executive Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation, Shawnee Tribe
Truth, trust, and museums: where do we go from here?
The identities of traditional museums are facing a defining moment. It’s a moment that can offer pause, ponderance, and one we should embrace, because, as Bob Dylan said, “the times, they are a changing” and it is always better to know what is coming and be prepared, than to be reactionary.

We have an opportunity to re-think our work and expand traditional museum roles thereby strengthening trust, relationships, and partnerships with the communities we represent and within whose neighborhoods we live. In this address, Stacey Halfmoon (Caddo Nation) will share insights from her career working with and for Tribal Nations, as well as, serving in liaison roles at the federal and state level, to her 
leadership role in opening new cultural centers.

Stacey worked from 2015-2019 at the Ohio History Connection as the Director of American Indian Relations and she will share examples of tribal consultation protocols that serve as model processes for developing more meaningful partnerships based on respect.

1:30pm-2:30pm CONCURRENT SESSIONS AFTERNOON I: 

Keynote Workshop: Re-think, Re-interpret, and Re-spect: A hands on workshop for mapping out new and inclusive approaches for programs, partnerships and exhibitions
Presented by Ohio Humanities
Stacey Halfmoon will lead participants through two separate creative exercises designed to help them map out new approaches & ideas to the work we do. How can we include new community members, are we telling stories accurately, are our public programs inclusive? Some of these questions will drive the two separate workshop exercises; one a group exercise, another designed for each individual.  Concepts will be taken from the keynote delivered earlier that day and will focus on how we can use meaningful consultation to re-think why, how and for whom we do our work. 
Speaker: Stacey Halfmoon, Executive Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation, Shawnee Tribe

Making Strides in Accessibility
How can museums center the disability community? Every museum begins access work reflecting unique communities and benefitting from different resources. Join the Cincinnati Art Museum, Massillon Museum, and Springfield Museum of Art as they share the basis for their access work, and accomplishments and setbacks along the way. Moderated by Art Possible Ohio.
Speaker: Megan Fitze, Executive Director, Art Possible Ohio; Sara Birkofer, Manager of Accessibility & Gallery Programs, Cincinnati Art Museum; Elizabeth Wetterstroem, Collections & Exhibit Manager; Brandon Rohrer, Guest Operations Manager, Massillon Museum

Building Trust for the Next Generation: EMPs & Your Institution
This roundtable will explore ways institutions and institutional leadership can foster trust with emerging museum professionals, attracting talent for the long term. In addition to strategies for institutions, the roundtable will discuss issues relevant to the EMP community and offer career advice to EMP attendees.
Speaker:  Christopher Shanley, Lead Interpreter, Ohio Village

Reaching Out to Under-Represented Communities
This presentation takes participants through the process of researching and using a quarterly membership publication article that became the basis of a Black Pioneer History Tour and a history sign at the first Black church in Lancaster.  The goal was to build relationships and collaboration for an underrepresented population.
Speakers: Wendy Gregory, Executive Director, Fairfield County Heritage Association; Michael Johnson, Marketing Director, Fairfield County Heritage Association

2:35pm-3:05pm AFTERNOON BREAK :

Take a break to explore the OMA exhibit hall, network with your colleagues, and get those final 50/50 raffle tickets! Raffle winner will be announced prior to the Afternoon II sessions.

3:10pm-4:10pm CONCURRENT SESSIONS AFTERNOON II:  

America's 250th Anniversary: How can you lead local engagement and planning?
Planning has begun in communities across the country who recognize this anniversary as an opportunity to reflect,educate, and engage others through stories. Leaders from the America 250-Ohio commission will facilitate interactive brainstorming experiences to provide attendees with facts, ideas, resources, and relationships to support YOUR local America 250 planning.
Speakers: Todd Kleismit, Executive Director, America 250-Ohio Commission Jodie Engle, Managing Director, America 250-Ohio Commission

Creating the Trumbull County CatalogIt Hub: A How to Guide to Building Trust Within Small, Rural, Regional Museums
Have you tried creating partnerships with small, rural museums and found it difficult to connect with people and implement meaningful work? This session will provide tips on how to approach regional projects with all-volunteer organizations, build trust, and increase capacity through regional cooperation.
Speakers: Meghan Reed, Director, Trumbull County Historical Society; Olivia Beebe, Collections Assistant, Trumbull County Historical Society

Where we are and where we are traveling: NAGPRA at Ohio History Connection
 
Learn from Nekole Alligood about the Ohio History Connection’s work and process, their ongoing relationships with Tribal Nations and how they are working to expand it to all the tribes with history in Ohio, as well as the importance of the tribes’ input not only in repatriation but in interpretation. Hear about the OHC intern program, the acceptance of cultural rules embraced by the interns, the experience of working with remains sometimes in extreme fragmentation, and in never forgetting these are not just bones, they are human beings. Nekole will also speak about the importance of outreach and consultation, how museums without federal funding can repatriate human remains, and how to deal with situations where donors approach your museum with remains.
Speaker: Nekole Alligood (Delaware Nation), NAGPRA Specialist, Ohio History

Support OMA with your
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A contribution to the Ohio Museums Association will help us continue to provide important programs and services to Ohio’s Museums.