Museum Studies at Tufts University

Announcement — Visitor Studies Association conference in Boston in 2016

The Visitor Studies Association (VSA) is looking ahead to its July 2016 conference in Boston and sending a special invitation to area Museum Studies students to get involved in the association. Marta Byer of the VSA (and the Museum of Science, Boston) says “We’d love to meet your students and show them how VSA can help them as a professional resource in the informal learning field even before the conference comes to town.”

Join the Visitor Studies Association!

What is VSA?

The Visitor Studies Association (VSA) is a membership organization dedicated to understanding

and enhancing learning experiences in informal settings through research, evaluation, and

dialogue.

VSA offers an array of services designed to foster evidence-based practice, including an annual

conference, professional development workshops, and the peer-reviewed journal Visitor

Studies. Through these and other activities, VSA helps researchers, practitioners, policy-
makers, organizational leaders, and funders advance the field of informal learning.

How can VSA help Museum Studies students?

By participating in VSA, you can

– Learn and share information about improving informal learning experiences

– Connect with others in the field

– Gain access to visitor studies resources

– Become aware of professional development opportunities

How can you get involved?

There are many opportunities for members and non-members alike to get involved!

Check our website for all the details: http://www.visitorstudies.org

Some examples of involvement:

– Join the association as a student for only $30 a year

– Attend the annual conference

o July 14-18, 2015 in Indianapolis

o July 2016 in Boston

– Propose a conference session, panel, poster, or workshop

o Deadline for 2015 conference sessions: December 8, 2014

o Find more info at http://visitorstudies.org/conference-overview

– Share your e-mail to sign up for a quarterly e-newsletter

– Subscribe to the VSA listserv and join in the conversation

– Read Visitor Studies or submit an article

– Follow us on Twitter @Visitor_Studies and on Facebook

How can you learn more?

Feel free to contact Marta Beyer, VSA Ambassador, for more information: mbeyer@mos.org

Session proposals for the AAM Conference are now open!

July 22, 2014 / Tegan Kehoe / 0 Comments

See http://www.aam-us.org/events/annual-meeting/sessions for details.

Session Proposal Submission Opens	July 16
Session Proposal Submission Deadline	August 25
Session Acceptance/Non-Acceptance Sent	mid-November

Museum Next Scholarships!

May 22, 2014 / Phillippa Pitts / 0 Comments

If you haven’t heard of Museum Next… you should! It’s Europe’s major conference on museums and technology AND they’re offering incredibly simple-to-apply-to scholarships for student EMPs.

Find out more here.

Propose a conference session at NEMA!

January 3, 2014 / Phillippa Pitts / 0 Comments

In 2014, NEMA’s annual conference will be held here in Boston, Cambridge. Submit your proposal for a session by February 3 (one month from today!) The theme for this November is “Picture of Health: Museums, Wellness & Healthy Communities,” celebrating the role museums play in community wellness.

Perspectives on NEMA 2013

November 19, 2013 / Phillippa Pitts / 0 Comments

by guest columnist James Stanton

This year NEMA asked conference attendees to question why museums are needed now more than ever. In an increasingly diverse society, museums offer a space for people to reflect, learn, and honor their different histories while bringing communities together to share, learn, and grow from each other. The recurring themes of the sessions I attended echoed this sentiment by stressing increased community outreach and examination of accessibility issues.

As this year’s Diversity Fellow, I came to Newport ready to engage in the difficult and sometimes awkward conversations that arise when race, class, gender, and socio economic status are discussed in relation to the ever broadening missions of museums.
I was excited to find that many of my colleagues, both students and professionals, were also ready to tackle these issues and that the atmosphere encouraged honest, open, and supportive conversation. I am sure it is never easy to admit in front of your peers that up until a year ago you didn’t fully understand the community your museum was located in, yet in one session many museum staff said just that and then together brainstormed ideas on how to break down the imposing walls of museums. My little heart grew three sizes that day.

Moving forward with my studies at Tufts, I am pleased to know that the discussions we often have in the classroom about the difficulties of welcoming diverse audiences into our museums are also happening out “in the real world.” NEMA is committed to the belief that each town in New England has unique history and culture around every corner that can connect to all walks of life. I look forward to these continued conversations both through NEMA events and in classes on the Hill.