Tapestry Newsletter | March 14, 2018
REGISTER NOW FOR OUR CONFERENCE

Plans are coming together for an exciting 2018 Conference. Registration is open! 

Here are some of the highlights coming to our 2018 Conference
ADVOCACY MATTERS

The Pennsylvania Senate Appropriation Committee hearings have concluded in Harrisburg, and there are about 115 days until the Pennsylvania budget deadline of June 30, 2018. Today, March 14, is the final day of session for the Pennsylvania House until April 9, 2018. The Pennsylvania Senate has scheduled session days through the end of March, and then has a break until April 16, 2018. That will leave legislators around 90 days to negotiate and agree upon a final state budget for FY2018-2019.

The Pennsylvania Museum Preservation Act remains in the House State Government Committee awaiting action. The committee met yesterday morning, and there was no discussion or action on the bill.

The House Tourism and Recreation Committee met on Monday, March 12, 2018 at noon to hear testimony from the Department of Community and Economic Dev elopment (DCED) Deputy Secretary for Marketing, Tourism and Film, Carrie Fischer Lepore and Melissa Bova, Vice President of Government Affairs with the Pennsylvania Restaurants and Lodging Association (PRLA). Their testimony encouraged higher funding levels and budgeting policy that adequately invests in tourism without putting the line item for tourism marketing in jeopardy annually in Pennsylvania's budget process. Pennsylvania is currently soundly outspent by neighboring states. New York, for example, spends $70 million in its statewide efforts to attract tourists. New Jersey spends $9 million, and Ohio spends $11 million. Industry leaders in this $40 billion business feel Pennsylvania's ideal investment would be around $35 million, and the House Tourism and Recreation Committee heard testimony that suggested Pennsylvania could fund tourism at that level. Carrie Fischer Lepore testified that there could be a 300% return on investments that would be measurable within 30 days of their being initiated.

PA Museums will join with our advocacy partners in Harrisburg for an Arts and Culture Advocacy Day on May 2, 2018 . We hope many of you will join us in this important work. Save the date!

The American Alliance of Museums' (AAM) recent reports, Museums as Economic Engines and Museums and Public Opinion, should prove to be excellent sources of data for advocacy work at the national, state, and local levels. You can download the reports at AAM's website. Here's a snapshot/infographic of Pennsylvania's data:
SUPPORT FOR YOUR MUSEUM

PA Museums still has a few scholarships available for our 2018 conference coming up. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in attending. Scholarships cover registration fees, and we will award them on a first-come, first-served basis.

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) announced its scholarship program for professionals from small museums to attend the AASLH Annual Meeting.
PA MUSEUMS AWARDS

PA Museums is pleased to announce our 2018 Special Achievement Awards winners . We hope you will join us at the Pennsylvania Military Museum on April 16 to celebrate these awards.


JOB LISTINGS

PA Museums posts jobs regularly on our website. We posted 4 new opportunities this morning!

If your institution or organization is seeking candidates, please send us your job postings or suggest it to your HR manager.

Please click here to go to our jobs page.
EARLY BIRD CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

Our Early Bird Registration period is open through tomorrow, March 15, 2018. Register now to save some money on our already very affordable conference!

PRESENTERS

We are thrilled to have so many wonderful sessions this year, and we thank many of you who will be sharing your experiences and expertise with us. We do ask presenters to submit a registration form; registration is free for the day of your presentation.

STUDENTS

There will be NO REGISTRATION FEE to attend sessions for FT undergraduate students. Students are welcome to join us for our Keynote Addresses, one session of particular interest, or all of the educational sessions. This offer does not include admittance to our Welcome Reception, lunches, or Awards Ceremony. Students should also submit a 2018 Registration Form. Students should simply write “Student” in the payment information area of the registration form. Meals and events are excluded from this offer.
RECOMMENDED

The Museopunks podcast talked with guests about how they entered or left the museum field and how museum skills are transferable to other endeavors.

The Barnes Foundation's Young Professionals Night is growing. How did that happen?

From the AAM's Alliance Lab, 7 Factors That Drive Museum Wages Down.


Special Events like weddings can bring in much-needed revenue. What are event planners thinking about when they consider museums?

PA MUSEUMS IN THE NEWS

Philly.com was there for the Philadelphia Museum of Art's unveiling of their Superbowl swag from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Congratulations to The Electric Trolley Museum in Scranton for receiving a grant to help with its trolley restoration.

The Erie Art Museum's Kids as Curators program, one of our 2018 Institutional Award of Merit winners, was featured in GoErie.com.

The Carnegie Science Center opened its Clubhouse for young scientists.

Did you know there was a Hershey, Cuba? The Hershey Story Museum takes you there.

The Pike County Historical Society had a rough winter, and some musicians are lending them a hand.

Louise Lippincott, curator of fine arts for 27 years at Carnegie Museum of Art, will be stepping down.
MEMBERSHIP NOTES

We know many of our members are very busy and that money is always an issue when it comes to making a decision about coming to our conference. If you want to attend our conference for one day, a half a day, or even just one session, PA Museums can do that. Please contact us if you would like to create an individualized, a la carte registration.

If you have questions about your membership status, please feel free to get in touch with us. Call Rusty Baker at 717 909-4951 or send an email.


PA Museums | 717-909-4951 | rusty.baker@pamuseums.org | pamuseums.org