COMMUNICATION DESIGN has worked with some of Virginia's leading nonprofits to create memorable and effective communication materials. If your museum wants to take its image to a higher level, visit our website  or email us. Drop by to see us at the VAM Conference Marketplace on Monday, March 25. 

Be Informed: VAM News 

2019 VAM Conference
Registration continues for VAM's 2019 Annual Conference! 
Join us in Lynchburg, Virginia on March 23-26, 2019 for the premier professional development and networking event for Virginia museum professionals and students. 

Conference App Launch
This year, with our conference spread across downtown Lynchburg, we wanted to make sure our conference mobile app would help you navigate throughout our sessions, events, and programs. Download it now, and explore it before you get to the conference! A couple of highlights of our app, powered by Socio: Download here
  APP
  • You'll be able to connect to, and message with, other attendees during the conference. Know someone is attending, but can't catch up with them? Message them in the app and set up a meeting spot!
  • One of the most exciting icons in the app is "Share!". This is where you can post photos and other conference tidbits for all of your fellow attendees to see and enjoy. Watch this space also for the posts of our first-time ever Conference Social Media Reporters. These volunteers will be posting and sharing throughout the conference.
  • You can review all of the sessions and events and create your own agenda for the conference, so you know exactly what you want to attend once you're on site
 Conference Program:   Lynchburg

Please check your Museum member compass page on the VAM website, your Spam folder or Junk folder in your email for Open Invoices, if your membership is up for renewal. Any invoices over 30 days old will be mailed out to you, as well. Renew Your Membership Today so you can get the member discounts for the upcoming conference. Contact Dan for assistance or any questions.


Three weeks to go in the $50 for 50 Campaign
Help us finish strong with a gift to our $50 for 50 campaign in its last three weeks! All gifts we receive before the conference go towards finishing out our anniversary fundraising efforts. If you haven't made a gift yet, you still have time!
In This Issue
Be Informed: VAM News
Conference/Workshop News
General News
Be Informed: Member News
Find Funding
Expand Your View
Upcoming Deadlines

Virginia Humanities: Discretionary Grants
No Deadline
VH

College Arts Association
Arts Grants
No Deadline
CAA

IMLS Native American Library Grants
April 1, 2019

NEA Challenge America Grant
NEA
April 11, 2019

IMLS Native American Library Enhancement Grants
May 1, 2019


The upcoming Spring VAM workshop schedule has been released!
2019


Remember to check the VAM Conference schedule for any changes or updates! Make sure you register and book hotel 
accommodations
 as soon as possible!


SPRING in the Commonwealth






Conference/Workshop News

VAM WORKSHOPS: 
Are you seeking specific training or can't make the conference? VAM's Workshop Series returns this spring, featuring new topics such as oral histories, conservation, and grant writing. 

VAM is proud to partner with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on "Introduction to Collections Care", which will be offered twice, once in Richmond and in Winchester.

Learn more about the full season lineup and plan to join us April 11 at VMFA for our first workshop this spring.

*Send 2 or more representatives from your organization and save $5 off each registration!

Open invoices must be paid in advance before registering for new events. Workshops
Member Share
General News

American Evolution 2019
Join the 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution to invite America to "Come Home to Virginia" for the Virginia Customs, Cultures, and Cuisine Festival.
The Virginia Customs, Cultures, and Cuisine Festival is a month-long effort to foster statewide participation and tourism around the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Grant funding for aligned events is available through the 2019 Commemoration Finale Grant Program which is open until March 22nd. Awards may be used for planning, execution, and/or marketing for events taking place between November 1-30, 2019. Events must reflect the theme of Virginia's Customs, Cultures and Cuisines.
Organizations choosing not to apply for the grant can still benefit from the 2019 Commemoration's promotional strategy. Click here to submit an event for inclusion in the Finale Booklet and the 2019 Commemoration's other promotional materials.
ALL PROPOSED EVENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 22, 2019.
For more information or to submit an event for inclusion, contact Kristin Ritchey via email [email protected] or phone (757-253-4027).

Virginia History Day is recruiting volunteer judges to participate in its District contests held around the state in March 2018, as well as additional judges for the state-level competition held at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond on April 27, 2019. This is an excellent opportunity for museums of all sizes to represent themselves within their communities, meet history-minded students, teachers, and families, and become familiar with the research process required of Virginia History Day participants. 

Please contact Virginia History Day Coordinator, Christina Keyser Vida, at [email protected] to learn more about judging at the local or state level.  For the contest date and location in your district, please visit the Virginia History Day webpage. 

Preservation Virginia  is holding an  African American Historic Resources Symposium 
March 19, 2019 | 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m at the  Jefferson School African American Heritage Center in Charlottesville, VA.  Join 
P reservation Virginia
as they bring together the Virginia Rosenwald School Network and other advocacy and history groups for an in-depth look at the state of Virginia's historic African American resources. Preservation
Be Informed: Member News

Farewell:   We're sad to learn of the passing of Betsy Barton, who was a stalwart champion of our education and museum communities. Born and raised in Norfolk, she was a former teacher who served as a history and social science specialist with Virginia's Department of Education. It was an honor to work with her. She will be greatly missed.

 

Congratulations:  The National Endowment for the Arts awarded the following VAM members grants: 

Barrier Island Center $10,000  To support music performances and workshops at the Art and Music on the Farm festival.

Chrysler Museum of Art $40,000 To support the traveling exhibition Jefferson and Palladio: Designing Young America and an accompanying catalogue.

Virginia Commonwealth University (aka VCU) (on behalf of Institute for Contemporary Art)  $45,000  To support Institute of Contemporary Art's Great Force, an exhibition presenting work by contemporary artists that explores racial constructs within the United States.

Congratulations: Virginia War Memorial Foundation on its 63rd Birthday!
On February 29th, 1956, the Virginia War Memorial was built as a tribute for the fallen servicemen and women of Virginia.

Congratulations:  Christy Coleman, President and CEOr of the American Civil War Museum for being named a UKROP Community Vision Award Winner by Leadership Metro Richmond.
Find Funding

College Arts Association
CAA  recently announced the launch of a $1 million fund  that will pay grants to art history faculty and students to visit shows specifically relevant to their course material. The fund, which will hand out grants of up to $10,000 for eligible scholars and students, came about thanks to a major gift from an anonymous donor. There is no deadline for applications.

Virginia Humanities
Discretionary Grant Program -  Smaller grants of up to $3,000. Applications are accepted at any time. Applicants should contact  Virginia Humanities staff  in advance before submitting a Discretionary Grant proposal. There is no deadline for this program

IMLS Native American Library Services Grants  
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for the  Native American Library Services Basic Grants  program through Monday, April 1, 2019.  Native American Library Services Basic Grants are one-year grants of $6,000 to $10,000, which can include $3,000 in eligible education and assessment activities or travel. The grants are available to federally recognized Native American tribes and Native Alaskan villages. 

IMLS Native American Library Services Enhancement Grants
  The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for projects that support libraries and archives serving Native Americans and Native Alaskans. Applications for  Native American Library Services Enhancement  grants are due May 1, 2019.   Native American Library Services Enhancement grants advance the programs and services of eligible Indian tribes, including Alaska native villages, regional corporations, and village corporations. They are competitive grants of up to $150,000 for two years and are available to any library that has an active  Basic  grant.

NEA Challenge America Grants
The Challenge America grant offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Proposals should detail the efforts made to reach the identified underserved population. Grants are available for professional arts programming and for projects that emphasize the potential of the arts in community development. Deadline is April 11, 2019.  More information can be found here:  NEA

Challenge America grants:
  • Extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations.
  • Are limited to the specific types of projects outlined below.
  • Are for a fixed amount of $10,000 and require a minimum $10,000 match.
 
Lynchburg in Spring

Expand Your View

Bomb techs recently disposed of 24 mislabeled Revolutionary War explosives found at Virginia Department of Historic Resources in Richmond

Bomb technicians from several local, state and federal agencies were recently called on to dispose of 24 Revolutionary War explosives that were discovered at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.  Richmond police shared the details of the discovery and disposal in a Facebook post Friday.

The post said museum conservators discovered one explosive black powder core from a Revolutionary War hand grenade and requested the assistance of the Richmond police bomb squad. In the next two days, four more explosives were discovered.
In all, 24 explosives were found - black powder cores from 22 hand grenades and two cannonballs that came from a British ship named "The Betsy." The ship sank during the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 and was excavated in 1989.

Bomb technicians from Richmond police; Virginia State Police; Henrico County police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the FBI spent three days with museum conservators sorting through 128 boxes containing 4,000 artifacts and 10,000 musket balls.

The Facebook post said no one knew about the explosives because the items had been mislabeled. The 24 explosives were taken off site and disposed of. Police said "the operation went off without a hitch." Bombs (Richmond Times- Dispatch)

Bomb disposal technicians examine the collection

Live ammunition found in the collection.

Grenade core.



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