ADVOCACY

Our Pennsylvania lawmakers are still talking, but there is still no state budget agreement. WHP in Harrisburg talked with the Senate Majority Leader about how negotiations were going on August 4.

With help from you, our members, we secured $4 million last fiscal year for operating grants for museums and historical societies through the Cultural and Historical Grants program with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). Our aim is to keep this level of funding, and as we wait for more progress on the budget, PA Museums will be monitoring the budget's cultural line items.

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM)

Members of Congress are in their home districts the entire month of August, visiting local businesses and meeting constituents. You can help make sure museums are on their August agenda. Invite your members of Congress to your museum and sign up as an official Invite Congress museum to receive pro tips, advocacy office hours, and more.

2025 PA MUSEUMS CONFERENCE

PA Museums 2025 Annual Statewide Museum Conference, From Community Anchors to Community Catalysts, has been postponed. It is our intention to present our next conference in the spring of 2026. We are currently working to identify new dates. 



We are deeply grateful for our members' support and partnership, and we look forward to welcoming you back to our conference at a future date.

MEMBERSHIP

The Berks County Historical Society and Butler County Historical Society are looking for their next Executive Directors. PA Museums updates our jobs page regularly. If your organization has a position to post, you can complete and submit your job posting on our easy-to-use form. Job postings are free for PA Museum members as a membership benefit.

PA Museums will be closed from August 5-12 for vacation. Thank you for your patience, and we will look forward to being back to serve you, our members, on August 13.

SUPPORT

The PHMC announced that its Cultural and Historical Support grant program for museums and historical societies has opened for applications with an August 22 deadline.

Bank of America has just opened its online portal for applications to its Art Conservation Project grant program. Nonprofit museums and cultural institutions can apply to conserve works of art that are either culturally significant to their country/region or important to the history of art. The pieces must be on view to the public (or will be following conservation). There are no minimum or maximum request amounts, but the project must be completed within a year. Deadline to apply: September 12

Please click here to learn more. 

The National Endowment for the Humanities is offering grants of up to $350,000 for individual institutions or $750,000 for consortia for activities to preserve and improve access to primary source materials that document the history of American independence and the establishment and/or expansion of the nation or the history of the U.S. government. Learn more.

PA Museum members can register using a reciprocal member rate for MAAM's Annual Meeting, they should register here. Early Bird Registration is available until September 26. PA Museums' members can register using ticket type: PA Museums Member (Early Bird) – $325.00 with discount code PAMuseums2025. I've created a tutorial for reference as well.

OF INTEREST

The York County History Center will welcome Jeffrey Rosen, CEO of the National Constitution Center, for an evening event in November for Articles of Confederation Day. Tickets go on sale July 15.

AAM officially announced that its 2006 Annual Meeting and Museum Expo will be in Philadelphia, May 20-23, 2026. The theme will be The Museum Odyssey.

PA MUSEUMS IN THE NEWS

WFMZ featured Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites' 60th anniversary.

The York Daily Record called attention to organizations experiencing a "memory boom" in York County.

Pennlive explored the closure of a Native American exhibit at the State Museum as the PHMC works with communities to return sacred objects and comply with federal recommendations.

The Jewish Exponent covered artifacts at the Museum of the American Revolution with a Jewish connection.

SpotlightPA highlighted railroad museums and their volunteers in Pennsylvania.

LehighValleyNews reported on new visitor hours at Easton's Historic 1753 Publick House.

WGAL was on hand for groundbreaking of a new roundhouse for the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum in Lancaster County.

RECOMMENDED

What's your Gen Z Score? from AAM's Alliance Blog.

Blooloop took a look at some changes in visitor services in the field.

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