PA Museums Tapestry Newsletter, March 1, 2023

March 1, 2023

UPDATES FROM HARRISBURG

Lawmakers have returned to Harrisburg, and a few issues in the PA House need to be settled before much work can be accomplished. The Democratic Party won the majority in the House by one vote less than a month ago in three special elections, and Speaker of the House, Mark Rozzi (D-Berks) led a special session last week and resigned as Speaker yesterday to clear the path for Representative Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) to be seated as Speaker. Democrats in the PA House also elected leaders and committee chairs. House and Senate members have been circulating co-sponsorship memos for bills they would like to introduce. PA Museums will keep an eye on those. Here is an updated schedule for the House.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has established its schedule of budget hearings. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is not scheduled for a hearing. That is not out of the ordinary since most agencies are invited to a hearing every other year. The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is scheduled for a hearing on April 11 at 9:30 a.m.

Governor Shapiro will present his Executive Budget on March 7. Pennsylvania's revenue generation and financial position are strong, and when the budget address kicks off budget season, we will learn more about the Shapiro administration's priorities. There have been a few hints about what the budget may prioritize. PA Museums will provide analysis following the presentation of the Executive Budget around cultural funding. We look at line items for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), PHMC, and Department of Community and Economic Development, and we share our analysis with our readership.

NATIONAL VISITATION SURVEY FROM AASLH

The fifth annual AASLH “National Visitation Survey for History Organizations” is now accepting responses. This yearly research effort provides the history community with high-quality data and insights on public engagement with our organizations, supporting institutional benchmarking, advocacy, and more.

Please click here to submit responses by March 15.

COMING UP

March 3, 2 pm ET: Historic Dress in America at Stenton, a look at Elisabeth McClellan's 1904 book Historic Dress in America 1607-1800, which used objects from Stenton's collection. This program will stream live on Facebook at https://fb.me/e/2KUbR7pIf

March 29, 1 p.m. Newsletters: Multichannel Impact Reporting for the Modern Era

Join Chad Barger for a free workshop focused on reporting impact to our donors via newsletters. Register here.

April 27-28 (Save the Date): Virtual Summit About Commemoration and America’s 250th with AASLH

PA MUSEUMS IN THE NEWS

Pennlive reported that three children's museums in Pennsylvania were in USA Today's Top 10. The Andy Warhol Museum and the Senator John Heinz History Center also made USA Today's Top 10 lists.

WFMZ shared a Lehigh University professor's discovery of the names of enslaved people in Bethlehem through his work at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

GoErie highlighted new exhibits at the Hagen History Center.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had a look at the Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum of the Adams County Historical Society.

The Philadelphia Inquirer covered Drexel University's work to make its collections accessible online.

The Philadelphia Tribune delved into the creation of a new department at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for Black and African art.

The Express followed Centre County museum professionals' reporting to county commissioners on Museum Advocacy Day.

The PHMC announced that its museums and sites will mark Charter Day on March 12.

MEMBERSHIP

Pennsbury Manor is looking for a Volunteer and Program Coordinator. If your organization has a job to post with PA Museums, please review our guidelines and contact us. You can also complete and submit your job posting on our new, easy-to-use form.

SAVE THE DATE!

PA Museums is organizing our 2023 Conference, and registration will open soon. The conference is scheduled for April 23-25 in Hershey. Save the dates. We hope to see you there!

RECOMMENDED

What would a four day workweek mean? A pilot program in the UK reported some results.

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) announced it was investing its resources in expanding its professional development and networking programs for the museum community.

The Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association published its 2023 Legislative Priorities.

Join or renew your membership with PA Museums

Please support PA Museums with a donation today!

PA Museums | rust y.baker@pamuseums.org

pamuseums.org

STAY CONNECTED