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Museums Alaska: 
2024 Conference Schedule

September 25-27 | Wedgewood Resort, Fairbanks

Theme: Building Community
Partner: Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center

Schedule

Conference agenda

The schedule of the conference is in progress as we gather speaker bios and session descriptions.

Wednesday, September 25
Time
Agenda
9:00am–12:00pm
Angel Project - Morning Shift
Volunteer for this year’s Angel Project – Volunteers will be un-framing and rehousing works on paper in the Fine Arts collection at UAMN with Della Hall on the first day of the conference. This is a great way to get hands-on collections experience, help a local museum in need, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the off-site Fine Arts collection storage. You are welcome to sign up for both shifts, if you’d like. Maximum of 8 people per shift.
  • Della Hall, Collection Manager, Fine Arts
9:00am–12:00pm
Collections Care on a Budget Workshop
This workshop will introduce attendees to collections care methods that can be done on a budget – from creating aluminum barriers to taking high-quality collections pictures with minimal equipment. This workshop is perfect for collections professionals at smaller institutions or anyone looking for low-cost tricks in collections care.
  • Ashley Bivin, Museum Director, Cordova Museum
10:00am–11:00am
University of Alaska Museum of the North Collections Tour
Register for a complimentary tour of the UAMN on-site collections rooms led by Dr. Angela Linn on the first day of the conference. Maximum of 15 people per tour.
  • Dr. Angela Linn, Senior Collections Manager
1:00pm–4:00pm
Exhibition Development and Design Workshop
In this workshop, Sarah Asper-Smith and Christine Carpenter of ExhibitAK will lead attendees through the process of developing and designing a small exhibition. This workshop is perfect for anyone working at small institutions, those working on a budget, and those who are new to museum exhibition work.
  • Sarah Asper-Smith, ExhibitAK
  • Christine Carpenter, ExhibitAK
1:00pm–4:00pm
Angel Project - Afternoon Shift
Volunteer for this year’s Angel Project – Volunteers will be un-framing and rehousing works on paper in the Fine Arts collection at UAMN with Della Hall on the first day of the conference. This is a great way to get hands-on collections experience, help a local museum in need, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the off-site Fine Arts collection storage. You are welcome to sign up for both shifts, if you’d like. Maximum of 8 people per shift.
  • Della Hall, Collections Manager, Fine Arts
2:00pm–3:00pm
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA MUSEUM OF THE NORTH COLLECTIONS TOUR​
Register for a complimentary tour of the UAMN on-site collections rooms led by Dr. Angela Linn on the first day of the conference. Maximum of 15 people per tour.
  • Dr. Angela Linn, Senior Collections Manager
5:00pm–6:00pm
Fairbanks Children's Museum Tour

Register for a complimentary tour of the Fairbanks Children’s Museum led by Executive Director Meredith Maple-Gitter on the first day of the conference. After the tour, you can walk (10 minute walk) or carpool over to the opening night event. Maximum of 25 people.

  • Meredith Maple-Gitter, Executive Director, Fairbanks Children's Museum
6:00pm–8:00pm
Opening Night Event
Join us at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center for our opening night event with heavy hors d’oeuvres.
  • Hosted by Tania Clucas, Executive Director, Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center
Thursday, September 26
Time
Agenda
8:00am–9:30am
Breakfast
Breakfast will be provided by the venue for all in-person attendees.
9:00am–9:30am
Opening and Awards
Welcome to the conference, thank you to our donors, congratulations to our field award winners!
9:30am–10:45am
From the Ground Up: Building a Strong Foundation for Community Collaboration

Any person who has ever constructed a building knows that establishing a strong foundation is critical to the longevity and success of the project. In order for museums to better serve, work with, and communicate with their communities, they must first examine their organizational foundations to ensure that the groundwork has been laid to grow what will hopefully be a long-lasting commitment to community. 

Based upon almost 30 years of working at and with community-based museums, Lisa Sasaki, Deputy Under Secretary for Special Projects at the Smithsonian Institution, will take us through a journey to understand why it’s important to not just think about how we build community but also to interrogate why museums, no matter the size or focus, must change if we desire to have communities see us as a trusted partner.

  • Lisa Sasaki, Deputy Under Secretary for Special Projects, Smithsonian Institution
11:00am–12:00pm
Speed Networking
Meet your fellow attendees with a fast paced round of networking.
12:00pm–1:30pm
Lunch and Lightning Talks (lunch provided)
Enjoy a lunch catered by the venue while learning about what museums and cultural centers have been working on over the past year. The lightning talks will be proceeded and followed by time to network and talk at your tables.
2:00pm–4:00pm
Building Relationships with Alaska Native Communities
A group of museum colleagues from across Alaska have been asked to share their practices that have allowed them to provide a more welcoming atmosphere for Alaska Native visitors and build relationships with Tribes.
  • Amanda Lancaster, Curator of Collections, Alutiiq Museum
  • Angela Linn, Senior Collections Manager of Ethnology and History, University of Alaska Museum of the North
  • Angie Demma, Alaska Native Heritage Center
  • Bethany Buckingham Follett, Curator, Wasilla Museum and Visitor Center
  • Monica Shah, Deputy Director of Collections & Conservation, Anchorage Museum
  • Moderator: Selena Ortega-Chiolero, Museum Specialist, Nay’dini’aa Na’ Kayax (Chickaloon Village Traditional Council)
4:30pm–5:30pm
Annual Meeting
Everyone is welcome to join us as we discuss the past year (including a financial overview), and discuss upcoming plans. We will also announce the results of the board elections. There will be time to comments by online and in-person attendees.
  • Board nominations are open until
6:00pm–8:00pm
Networking Dinners at local restaurants
There will be a sign-up sheet at the check-in desk for attendees to sign up for a networking dinner at a local restaurant. You can also choose to venture out on your own for dinner.
  • Sign up sheets will be at the check-in desk
Friday, September 27
Time
Agenda
8:00am–9:00am
Breakfast
Breakfast will be provided by the venue for all in-person attendees.
9:00am–12:00pm
GrantWriting Workshop - held at Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center
In this workshop, Amy Steffian, with the assistance of Mary Irvine, will lead attendees through the process of grant writing. Attendees will learn the basic steps of preparing for and writing a grant, review and score grant application examples, and work on writing their own Alaska-specific grant application (i.e. CMF or GIA).
  • Amy Steffian, Chief Curator, Alutiiq Museum
  • Mary Irvine, Curator of Statewide Services, Alaska State Museum
9:00am–10:00am
Community Listening Session
How can museums create spaces to foster conversations and dialogue with our communities? And how do museums integrate this feedback into their work? This session, led by Christine Carpenter and Sarah Asper-Smith of ExhibitAK, will explore these questions and others around how museums and cultural institutions can gather and implement public feedback. Whether you’re at the beginning of a new project or just looking to better engage with your audience, Christine and Sarah will help guide you through the key components of community listening.
  • Sarah Asper-Smith, Owner, ExhibitAK
  • Christine Carpenter, Exhibit Designer & Project Manager, ExhibitAK
9:00am–10:00am
ArtificIal Intelligence and Augmented Reality in Museums
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) are new technologies that can be intimidating but ultimately helpful tools in museum spaces. Attendees will learn about AI, Chat GPT, and AR and how they can be applied in Alaska museums, including suggested approaches, practical tools, and ethical concerns when considering which artwork or cultural belonging to augment. Presenters will share case studies to demonstrate efforts that are currently underway to incorporate AI and AR in exhibitions and workflows at the Anchorage Museum.
  • Rachel Boesenberg, Assistant Curator, Anchorage Museum
  • Alex Taitt, Assistant Curator, Digital Content & Programs, Anchorage Museum
10:30am–12:00pm
NAGPRA Updates Discussion Session

Join fellow collections professionals to ask and answer questions about NAGPRA, talk about the new updates to the law, and share your latest experiences with NAGPRA meetings and outreach. Discussion moderators:

  • Amanda Lancaster, Curator of Collections, Alutiiq Museum
  • Angela Linn, Senior Collections Manager of Ethnology and History, University of Alaska Museum of the North
  • Monica Shah, Deputy Director of Collections & Conservation, Anchorage Museum
10:30pm–12:00pm
Museum Education Programming Session

In this session you will learn from two presenters. One will be discussing a science education toolkit available to museums and libraries, and the other will be sharing their experiences leading hands-on community programming:

How to Fillet a Fish: Community Engagement through Hands on Learning 

Curator John Hagen will talk about how he has been using hands on learning to engage community members. Anchorage Museum in Anchorage, Alaska has been hosting hands on programs about wild foods available around his community, art-based community programs, and artist lead community workshops. These programs bring new people to the museum and help community members learn about the land around them. Learn how Hagen incorporates his culture and love for Alaska food into his curatorial practice through programs like: Catch a Fish, and Everything but the Slime: How to Fillet a Salmon, and Salmon Skin Sewing.

  • John Hagen, Curator of Indigenous Arts and Initiatives, Anchorage Museum
  • Lynda MacPherson, AK Director of Aerospace Education & STEM, AK Civil Air Patrol
12:00pm–1:30pm
Lunch on your own or Topic roundtables at restaurants

Enjoy lunch on your own, or sign up at the check-in table to go to a local restaurant to talk about specific topics. Sign up sheets will be located at the check-in table.

  • Directors/Administration
  • Collections
  • Education/Programming
  • Exhibitions/Curation
2:00pm–3:15pm
Board Development Session

Effective board governance is the key to a successful organization. Boards are the visionaries who set strategic direction and lead in the fund development of the mission. In this session, you will learn six practical board responsibilities that will encourage your board to lean in and move mission. The format of this session is a hybrid of presentation and conversation of fundamental challenges in organizations– bringing topics to explore, such as board recruitment, fundraising, conflict of interests, or a situation that needs untangling.

  • Monica Garcia-Itchoak, Program Officer, Rasmuson Foundation
2:00pm–3:15pm
Testing Museum Collections
Gina Agron and Margaret Greutert discuss testing museum collections for chemical contaminants with a panel of conservation and museum professionals. Presentation will discuss strategies to determine occupational exposure in museums and cultural and historical sites, OSHA regulations, resources available to Alaska’s small businesses, and how developing exposure assessments in Alaska can lead to improved workplace safety and health. Conservation professionals, industrial hygienists, and safety professionals will be asked to respond to key questions, then open up the conversation to questions and dialogue.
  • Gina Agron, Health Consultant, Alaska Occupational Safety and Health Consultation and Training (AKOSH C&T)
  • Margaret Greutert, Chief Curator, Kodiak History Museum
  • Amanda Lancaster, Curator of Collections, Alutiiq Museum
2:00pm–3:15pm
Collections Digitization Session

More information soon.

  • Bob Curtis-Johnson, Owner, SummitDay Media
3:30pm–5:00pm
Capital Campaigns Session
A panel session on capital campaigns.
  • Patrick Druckenmiller, Executive Director, University of Alaska Museum of the North
  • Djuna Davidson, Director of Advancement, Alutiiq Museum
  • Gregory Stewart, Director of Grants, Alaska Native Heritage Center
  • Monica Garcia-Itchoak, Program Officer, Rasmuson Foundation
3:30pm–5:00pm
Ship Manifest Conservation Project
The Rapuzzi Ship Manifest Conservation Project is a multi-year interdisciplinary project that seeks to stabilize a collection of 15 linear feet of historical documents from the Klondike Gold Rush era through conservation, digitization, and cataloging. The KLGO team is composed of three NCPE interns and Cris Garcia, project manager, with technical assistance from Sara Piasecki, archivist, and Allison Holcomb, paper conservator. In this presentation, Garcia will talk about recruiting interns, setting up the temporary conservation lab, prioritizing materials, daily workflows, and project challenges.
  • Cris Garcia, Museum Project Manager (Contract), Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, National Park Service
3:30pm–5:00pm
Decolonizing Curation and Exhibitions Discussion Session
A discussion session on how to provide more opportunities and improve processes for diverse stories and curation.
  • MoHagani Magnetek, Artist and Curator
6:00pm–8:00pm
Final Networking Meetup at Latitude65
Join us at Latitude65 for a final networking get-together. Latitude65 is a local brewery that also has non-alcoholic drink options.