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  • 1.  AAM Annual Meeting - Empowering Underrepresented Communities in Museums

    Posted 09-07-2023 12:29 PM

    Is your museum or do you know of any museums doing excellent work at empowering underrepresented communities? Some of the best sessions I attended at AAM 2023 in Denver addressed this topic and I am hoping to continue the conversation. Let me know if you or someone you know would like to be part of a panel discussion of best practices when seeking to truly empower underrepresented communties and be part of improving the quality of life in our communities. 



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    Douglas Flandro
    Exhibit Designer
    CambridgeSeven Associates, Inc.
    Cambridge MA
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  • 2.  RE: AAM Annual Meeting - Empowering Underrepresented Communities in Museums

    Posted 09-08-2023 09:27 AM

    Hi Douglas,

    You may be interested to know about the international research network, Thinking through the Museum, which brings together international scholars, students, museum professionals, and community representatives from 20 museums, universities, and NGOs in Canada, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, and the USA. The team works in and beyond museum settings to co-produce exhibitions and design tools, and to explore alternative forms of heritage mobilization where communities can set their own agendas.

    We regularly post resources and examples of exhibitions and programming by underrepresented communities on our Facebook page that may also be of interest if you or others would like to follow our page.

    And if you are interested in considering how children are underrepresented community members, I would be happy to talk more about my work on Children's Museology which seeks to create more opportunities for children's inclusion as active participants and co-creators of museum content and programming!


    With best wishes,
    Monica



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    Monica Eileen Patterson PhD
    Assistant Director, Curatorial Studies, Carleton University / independent curator
    Ottawa ON
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  • 3.  RE: AAM Annual Meeting - Empowering Underrepresented Communities in Museums

    Posted 09-08-2023 10:34 AM
    Edited by Douglas Flandro 09-08-2023 10:34 AM

    Monica,

    Thank you for sharing the work you are doing. I love that you are moving beyond looking for community feed back. You are co-producing exhibitions with communities who are setting their own agendas. It sounds like amazing work. Have you considered presenting about this at the AAM annual meeting? I think many museums would be intersted in seeing how they could do the same thing in their museums. You should put a proposal together. https://annualmeeting.aam-us.org/callforproposals/

    Or if you are interested in joining our panel. Let me know. dflandro@cambridgeseven.com



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    Douglas Flandro
    Exhibit Designer
    CambridgeSeven Associates, Inc.
    Cambridge MA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: AAM Annual Meeting - Empowering Underrepresented Communities in Museums

    Posted 09-08-2023 11:30 AM

    Hi Douglas,

    I would love to learn more about the sessions that addressed underrepresented communities at the Denver conference!  Sounds like a topic that I would be very interested in.

    I am brand new to the museum field, but for over 10 years I have been facilitating an inclusive hands-on, multi-sensory tabletop activity for adults with diverse abilities, increasing overall well-being.  It has been so rewarding for all involved, that I am now in the process of creating an online course so others can develop similar experiences in their settings. My work emerged from my back ground in early childhood education, but I now cater to adults residing in longterm care communities or those attending adult day centers. 

    I feel like the innovative programming that I have developed over the years could be inspiring to museums and cultural institutions that are interested in inclusive programming for adults with diverse needs (underrepresented communities).  If you feel like my background might provide value to your panel, I would love to be part of the discussion regarding best practices when seeking to truly empower underrepresented communities. Also, I would be happy to share more with you about the type of experiences that I create.  Feel free to reach out to me personally!

    Looking forward to connecting,

    Nicole



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    Nicole Root
    Creative Sensory Engagement Specialist
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