July 2015

Forum Monthly 

E-newsletter

VAM News 

Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts Program
Our nomination period ended yesterday, and VAM is processing nominations in preparation for the August public voting campaign and panel review. Stay tuned to see who our 2015 nominees are!

Call for Proposals
VAM is now accepting session proposals for the 2016 Annual Conference in Williamsburg, to be held March 12 - 15, 2016 at the Williamsburg Lodge. Session proposals are due August 2nd.


July Happy Hour - Lynchburg
Join us for our July Happy Hour Wednesday, July 15th from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. in Lynchburg at the Craddock Terry Hotel. Many thanks to the Lynchburg Regional Convention at Visitors Bureau for hosting this event for us! They'll provide VAM guests with a complimentary beverage and light hors d'oeuvres. If you are in the Lynchburg area and would like to join us, please mark your calendar - we'd love to see you!

Alliance for Response Forum
July 28, 2015
Hanover Tavern, Hanover, VA
Advocacy 
As your partner in advocacy, VAM encourages you to participate in AAM's "Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum Week" August 8 - 15, 2015. During the August recess, members of Congress will be looking for ways to connect with constituents like you. State and local public officials are always interested in connecting with their communities. Museums may want to set up customized visits for each elected official, or include all elected officials in a single visit. Learn more

FRAME News
FRAME has now updated its ByLaws.  Also the two current FRAME exhibitions have changed venues. Senufo: The Art and Identity of West Africa is now visiting St. Louis, and In Bloom, Painting in the Age of Impressionism is now on display at the Denver Art Museum.

In This Issue
VAM News
Member News
Member Kudos
Hails and Farewells
Professional Development Opportunities
More Museum News
Did You Know?

53% of VAM member museums have annual budgets under $100,000. 

Quick Links
Deadlines
Member News

Recently, the Hermitage Museum & Gardens recorded a conservation deed of easement with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) to permanently protect its urban green space from development in perpetuity. This donated easement-VOF's first in the City of Norfolk- prohibits future division of the property and limits new building and structures that could destroy the property's scenic waterfront, sacrifice its delicate riparian boundary or compromise its important habitat for wildlife, birds, and native plants.

The Library of Virginia is inviting the public to share historic or contemporary photographs featuring people and bicycles, which will be displayed in a digital exhibition of bicycle images on a screen in the lobby during the week of the UCI Road World Championships. To share your photograph, use the hashtag #lvabikehistory to submit images through any social media platform. You may also email photographs to [email protected]. Follow @lvabikehistory on Instagram to see all the images in one place.

Gadsby's Tavern Museum suffered a small fire the morning of June 29th in the 1792 building

 attic. Luckily, the newly refurbished sprinkler system did it's job and the fire was quickly extinguished. The bad news is that the offices, ballroom, and main dining room of the restaurant were affected by the water. Once again this year, staff at Gadsby's are following their disaster plan! Our thoughts our with the folks at Gadsby's.


A new partnership between the engineering firm Hurt & Proffitt, Lynchburg College, and the Historic Sandusky Foundation will create more opportunities for LC students and enhance archaeological research at the 19th-century home. H&P will move an archaeology laboratory to Sandusky beginning this month. The firm will use the lab to analyze and catalog artifacts from numerous sites throughout Virginia. LC students will use the facility in research they do at Sandusky, as well as H&P projects they work on.

The Valentine will operate under new admission prices starting July 1, 2015. Adults are $10 per person and groups, seniors (55+) and students are $8 per person. The new pricing structure includes free admission for all active duty military and children under the age of 18. "We are striving for a simpler tiered pricing structure with a goal to to be even more accessible to all youth and our military and their families," said Director Bill Martin.
 

Member Kudos
The Brownsburg Museum recently published First and Last, a book based on their current exhibit, Civil War Brownsburg. The preface was written by Waite Rawls, of the American Civil War Museum, with an introduction by Eric Wilson of the Rockbridge Historical Society (and VAM Council!). VAM was given a complimentary copy of this book, which resides in our resource library for members.

On July 9 at noon, the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) president emeritus Charles F. Bryan, Jr., will deliver a Banner Lecture entitled "The History Crisis in America: Myth and Reality" and will launch his new book, Imperfect Past: History in a New Light.

Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont recently received a TripAdvisor� Certificate of Excellence award for its consistent achievement of great travel reviews on the website.

Hails and Farewells

The Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation is proud to announce Hope Marstin was named as chief officer of operations. Mrs. Marstin came to Red Hill in 2009 and has been a devoted member of the staff ever since. In 2013 when the former executive vice president retired, Mrs. Marstin took on the role of administrator. The Board has witnessed her take charge and lead the organization in a positive direction. Because of her devotion to Red Hill, leadership skills and her attention to detail, the Board decided that Mrs. Marstin was the perfect chief operating officer for the Foundation. Mark Holman, president of the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation, says "With this promotion, the Board of Trustees continues to recognize the success of Hope's leadership during her tenure as Red Hill's administrator and looks forward to her continued support of our staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders in the years ahead."

Robert Selle, former chaplain of the James Monroe Memorial Foundation and a past member of the Museum's Board of Regents, passed away June 17. JMM expresses condolences to Mr. Selle's family and gratitude for his services to the Museum. 

Professional Development Opportunities
Check out the University of Richmond's offerings through their Institute on Philanthropy. From Board Development to Grant Writing, Fundraising to Marketing, there is something for everyone.

  

  


The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's ENLIGHT online learning initiative and The College of William & Mary School of Education a
Teaching with Exhibits in History/Social Sciences
Dates: July 6 - August 7, 2015, online.

Doing Local History: Surviving the Present and Planning for the Future
Virginia Historical Society, September 12, 9:00am - 5:00pm

The International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection
Folger Shakespeare Library on September 21st or 22nd, 2015.

On September 28-29, 2015 in Charlottesville, VA the Central Virginia and Blue Ridge Chapters of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) are holding a regional conference. The conference is 1.5 days and will have two plenary and six workshop sessions. The group is interested in hearing from GPA and non-GPA members who have experience in conducting training on grant-related topics. 
If interested, please contact Stacy Ruble at [email protected].

2015 Virginia Volunteerism and Service Conference
September 30-October 1, at the Sheraton Roanoke

Oct. 7 - 9 at Natural Bridge

SEMC Annual Meeting
Oct. 12-14, 2015 in Jacksonville, FL
They are also launching their first annual technology competition. Deadline is July 17th.

November 9 - 11, 2015 in Charlottesville, VA

Ocean City, MD February 14 - 16, 2016
They have issued a call for proposals. The deadline is September 25, 2015.

More Museum News

On April 18, 2015, an exact replica of the majestic frigate L'Hermione set sail from La Rochelle, France on its way to 12 select cities on America's East Coast and in Canada, including a three-day stop in Alexandria. The original ship transported Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette, known famously as the Marquis de Lafayette, on his second journey to America, reuniting the young aristocrat with General George Washington in support of American independence from Britain.

 

The Alexandria Archaeological Commission, in partnership with other historic and preservation groups in Alexandria, is seeking nominations from the public for the most threatened or endangered archaeological and historical sites in the city of Alexandria. Questions or nominations are to be emailed to [email protected].

 

A planning committee composed of representatives from the American Shakespeare Center, Virginia Commission for the Arts, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, and Washington and Lee University has officially launched a partnership with more than twenty Virginia organizations to coordinate a statewide commemoration of the upcoming 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare's death, April 23, 2016. The initiative will run from August 2015 through December 2016. The launch date for VAShakespeare.org is planned for early August.

Recent events in Syria have spotlighted the importance of preserving and protecting cultural sites and artifacts of historical significance. The Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives recently. This bipartisan bill will coordinate protection efforts made by the US government, block the importation of Syrian artifacts to stem acts of looting and leverage the cultural property protection expertise of the Smithsonian.

From Style Weekly: The List: Preservation Virginia isn't afraid to court controversy with its release of endangered historic sites

Phase 2 of VCU's ICA construction has begun. View their construction cam.

The National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts will celebrate their 50th anniversaries this year and they want you to join the celebration. Help show the world the importance of the arts by sharing your story of how the arts, NEH or NEA has impacted your life, career, community or academic field. The NEA and NEH will begin sharing some of these stories on September 29 to commemorate the day that the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 was signed into law, so don't miss your chance to prove that the arts are important and appreciated

Live to Serve is a new fundraising platform in Richmond, VA. Live to Serve is an online platform that brings people, businesses, and nonprofits together all in the name of serving local communities. Learn more.

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