The 2025 Western Museums Association (WMA) Conference was held in Reno (also known as "The Biggest Little City in the World”) this year. The hosting venues and panel locations, including the Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel, the Nevada Museum of Art, the National Automobile Museum, and the Discovery were all within walking distance of one another.
Photos by Jenna Erwin. Taken in Reno. Nevada.
Ahead of the panels, I signed up for the Pyramid Lake Museum tour which was one of the several pre-conference activities and workshops offered. Early Wednesday morning, we huddled with our coffee and boarded the pre-arranged bus to Nixon, where the museum was located. Not only did we learn more about the Paiute people through exchanging oral history and interpretation, but also gained intimate knowledge by observing techniques displayed such as beadwork and basketry.
Photos by Jenna Erwin. Taken at the Pyramid Lake Museum & Visitors Center, Nixon, Nevada.
I was particularly drawn to a medicine pouch on display, and the various loom work and patterns that signified different families’ decorative preferences. After lunch and a wonderful dance performance by the local community, we bid the museum farewell and hopped back onto the bus. The circular museum building that resembled a tepee along with the haba blended in with the gentle hills, as I looked back and contemplated the land, lake, and its people.
There were many great panel topics offered this year. As a project manager, I was particularly interested in panels involving exhibition planning, design & fabrication, collections, and publication work:
In one of the panels titled Exhibition Redesign: Strategies for Success, four professionals representing different stakeholder roles including in-house museum exhibition designers, contractors and architects got together to explore best practices that drove efficient projects. One of the universal feedback was that despite workflow differences and budgets, most seasoned contractors are understanding of museum timelines which tend to be longer. Regardless of the pace of any given project, it is important to have early and constant communication so that these stakeholders are all aligned and on the same page, even if it may seem like these discussions are happening 1-2 years ahead of when the project is actually happening. It was great to hear perspectives from those in different roles, and step out of our shoes for a second as we explore how to collaborate cross-functionally across many sectors.
Another informative session, Beyond the Refrigerator Magnet: Brand Strategies That Fulfill Promise, focused on how we could min-max institutional marketing strategies during times of crisis and leverage that with the timing of exhibitions and publications. For example, if the publication came before an exhibition, we could use it to generate hype and even produce publication-related shop gear that would lead into the opening of the exhibition as an additional teaser. Some of the examples presented by the San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) were particularly fascinating, especially the whimsical campaigns and taglines the museum came up with that both highlighted object intrigue and directed visitors into less obvious spaces (such as basements), combined with post-COVID rebuild. It was nice to see panelists come together to discuss branding, publication and marketing/shop strategies, and how we can best leverage opportunities to fit each museum’s unique needs.
Photo by Jason B. Jones. Taken at the Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada.
I had chosen to attend the WMA Community Lunch, which was a great networking and bonding opportunity with fellow colleagues (and the food was A+). The Western Museums Association had also generously invited all scholarship recipients to the WMA Leadership Reception, where we got a chance to connect with museum leaders. It was a nice way to support others and feel supported, as fellow museum professionals.
In addition to our three-day conferencing, we got to check out ongoing exhibits from hosting institutions. The Nevada Museum of Art had a beautiful research space (The Charles and Stacie Mathewson Education + Research Center) that was open and welcoming to visitors. I was pleasantly surprised by the array of publications they carried, and got to spend a very special afternoon with this Kandinsky publication. On the second floor, I discovered another room with NMA publications on display, in addition to a creative use of surrounding walls in salon style to showcase their work.
Photos by Jenna Erwin. Taken at the Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada.
The Discovery was also enjoyable and fun. In addition to the various interactives and other innovative exhibition content they had, this particular activity space called “The Shop” reminded me of a prep shop and was particularly well interacted with by families and school groups. Got to get them started early on exhibition planning and training our future preps!
Photos by Jenna Erwin. Taken at the Discovery, Reno, Nevada.
Overall, my first WMA Conference was a wonderful experience. Thanks again WMA for this great opportunity, and until next time Reno!
Jenna Erwin is the Project Manager for Exhibitions and Publications at the Oakland Museum of California. She received her M.F.A. in Art from ArtCenter College of Design and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Museum Studies at Johns Hopkins University. She enjoys art, poetry, and adventuring with her two springer spaniels.
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