WestMuse Blog

Did you know that as a museum professional you can help #GetOutTheVote (GOTV) and increase voter turnout across the country, right from your home?

Well, you totally can!

This fall, educators are working harder than ever to meet the needs and provide critical support to their learners. Whether using traditional in-person classrooms, virtual or hybrid-learning models, teachers are in need of tools, guidance, and resources.

A great place to start is at a museum.

Museums across the Western Region and the greater U.S. have been in a holding pattern since early March, circling around an eventual reopening date.

Today, only a few museums are beginning to reopen – but reopening a museum mid-pandemic means piloting through completely uncharted waters.

2020 has certainly been a year like no other. For the Western Museums Association (WMA), this year has meant the postponement of the 2020 Annual Meeting, which was to be held in Portland, Oregon from October 8^th-11^th.

We realize, although we won’t be gathering in-person this fall, there are still various ways in which we – the WMA and greater museum community – can collectively come together and virtually communicate, share ideas, and support one another while we continue to stay safely apart.

Well somehow, it’s September already.

As museums and cultural institutions begin to reopen across the states, some are trying to maintain remote work practices, and some are learning how to transition back from remote work to the office all while following social distancing and other COVID-19 safety protocols.

Over the last few months, there has been growing concern and anxiety around how and where to cast a vote for November’s 2020 General Election.

In this uncertain time, one thing still remains true – the act of preparing and serving a meal, no matter how simple or complex, can bring great comfort and a sense of pleasure into our lives.

By Bryn Barabas Potter – BBP Museum Consulting