July 31 | 2024

Learn more about what the SEMC Council is working toward on behalf of all SEMC members. Questions about the work of the SEMC Council? Please reach out to Zinnia Willits to put you in contact with individual Council members.

This summer SEMC members gathered in two southeast cities, Atlanta and New Orleans, to network, collaborate, and enjoy each other's company! These mixers are made possible through generous organizations and individuals who believe in the power of peer-to-peer engagement and learning and give generously of their time, talent and treasure to SEMC! We are thankful for all the local efforts to unite cultural professionals in conversation and community!

If you are interested in hosting an SEMC Member Mingle in your city, please contact SEMC staff so we can help with coordination and promotion! zwillits@semcdirect.net

On June 13, 2024, SEMC members from the Atlanta area gathered at Woods Chapel BBQ for an evening of fellowship and fun! Special thanks to Carla Phillips, SEMC Membership Manager, Heather Nowak SEMC Program Coordinator, Patrick Martin, Museum Technician at the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, Marcy Breffle, Consultant for Purpose Possible, and Erica Hague, Collections Manager at the Atlanta History Center for organizing this event and to Bonsai Fine Arts and Our Fundraising Search for generous sponsorship!

On July 25, 2024 SEMC members, future members and friends from across New Orleans (and as far away as Baton Rouge!) spent the evening at The Helis Foundation John Scott Center to mix and mingle and enjoy fine food, spirits, and professional camaraderie. A big thank you to the event organizers and hosts Brandon Lewis, Director of The Helis Foundation John Scott Center for hosting the event and the bar service, and to Michelle Schulte, Chief Curator and Director of Programs at the LSU Museum of Art in Baton Rouge who coordinated advertising and registration for the event in addition to providing a spectacular food arrangement!

Applications for the 2025 Jekyll Island Management Institute will open on August 1, 2024. The Jekyll Island Management Institute (JIMI) is an immersive experience for museum professionals who seek to broaden their understanding of museum operations to advance to management or leadership roles in the museum field. 

During the 8-day Institute, participants will learn current best practices of visitor-facing and behind-the-scenes work in museums, focusing on incorporating diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, and the use of technology into all subjects. JIMI attendees will hear from current experts across the museum field and work collaboratively with peers to discuss challenges and solutions to real-world museum issues. SEMC offers this program every other year.

Consider joining the JIMI 2025 Cohort!

Please contact Zinnia Willits with questions about JIMI2025

The JIMI2023 cohort (pictured above) communicates regularly and support one another.

The Southeastern Museums Conference will hold its 2024 Annual Meeting October 21-23, 2024 at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

About the 2024 Conference Theme

The 2024 SEMC Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, focuses on innovation and inspiration. How should museums move forward in a rapidly changing world? Over the last four years, we have experienced substantial shifts in governance, economy, community, societal beliefs, and technology. Despite these challenges, how can we continue to inspire our visitorship? Our donors? Our workforce? Let’s explore innovative ideas for change across our field, to ensure museums remain relevant and impactful now and in the future.

Join SEMC attendees for direct conversation, networking, and professional growth and development next fall in Baton Rouge!

Featuring exhibitions of internationally renowned artists, a permanent art collection, and innovative programming in the state-of-the-art Pennington planetarium (dome pictured above), the Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM) seeks to enhance the understanding and appreciation of art and science for general audiences and students. LASM is a place where art and science connect to encourage discovery, inspire creativity, and foster the pursuit of knowledge. SEMC2024 attendees can visit LASM during the opening receptions on Sunday, October 20!

Greetings, Members!

As summer winds down, I am gearing up for all that fall has to offer…cooler temperatures, football, pumpkin spice, and SEMC2024! Make sure you are ahead of the game and already registered to attend. You don’t want to miss out on the robust lineup of sessions and workshops, vibrant evening events, wonderful networking opportunities, and the many other things you love about attending SEMC annual meetings!

We are continuing with our SEMC2024 highlights and it’s my pleasure to tell you about the session, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Museums: Uses, Benefits, and Ethical Concerns. When you ask session presenters Eileen Tomczuk and Anne Duquennois about the future of AI, they are quick to point out, “Artificial intelligence is here to stay, whether we’re ready for it or not! As creative and museum professionals, we believe it is essential to discuss how to use AI thoughtfully and intentionally. In this session, we’re excited to offer a playful and useful introduction to common AI tools and lead an open conversation about AI ethics and protocols in museums."



Join Eileen and Anne on Monday, October 21st at 10:45 AM. Both Eileen and Anne are excited to see YOU in October and point out, “AI is relevant to all museum staff and contractors, and we need more discussions about how these technologies will impact our field. We look forward to sharing our thoughts and hearing your ideas!”

Have a great week!

Heather Nowak, SEMC Program Administrator

About the session presenters:



Eileen Tomczuk



Eileen D. Tomczuk is a scholar and museum professional with more than ten years of experience in education, exhibit development, research, program evaluation, and fundraising. She is pursuing her PhD in Urban Studies at Tulane University. Her current research focuses on spatial justice and community engagement in historic preservation. Eileen is a research assistant at the Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking at Tulane University, a fellow in the Mellon Program for Community-Engaged Research (2022-2024 Cohort), and an active board member for the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana and the Faerie Playhouse Center. Previously, Eileen has held roles at the Louisiana State Museum, Children’s Museum Research Network, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center, and The National WWII Museum. Eileen has an MA in Museology and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington. She earned a BA with a double major in Art History and Film Studies from Tulane University.

Anne Duquennois



Anne Duquennois is a multimedia artist and the Lead Visual Communications Designer for the University of Colorado Central Advancement. She earned a BFA in Film Production and a BA in Environmental Design from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and an MS in Design and Urban Ecologies from Parsons School of Design at the New School in New York City. Her research on equitable access to housing and healthy food in NYC focused on designing communication strategies to empower people to better understand these complex systems. Her passion for public pedagogy and design led her to pursue a professional certificate in Museology. Anne has worked on various projects with museums and exhibit development, including interpretive signage for the Coquille Riverwalk in Oregon, graphics for an interactive exhibit on the history of dwellings in Colorado called Tipi to Tiny House, and video production workshops for museum staff at the Museum of Natural History- University of Colorado Boulder.

Is your company interested in supporting the SEMC2024 Annual Meeting through sponsorship? Contact Zinnia Willits to learn more about sponsor opportunities, levels and benefits at zwillits@semcdirect.net or 843-224-0876

We Need YOU!

What’s the BEST opportunity to engage with your colleagues at SEMC 2024?

VOLUNTEER!!!

Volunteers are front and center and in the middle of all the conference action and activities. As a volunteer, in addition to helping us with the logistics of putting on the best regional conference, you’ll also receive a registration discount, have fun, score cool swag, and chat with all your friends at the Registration Desk.

If this sounds like the best job ever (or close to it!), contact me to find out how you can join our volunteer team!

Don’t forget to follow us on social media so you can stay in the know about all things SEMC!

Instagram     semcdirect

Facebook     southeasternmuseums

Twitter          semc2

Have a fantastic week,

Carla

Carla Phillips

Membership & Communications Manager

cphillips@semcdirect.net

Thank you for supporting SEMC through membership!

Patrick Daily accepts the James R. Short Award at SEMC2023.

SEMC proudly features Tyra Maney, as the One to Watch this month! Tyra is the Designer for the Museum of the Cherokee People (MotCP) in Cherokee, North Carolina.

Tyra's nomination letter highlights the exciting passion and energy she has brought to her role as Museum Designer to create fresh branding for the Museum that incorporates ancestral designs in contemporary ways.

"2023 marked Tyra’s 10th year working at her tribal museum (she has been here since high school)! Her love for her community and dedication to perpetuating Cherokee culture shines through in everything she does. As the Museum’s Designer since 2021 with prior experience in multiple museum divisions, Tyra brings a deep knowledge of the Museum’s collections and an educational lens to her design work. From creating a new brand for the Museum by herself (learn more about that in her words here) to designing event graphics and exhibitions, Tyra is dedicated to finding new ways to use ancestral designs in unexpected and contemporary ways. She often speaks about how she was inspired to pursue a career in design to challenge the stereotypical and outdated art and design one often sees representing Native life, eschewing the cliché earth tones and Papyrus-adjacent fonts in favor of color palettes and design elements that celebrate contemporary Cherokee culture. Her designs offer non-Native audiences insight into Cherokee life and traditions today and are laden with layers of cultural knowledge that Cherokee audiences can connect to and appreciate. In addition to her excellent design and photography work, Tyra’s always ready to pitch in and help the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians community through her museum work—volunteering at events and community listening sessions, sharing the knowledge she’s acquired after a decade at MotCP, and thoughtfully collaborating with all Museum divisions. MotCP is lucky to have her!"

Congratulations Tyra Maney: One to Watch!

Congratulations to the 2024 recipients of stipends from the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund that will support a PAID internship at each museum! Thanks to a solid investment strategy and additional support from generous SEMC members, the awards increased from 1 in 2023 to 3 in 2024!

Stay tuned for updates about the impactful internship experiences offered at the Georgia Writers Museum (Eatonton, Georgia), Mather School Museum & Interpretive Center (Beaufort, South Carolina), and the South Carolina Military Museum (Columbia, South Carolina) in the coming months.

SEMC is extremely grateful for the ongoing support of HJT Fund founder, Joy Tahan Ruddell. Learn more about the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund at the link below:

https://www.semcdirect.net/page-1844841

Please consider donating to the Fund to support paid internships, small museums, and the dedicated individuals who keep the wheels turning!

Congratulations to all the museums and future interns! #SEMCProud

SEMC is pleased to feature one of the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund recipients, The Georgia Writers Museum, an SEMC Institutional member since 2020.

The Georgia Writers Museum is dedicated to inspiring today’s writers and readers and celebrating Georgia’s literary heritage. Located in Eatonton, Georgia, where three of America’s most celebrated authors, Alice Walker, Flannery O’Connor, and Joel Chandler Harris began their literary journeys within 20 miles of this area, GWM has a mission of celebrating the state’s rich literary history, promoting its contemporary writers, educating readers and writers of all ages, and connecting people to the literary arts of Georgia.

With a small but mighty staff, GWM hosts a robust calendar of events including Meet the Author series, book clubs, writers' workshops and retreats, and the very popular Crime and Wine. In addition, there are programs and events for students, like the Peaches’ Reading Pasture, a PreK-2nd grade story time, the annual Spooky Story Contest, an opportunity for Georgia students in grades 3-8 to submit original stories with winners in each grade seeing their story published and featured on the GWM social media. Older students have the opportunity to join the Georgia Writers Museum Junior Board and participate in various events and help promote youth programs.

With exciting transformations currently taking place, Georgia Writers Museum will continue to be a valuable resource to readers and writers alike.

For more information about GWM, visit https://www.georgiawritersmuseum.org/

Thank you Georgia Writers Museum for being part of the SEMC community!

SEMC: Around the Region.....

SEMC staff has the opportunity to interact with members across the region each week...and we see and hear so much. Watch this E-News feature for information we pick up in weekly calls, emails, Zooms, and in-person visits with members!

The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts offers a "living room" space, designed to be an inviting, casual gathering point. Photo credit: Iwan Baan

Last month, Adam Rozan, a leader in audience development/audience research and community partnerships at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, sat down with Victoria Ramirez, Executive Director of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, to discuss AMFA's Cultural Living Room, "a flexible space where, for example, students could come and work on their laptops, friends could meet and catch up, or community groups could gather."

The interview was featured on the American Alliance of Museums Blog, which "provides the museum community with a place to share stories and insights, in their own voice, reaching thousands of people across the global museum field."

Dear SEMC,

I came across this graphic on my daily travels through LinkedIn and it piqued my interest enough to stop, read it, and decide to share. Some of this is common sense but there is also good advice (in one tidy graphic) that could help someone feel more prepared for the interview questions that often give us pause or cause us to ramble or say "um" a lot. It happens, but anticipating some of these questions and having an answer ready helps!

Also, if you don't have a LinkedIn account please make one now. If you don't think you need a LinkedIn account please email me to provide a counterpoint:)

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Zinnia Willits, Executive Director

zwillits@semcdirect.net