Well, March is here at last and we at VAM are in a flurry of activity in preparation for our annual conference, which will take place from the 15th – 17th at The Homestead in Hot Springs. This year’s conference is special for many reasons. It’s our 40th anniversary, and we will be celebrating! We also have a jam-packed array of offerings for our members, plus opportunities to network and reflect. Add to that some ‘cosmic bowling’ and a keynote address by Ford Bell, the new AAM president and CEO, and we are in for quite an experience. Additionally, the conference is a time to realize goals that we have set, such as continuing the international exchange program with UK museum professionals, and expanding the VAM emergency response network and recruiting for our statewide Emergency Response Team. It is also a time to kick off new programs or initiatives. We will be distributing our first interactive resource for museum educators, a CD entitled “Serving the Community: Training Museum Educators to Meet Teacher Needs.” Look for it during Monday afternoon's Marketplace at the conference!

We are looking forward to March. It is a busy and exciting time! See you at The Homestead.

Margo Carlock

VAM Leadership to Testify in Maier Case

Following VAM's issue of a statement in opposition to the sale of pieces of art from the Maier Museum of Art's collection at Randolph College on the grounds that it is a violation of the public trust and of museum ethics, VAM has been asked to testify in a lawsuit that has been brought to halt the sale of works of art from the Maier Museum by Randolph College. Specifically, VAM President Scott Harris and VAM Executive Director, Margo Carlock (who gave a presentation on the topic of museum ethics and deaccessioning of museum works to Randolph College Board of Trustees Members prior to their decision to sell the art) will testify in a trial set for April 29 - May 1st.

While VAM leadership does not relish the idea of testifying, we are open to answering the questions the lawyers pose. VAM holds to its original stance that the college's decision was counter to widely held professional standards and violates the public trust. Our involvement in this trial will simply allow the legal system an opportunity to understand our professional mores, and the reasons behind them. Our position has been based upon principle and has been consistent throughout the process. When VAM was asked for advice prior to the decision being made, we advised against it. When the decision was made, we responded by stating that the decision ran counter to professional standards, and this stance will be reiterated for the public record during the trial.

For updates on the continuously evolving situation at Randolph College, check the following sites:
- Randolph College
- Preserve Educational Choice

VAM Responds to Randolph College Decision to De-accession Works from the Maier Museum of Art

The Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) released a letter sent to President John E. Klein of Randolph College, in which the Association expressed its opposition to the sale of four paintings from the college’s Maier Museum of Art. The letter (attached) was approved by the Council (board of directors) of VAM, the largest state museum association in the United States.

The paintings, which are slated to be auctioned in November by Christie’s in New York,
are: George Bellows’ Men of the Docks; Edward Hicks’ A Peaceable Kingdom; Ernest Martin
Hennings’ Through the Arroyo; and Rufino Tamayo’s Troubador. The college intends to apply the expected $32 million in revenue to its operating endowment, and to endow the Maier Museum Director’s position. [Museum Director Karol Lawson resigned in protest on October 2, the day after the paintings were removed by college officials. The controversy also prompted the resignations of the museum’s associate director and a member of the college’s art faculty.]
“It is the consensus of the Council that the Randolph College Board of Trustees and administration are making a grave mistake in treating works of art in the Maier Museum
collection as financial assets that can be sold to fund operating expenses of the college,” noted
Scott H. Harris, VAM President. “Such a clear violation of accepted museum standards compromises the museum’s ethical standing among its peers, and sets a disturbing precedent
that may hamper the collecting efforts of other institutions.”

Museum staff contacted VAM two years ago, when the college Board of Trustees began
looking at the art collection for possible sale. VAM’s Executive Director Margo Carlock made a
presentation on the ethics and standards of deaccessioning to the Board in September 2005.
“The museum director and staff acted in a responsible, professional manner in seeking to
provide a full range of information and professional museum perspective to aid the board in its
decision-making,” said Carlock. “It is regrettable that the board chose to take the action that it
did.”

As a museum professional, what do you think about this issue? Blog with us!

- Margo Carlock

Web 2.0--A New Frontier for Museums?

The latest issue of AAM's Museum News features an article about Web 2.0, a new generation of web-based sites and tools that focus on social networking and interaction. MySpace, YouTube, Flickr are all Web 2.0 applications, and are some of the new venues that museums are exploring as ways to reach out to new audiences. What do you think of these applications as gateways for museum experiences? Has your museum established a presence on any of these sites? Many museums are finding success, but there are also issues with control over the content that gets tied to museum postings through comments by "visitors." How can we explore this new frontier without risking our accuracy?

Welcome to the Virginia Association of Museums Blog!

Welcome to the online space for sharing ideas, eliciting peer responses, collaborating to solve problems, and networking with other Virginia museum professionals! Enjoy!

Heather Widener, Publications Coordinator
Virginia Association of Museums