AMA is happy to announce that our 2019 Annual Meeting will be held in Pine Bluff, AR, March 26^th-28^th. Our hosts include Arts & Science Center, Arkansas Railroad Museum, Jefferson County Historical Museum, and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Hathaway Fine Arts Building. The local arrangements committee is hard at work making plans for meeting including off-site field trip opportunities to the Jefferson County Historical Museum, Delta Rivers Nature Center, and UAPB University Museum and Community Center.

Please, check back for information regarding session proposals, award nominations, scholarship opportunities, and more as plans are developed.

We hope to see you at AMA 2019 in Pine Bluff!!

The location for the 2019 AMA Conference will be held in Pine Bluff, Arkansas! Our host museum will be the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas and other institutions in the area will be providing space for related events. Conference planning has begun! 

If you would like to serve on the Local Arrangements Committee, contact arkansasmuseums@gmail.org. 

The Arkansas Museums Association is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 AMA awards:

2018 AMA Outstanding Achievement in Education: Southern Tenant Farmer’s Museum in Tyronza, Arkansas.

2018 AMA Outstanding Achievement in Exhibitions for Museums with an Annual Budget of $150,000 or greater—“Cabinet of Curiosities: Treasures from the University of Arkansas Museum Collection” at the Old State House Museum from Little Rock, Arkansas.

2018 AMA Outstanding Achievement in Exhibitions for Museums with an Annual Budget of Less than $150,000 —“Delta Native: Mississippian Period” at the Delta Gateway Museum in Blytheville, Arkansas.

2018 AMA Outstanding Achievement in Media—Washington County Historical Society, Headquarters House Museum from Fayetteville, Arkansas.

2018 AMA Museum Studies/Public History Graduate of the Year —Rachel Whitaker from the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale, Arkansas.

2018 AMA Outstanding Museum Volunteer of the Year —Mr. Homer Newton from the Calhoun County Museum in Hampton, Arkansas and Dr. Freda Cruse Hardison from the Calico Rock Museum in Calico Rock, Arkansas.

2018 AMA Distinguished Museum Professional of the Year —Mr. Aaron Loehndorf from Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale, Arkansas.

2018 AMA Peg Newton Smith Lifetime Achievement Award winner: Mr. Steve Rucker, a retired museum professional of distinction from the Arkansas National Guard Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The award winners were announced at an awards ceremony during the AMA conference in Calico Rock and Mountain View, Arkansas on March 28, 2018.

Small Museum Grant Information The Department of Arkansas Heritage would like to welcome small museums to participate in the Small Museum Grant Workshop and Panel Discussion. Applications for the Small Museum Grants have changed this year and the workshop will help applicants easily understand how to apply for this useful grant! Information for the Small Museum Grant may be found here.  Applications for the Small Museum Grant are due April 18 Contact Debra Fithen, DAH Grants Manager, at  Debra.Fithen@arkansas.gov for more information. Small Museum Grant Workshop and Panel Discussion Friday March 9, 2018 Department of Arkansas Heritage Diamond Room 1100 North Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Attend in Person or by Conference Call Register by March 7th at: https://goo.gl/forms/iGcw6zBrrB2P2qd53 Schedule of Events 1:30 p.m.  Registration Opens             2:00 p.m.  Welcome Department of Arkansas Heritage Director, Stacy Hurst 2:00-3:00 p.m.     Small Museums Panel Discussion Department of Arkansas Heritage (DAH) division directors will share their experience and expertise regarding a variety of museum management issues and resources. Panelists include:  Christina Shutt Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Swannee Bennett Historic Arkansas Museum Bill Gatewood Old Statehouse Museum Kyle Miller  Delta Cultural Center Scott Kaufman Arkansas Historic Preservation Program 3:00-4:00 p.m.        Small Museum Grant Application Workshop DAH Grants Manager, Debra Fithen, will review grant application guidelines, how to apply online, and best practices. To download the flyer, click below:  3.9.18 Workshop Flyer- DAH Small Museum Grant

AMA Awards – Call for Nominations!

Arkansas Museums Association Annual Conference 2018

Calico Rock, Arkansas

March 27 - 29, 2018

Each year the Arkansas Museums Association presents awards to celebrate and encourage excellence within Arkansas museums.  Please consider nominating an individual(s), an exhibit, a conservation project, or one of the other categories available.  Successful award recipients will be honored at the upcoming Arkansas Museums Association Conference 2018 in Calico Rock and Mountain View, Arkansas during the awards banquet.

Please find the link below for AMA Award Guidelines and Instructions 2018.  Within the link you will find the online nomination form and guidelines.  We are excited and hope you will consider submitting nominations for one or more categories.  All nominations must be submitted on or before 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 31, 2017.

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3555856/2018-Arkansas-Museums-Association-Awards-Nomination-Form-copy

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or need assistance.  All nominations will be reviewed by the AMA Awards Committee. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much!

Gloria

AMA Awards Chair

calicorockmuseum@gmail.com

ggushue@gmail.com

870-297-6100

The Arkansas Museums Association (AMA) has selected the conference site for the 2018 annual conference. Hosted by the Calico Rock Museum & Visitor Center and the Ozark Folk Center in Arkansas’s beautiful Ozark Mountain range, sessions and events will take place from March 27 to 29, 2018. 

The Arkansas Museums Association (AMA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 AMA Awards:

Outstanding Achievement in Exhibitions – Budget less than 150K/year

“Pearl Harbor” – Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum

Outstanding Achievement in Exhibitions - Budget more than 150K/year

“The Open Road Exhibition” – Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Outstanding Achievement in Conservation

“First Ladies’ Gowns” - Old State House Museum

Outstanding Achievement in Digital Media

“Dance Interactive” - Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Outstanding Achievement in Print Media

“Faces of the Delta: The Art of A.J. Smith” - Delta Cultural Center

Outstanding Achievement

Stephanie Slagle, North Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau

Museum Volunteer of the Year

Allen Crawford, Calico Rock Museum

Distinguished Museum Professional of the Year

Allison Hiblong, Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum

Peg Newton Smith Award for Lifetime Achievement

Andy Zawacki, Historic Arkansas Museum

The winners were announced at the awards ceremony during the AMA Annual Conference held in Washington, Arkansas, on March 29, 2017.

Nominations were judged by a committee of museum professionals from across the state. Winning entries were expected to demonstrate outstanding achievement in four areas including: education, exhibitions, media, and professionalism.