Museum Education Division Column: Fall 2023

Museum Educators: Friends, Advocates, and Thinkers

A colleague recently asked me what a typical day looks like in the Learning and Interpretation Department. I shared that our days are anything but predictable in museum education, but there are seasonal shifts we can count on. The fall academic season certainly feels like a specific rhythm. With the busy summer months and both programs and planning behind us (and still recovering from the activity), a new academic year always creates a new atmosphere. As we head into the beginning of the academic year, what are you planning and hoping for in your collaborative work with schools and teachers? Our Peer to Peer (P2P) initiative, aimed at providing an informal gathering to connect around topical ideas, recently addressed the questions: How do we know we are providing relevant opportunities for teachers and students in the post-COVID environment? How do Teacher Advisory Councils (TAC) create an atmosphere of collaboration? How do you create a TAC to create a bidirectional relationship between your museum and the teachers? Looking for more ideas? Join us for a Back to School P2P on September 7.

A huge thanks to Kate McLeod and Molly Phillips for leading the charge with P2P! I’m grateful for their expertise, time, and commitment to sharing knowledge for our Division and field more broadly.

I also want to introduce you to our new Museum Education Division Regional Directors-Elect. These colleagues will serve 2 years in an elect role before assuming the Regional Division Director posts. This dedicated group of educators will serve our Division through supporting our various initiatives, adding diverse voices to the conversation, and demonstrating a commitment to most accurately advocating and representing museum educators across the membership. Please welcome them to the small but mighty team!

Adam Rizzo, Coordinator of College and Pre-Professional Programs and Museum Educator Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eastern Region Director-Elect

“As a member of the school and teacher team at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, I am excited to continue the work of rebuilding our department and rebuilding our relationships with schools in the region after the myriad challenges of the past few years. I’m thrilled to be joining the NAEA Museum Ed Development Committee this year and excited to work with colleagues across the country to support and advocate for the work of Museum Educators.”

Molly Phillips, Assistant Director for Education, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Southeastern Region Director-Elect

“I’m a big fan of the NAEA Museum Education Division and the supportive and creative community of educators in it. I’m most looking forward to being back at the NAEA conference in 2024—I find so much inspiration from all my museum education colleagues around the country. It’s magic when we all come together and experiment with gallery teaching sessions, share important reflections from the field, and laugh/cry about the wild world of museum ed.”

Xoe Fiss, Education Program Director, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Western Region Director-Elect

“In my role at my museum, I am most excited about facilitating an open call and community gallery exhibition that displays objects that remind people of a home space and planning programming around the exhibition in the winter. I am looking forward to helping with the planning of the NAEA museum Preconvention and connecting with colleagues next spring in Minneapolis!”

William Zaluski, Gallery Educator, J. Paul Getty Museum, Pacific Region Director-Elect

“Next year involves extending networks at NAEA and Getty. Yay to connecting people with art and each other! A 60+ member docent class (first in 4 years); new staff in gallery education (first hires in 6 years); interns teaching online; 10 continuing and 11 upcoming exhibitions: Already on our toes! Oh and tens of thousands of students and visitors touring with our docent teams? Whew!”

I look forward to learning what’s on the horizon for teachers and school audiences as we head into the fall semester!

[[image #### "Conversation With Colleagues @ SAMA. © 2023 Seth Freeman Photography."]]

Column by:

Jennifer Beradino, Division Director
Senior Manager, Object-Based Learning, Department of Learning and Interpretation, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX. Email: jberadino@mfah.org

Elect: Kathy Dumlao, Director of Education & Interpretation, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN.

Regional Directors:
Eastern: Ah-Young Kim, aykim72@upenn.edu
Southeastern: Kate McLeod, kate.mcleod@high.org
Western: Alli Rogers Andreen, allira@cartermuseum.org
Pacific: Anna Allegro, anna@seattleartmuseum.org