California Association of Museums

California Museum Month


MAY IS CALIFORNIA MUSEUM MONTH!


CAM would like to thank the museums, staff members, and board members who participated in California Museum Month 2008! We heard wonderful stories about how this celebratory month gave you the opportunity to promote what you are doing for your community and, in some cases, obtain your own resolution or proclamation through your local government.

Our museums are located in every county and region throughout California, represent a multitude of disciplines, collect and interpret our natural and cultural world, offer learning experiences for all ages, and attract tens-of-millions of visitors annually. We have a lot to celebrate and communicate to the policymakers in our local areas and in Sacramento.

CAM encourages museum leaders to start planning now for 2009--use this opportunity to promote your organization's education or preservation programs! The following are some ways your institution can leverage this opportunity or join CAM's advocacy efforts: 

  • Meet with a California elected official - invite him/her to visit your museums and learn first-hand how you are making an impact on schoolchildren
  • Participate in CAM's annual Museum Advocacy Day in Sacramento (see a recap of our 2008 event below)
  • Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or write an op-ed piece touting your institution - perhaps in conjunction with other museums in your area
  • Send free passes to youth groups or social service agencies that serve children
  • Ask your local city council or board of supervisors to proclaim May as California Museum Month (and feel free to use text from ACR 100)
  • Host a meeting between the museums in your area and the local press to collaboratively promote how museums are making an impact on your community

There are many ways your museum can join the celebration and help promote the the essential role museums play in our communities. For additional ideas, click on http://www.calmuseums.org/museum_month/Activites_for_CA_Museum_Month.pdf.

Resources, draft materials, and information are available below to help museum professionals be advocates for their institutions as well as the state's museums.

2008 Museum Advocacy Day Recap

Information About California Museums

Resources for Meeting with Your Legislator(s)

Resources for Writing a Letter to the Editor

Resources for Hosting a California Museum Month Event

California Museum Month Toolkits

California Museum Month Resolution (ACR 100)

California Museum Month Proclamation


2008 MUSEUM ADVOCACY DAY RECAP

California museums had a presence in the offices of our elected officials last week as over 50 museum advocates and professionals from approximately 30 museums across the state met to discuss legislative issues, meet with their elected officials, and enjoy a late afternoon reception on the lawn of the State Capitol. In addition to our museum colleagues, over 20 state agency representatives and 20 legislators and/or staff representatives participated in order to learn and celebrate how California museums strengthen communities. To see photographs from the Museum Advocacy Day, visit http://www.calmuseums.org/museum_month/MuseumDay2008.html.

It is not too late to be a voice for the museum field! CAM encourages all museum advocates to support these efforts, send letters of support, and meet with their elected officials regarding these issues.

CAM prepared a 2008 Museum Advocacy Day Toolkit to help inform and guide participation in the Museum Advocacy Day. The toolkit included the following key components:

  • Legislative Brief on AB 2687, a bill that would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to develop guidelines for a competitive grant process that would begin implementation of the park and nature component of Proposition 84. Proposition 84, approved by voters in 2006, makes $100 million in bond funds available for grants for nature education and research facilities and equipment to nonprofit organizations and public institutions, namely natural history museums, aquariums, and botanical gardens.
  • Legislative Brief on AB 2728, a bill which would allocate 20% of state sales and use tax revenues derived from art-related sales to the California Art Council at a time when the California state budget is balanced.
  • Position Paper on the need for increased capital funding for museums. This document outlines the need for the legislature to include museums in a future state bond. California museums are part of the state’s infrastructure and are significant contributors to a valued quality of life, healthy tourism, K-12 education, and lifelong learning.

To learn more, review the Museum Advocacy Day toolkit at http://www.calmuseums.org/museum_month/2008_Advocacy_Toolkit.pdf or contact Celeste DeWald, CAM Executive Director at (831) 471-9970 or cam@calmuseums.org.

INFORMATION ABOUT CALIFORNIA MUSEUMS

California museum professionals can utilize two publications when advocating for museums across the state:

About California Museums Fact Sheet (pdf, 60 KB)
This two page document outlines data and information about California museums based on surveys and other sources.

California Museums Brochure (pdf, 773 KB)
The California museums brochure, full of images of museums, provides an overview of the essential programs and services California museums provide their communities and the state's citizens. It also outlines CAM's programs and initiatives.


RESOURCES FOR MEETING WITH YOUR LEGISLATOR(S)

There are many reasons why museum leaders should know their state legislators. California Museum Month provides an opportunity for museum professionals to reach out to their state legislators and invite them to visit their museums and learn more about museums across the state. These resources can help simplify this process:

Four Reasons Why You Should Know Your Legislators (pdf, 111 KB)

Meeting with Your Legislator Checklist (pdf, 40 KB)

Sample Invitation Letter (pdf, 36 KB)

Sample Thank You Letter (pdf, 36 KB)


RESOURCES FOR WRITING A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper is a quick, simple, and free method of raising the public's awareness of a topic. This resource will help museum leaders prepare a letter to the editor to promote California Museum Month:

Writing a Letter to the Editor (pdf, 105 KB)


RESOURCES FOR HOSTING A CALIFORNIA MUSEUM MONTH EVENT

Are you hosting a public program in May - or perhaps opening a new exhibition? California Museum Month provides you with an opportunity to leverage promotion for your program with a statewide resolution and public relations campaign. These resources can help you prepare a press release or public service announcement that connects your program with California Museum Month:

Draft Press Release (pdf, 65 KB)

Draft Public Service Announcement (pdf, 66 KB)


CALIFORNIA MUSEUM MONTH TOOLKITS

The 2006 and 2007 California Museum Month Toolkits were publications made available to individual and institutional CAM members. The publications were supported by a grant by The James Irvine Foundation. To download complete versions, click on the following links:

2008 California Museum Month Toolkit (pdf, 1.34 MB)

2007 California Museum Month Toolkit (pdf, 587 KB)

2006 California Museum Month Toolkit (pdf, 712 KB)


CALIFORNIA MUSEUM MONTH RESOLUTION

In February, Assemblyman Mike Villines introduced ACR 100 (http://www.calmuseums.org/news/ACR_100.pdf) to proclaim May 2008 as California Museum Month and highlight the vital role museums play in educating our state’s students and citizens.

The California Association of Museums invites all museums, museum service organizations, California residents, and local governments to use this milestone to recognize and celebrate the contributions of California museums as they serve the state.

If you would like to submit a letter of support for ACR 100, please send it to Assemblyman Michael Villines, State Capitol Room 3104, Sacramento, CA 94249-0029, Fax: (916) 319-2129. Please also fax a copy of your letter to CAM's Legislative Advocate, Kathryn Lynch, at (916) 443-7353.


CALIFORNIA MUSEUM MONTH PROCLAMATION

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued a proclamation to "extend warm greetings" for California Museum Month. To read the entire proclamation, visit http://www.calmuseums.org/museum_month/2008_proclamation.pdf. Governor Schwarzenegger wrote, "I commend the outstanding work you are doing to promote our state's museums and enrich our state. Our museums offer millions of people a chance to remember the past, better understand our culture and embrace our heritage. Their research enlightens visitors, their exhibits provide us with access to remarkable artifacts, and they serve as a wonderful resource for students in expanding their minds and sparking curiosity."


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