8:00 a.m.

Registration Desk Open

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall Open

8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

TAM Exhibit Hall Grand Opening and Continental Breakfast

The 2012 Exhibit Hall opens with continental breakfast in the exhibit booth area, making it really convenient to greet our vendors. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet friends, scout new products, discover new services, and get oriented to Annual Meeting.

Pre-registration is required. Cost is $12.

9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Offsite Session: (R) Historic Hugman River Walk Boat Tour

Incorporating new technology, the City of San Antonio launched a self-guided tour of our famed River Walk in May 2010. The Historic Hugman River Walk Tour identifies key locations and features along the San Antonio River Walk designed by Robert H.H. Hugman in 1939. In recognition of Hugman’s vision for the River Walk, the City of San Antonio installed more than 50 bronze plaques identifying original Hugman-designed features. The tour uses QR (quick response) codes that can be read by a smart phone. These QR codes were placed on interpretive signage and rack cards. In addition, a mobile site, website, and podcast were also part of the finalized product.

Come "Get Lost" with us on a river boat cruise to visit key locations on the tour, discuss the project with members of the project team and learn how partnerships, technology and a passion for history can help you reach new audiences.

Chaired by: Colleen Swain, Assistant Director, Downtown Operations, City of San Antonio

Mike Beaty, Architect and Principle, Beaty Palmer Architects, Inc., San Antonio

Lewis F. Fisher, Local Historian and owner Maverick Publishing Company, San Antonio

Enrique Garza, Chief Executive Officer, BiBiSi Marketing Technologies, San Antonio

Shanon Peterson, Historic Preservation Officer, City of San Antonio

Robert Salluce, Director Community Relations and Strategic Indicatives, City of San Antonio

Roell Vento, Chief Technology Officer, BiBiSi Marketing Technologies, San Antonio

Pre-registration is required. Participation limited to 22. River barge picks up and drops off at the El Tropicano River Walk.

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Even a Caveman Can Do It! The 5-Step Plan to Museums and Searchable On-line Collections

This hands-on session addresses how to be successful in creating and sustaining searchable online collections for public access. The session will provide templates from museums, historic houses, and heritage sites that have successfully created searchable on-line collections. Handouts will address policies, procedures, and the "how to" rather than theory and philosophy for standards and IT requirements. Participants will hear examples from institutions including the Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site, the Star of the Republic Museum, and Texas Heritage Online.

Presenting chair: Dixie Hoover, Site Manager, Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site, Mexia

Leslie Meyer, Archives/Collections Director, The Petroleum Museum, Midland

Danielle Plumer, Digital Projects Consultant, Georgetown

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

IMLS in the Currents: Vision, Change, and Museum Funding

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has adopted a new mission, vision, and strategic plan that will support its continuing efforts to assist museums in meeting the needs of their communities. Learn how the program of IMLS grants advances the museum field by funding successful projects, ranging from professional development to conservation and to educational programming, in a wide variety of museums. Presented by a senior program officer from IMLS, the discussion will highlight the new strategic plan for IMLS as well as anticipated changes in museum funding programs for 2013. A primary goal will be to foster a greater understanding of what it takes to submit a successful grant application. Geared to staff members in all sizes and types of museums who hold responsibility for obtaining grant funding, this session will include an ample Q&A period.  

Chair: Laura Casey, Coordinator, Museum Services Program, Texas Historical Commission, Austin

Christopher J. Reich, Associate Deputy Director for Museums, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Washington, DC

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Put THAT on Your Wall!

"It’s all about the stuff." Museums often run into unique problems of exhibition design and artifact display. Complex, heavy, and irregular objects challenge both the common methods of installation and how visitors might engage with the pieces.  Display areas and exhibits sometimes need freshening up, as well. This session takes a look at the art of exhibition—how museum professionals work within industry standards to design and display successful exhibitions. Local experts will discuss case studies, design philosophies, share advice, and examine accessible resources.

Chaired by: Johnny Robertson, Ph.D. candidate, University of North Texas, Denton

Riley Robinson, Studio Director, Artpace, San Antonio

Ethel Shipton, Gallery Technician, McNay Art Museum, San Antonio

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Museum ED 2.0: Using Social Media and Online Tools to Interpret and Educate

The museum community has its thumb on the pulse of social media for bolstering public relations and for marketing events. But that’s not the only way to use social media in the museum field. This session will explore the use of Web 2.0 tools like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and more to interpret and educate. Join us for engaging examples from institutions with active social media presences and bring your own ideas to share in a group interaction, brainstorm, and idea-sharing session. 

Presenting chair: Cassie Dieterich, Educator, Fulton Mansion State Historic Site, Rockport

Joy Summar-Smith, Associate Director, Dr Pepper Museum, Waco

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Development Outside the City Limits

The Old Jail Art Center, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, and Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum share a common success story: each museum has been able to obtain significant support from individuals who do not live in their communities. The three museums are also in similar circumstances in that they are located in primarily rural areas yet have outstanding reputations throughout the state. Securing financial donations from beyond their communities is essential for their long-term success. Three panelists will discuss each museum’s approach. 

Chair: Guy C. Vanderpool, Director, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon

Rebecca Bridges, Registrar, Old Jail Art Center, Albany

Amy David, Associate Director for Museum Advancement, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon

Howard Taylor, Director, San Angelo Museum of Fine Art, San Angelo

10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Feature Session

Community Engagement: Creating a Cultural Corridor

How do museums ensure they are catalytic amenities for their communities? In San Antonio, a group of museums and other cultural entities formed a Cultural Corridor coalition to focus on identity, marketing and transportation planning. These museums are integrally involved in master planning for a revitalization effort to reclaim historic arteries for cultural, business, and housing developments. The McNay Art Museum, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Witte Museum and most recently, the San Antonio Children’s Museum have all invested in the Broadway Cultural Corridor as well as the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River. Museum leaders and San Antonio officials have developed guiding principles, but acknowledge that guidelines are dynamic, with new leadership and institutions layering the goals. Because of that dynamic, the panel will seek input from the audience regarding challenges and opportunities in sustaining community based museums.

Presenting chair: Marise McDermott, President and CEO, Witte Museum, San Antonio

William J. Chiego, Director, McNay Art Museum, San Antonio

Vanessa Lacoss Hurd, Director, San Antonio Children’s Museum, San Antonio

Katie Luber, Director, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio

Pat DiGiovanni, Deputy City Manager, City of San Antonio, San Antonio

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Social Media: Philosophy and Policy

Are you interested in using social media vehicles like Twitter, Facebook or podcasts but are unsure how to get started? This panel will explore two major components of social media use in museums: the decision process behind whether to use it and how to create a policy for doing it right. Attendees will leave with a plan for creating a social media policy, insight into how social media can be a useful tool for their museum, and ideas for how to communicate the benefits of social media to administrators and board members.

Presenting Chair: Mary Beth Tait, Director of Collections and Technology, Dr Pepper Museum, Waco

Catherine Kenyon, Museum Consultant, Elk Grove Village, Illinois

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Conservation Roundtable

The Conservation Roundtable will present a short slide show entitled "An Introduction to Art Conservation" prepared by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Following the slide show, session participants will join one of six tables for discussion led by Texas conservators with expertise in furniture, objects, textiles, paper, paintings, and photography conservation. Each table will be allotted 10 minutes of questions and answers per group before moving to the next table.  Popular topics will include the long-term care of historic objects, water/fire damage, preparing items for display, and how to remove all that bubble gum from under the library tables.

Presenting Chair: Brad Ford Smith, Art Conservator, Studio Six Art Conservation, Dallas

Tish Brewer, Paper Conservator, The Center for Art Conservation, Dallas

Corinne Dune, Photograph Conservator, DBA Photograph & Paper Conservation Services, San Marcos

Melanie Sanford, Textile Conservator, Textile Preservation Services of Texas, Red Oak

Catherine Williams, Object Conservator, Silver Lining Art Conservation, LLC, Austin

Anne Zanikos, Painting Conservator, Anne Zanikos Art Conservation, San Antonio

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Get "Smart" About Mobile Technology, Case Study: Historic Hugman River Walk Tour

Today the vast majority of people carry and use "smart" devices. What exactly makes a device "smart?" And what does it do to be so "smart?" Not much on its own, but if you know the right tools you can turn any ‘smart device" into a very powerful partner in your marketing, education, and outreach efforts. The panel of experts will answer questions like: What are these tools? What can they do for me and my organization? Is this something I really need to learn more about or invest in? And how can I be on the "smart" side of this new technology?

The presentation will include a summary of what "smart" technology is and how it can be used in museums, art galleries and historic sites, for marketing and educational/outreach purposes. A discussion of how to develop mobile engagement strategies and creative marketing ideas will follow. The session will continue with an example of "smart" technology used in a free self-guided tour of San Antonio’s Historic Hugman River Walk Tour and will conclude with Q&A. 

Presenting chair: Colleen Swain, Assistant Director, Downtown Operations, City of San Antonio

Oliver Franklin, Chief Operating Officer, Walking Papers Media, San Antonio

Enrique Garza, Chief Executive Officer, BiBiSi Marketing Technologies, San Antonio

Roell Vento, Chief Technology Officer, BiBiSi Marketing Technologies, San Antonio

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Stepping Up to the Plate: Museum Education's Widening Role in Cash-Strapped Schools 

As budget cuts have eliminated many field trips, museums and the students they serve can be left with a widening gap in attendance and education. This session addresses the potential for expanded roles of museum educators who might assist teachers by taking museum programming into the schools. Often accomplished with "trunk shows," off-site education and improved programming must take into account the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the state standards that assist in the preparation of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). How might museum educators begin to develop curriculum that meets these requirements? Hear ideas from the panelists.

Presenting chair: Robin Cole-Jett, Editor, Red River Historian, Highland Village

Florentina DuQuinn, Director of Programs and Services, Museum of the American Railroad, Fair Park

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Opening Luncheon 

Keynote Speaker: Phil Hardberger, Former Mayor, City of San Antonio

Building a City: A Conversation with Phil Hardberger

During Phil Hardberger's tenure as San Antonio Mayor, he worked diligently to continue the San Antonio River expansion project. His leadership brought the community together in productive partnerships that made the river expansion project key to successful economic development. As Mayor, he carried an approval rating of 86% and captured 77% of the vote during his re-election. In recognition of Hardberger as a champion of quality of life projects, the City of San Antonio changed the name of Voelcker Park to Phil Hardberger Park, a 311-acre nature and fitness-oriented park that includes hiking trails, dog parks, picnic areas, basketball courts, multi-use fields and a savannah restoration project. Prior to serving as mayor, Hardberger was elected to the Fourth Court of Appeals where he served as Associate Justice and Chief Justice. He is now a shareholder at Cox Smith, where he provides counsel to the firm’s litigation and appellate practices.

Special Guest: Ford Bell, President, American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C.

AAM Update

Ford W. Bell leads the American Association of Museums (AAM) at a time of great change in the way museums gain support, establish their public value, and sustain audiences. Bell will offer his observations on the state of museums in America and the ongoing work of AAM. Based on his active involvement in advocacy for museums, he will offer an update on the legislative climate in Washington, D.C. and how we can all advocate on behalf of museums. President of AAM since June 2007, he speaks often of his passion for museums and his clear understanding of the important role that museums play as places of lifelong learning and inspiration. A board-certified veterinary oncologist, Bell credits his early appreciation of nature and science to his many childhood visits to museums. 

Pre-registration is required. Cost is $28.

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Offsite Plenary Session: Industry Issues San Antonio Museum of Art

Texas has two representatives on the American Association of Museums (AAM) Board of Directors, Patty Ortiz of San Antonio and Van Romans of Fort Worth. Ortiz and Romans will join AAM President Ford Bell on a panel to consider pressing industry issues that currently impact or will soon affect museums in Texas. This general session will not only bring news from the national level to TAM members but will also inform our AAM representatives about concerns shared by museum professionals in Texas. Katherine Luber, recently appointed new Kelso Director of the San Antonio Museum of Art, will moderate this informal and informative discussion.

Moderator: Katherine Luber, Kelso Director, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio

Panelists: Ford Bell, President, AAM, Washington, D.C.

Patty Ortiz, Executive Director/Curator, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Antonio

Van Romans, President, Fort Worth Museum of Science & History, Fort Worth

This session will be held in the Auditorium at the San Antonio Museum of Art. The museum is located a short distance from the El Tropicano Hotel on the River Walk.

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Offsite Tour:

The King William District spans 25 blocks on the south banks of the San Antonio River. The first residential historic district in the state, the King William District encompasses extraordinary historic architecture and captures a by-gone era. Take advantage of special behind-the-scenes tours at the Italianate mansion Villa Finale (1878), the first and only National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site in Texas, and the Steves Homestead (1876), a three-story Victorian French Second Empire style home.

Pre-registration is required. Participation limited to 50; first-come, first-served. Cost is $20.

Buses will depart the El Tropicano River Walk starting at 2:30 p.m. and will return by 4:30 p.m.

2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Navigating the River Styx: Dealing with Paranormal Investigators

Many museums are approached by amateur and professional paranormal investigation groups to assess paranormal activity at their sites. Sometimes investigators infiltrate a tour posing as a visitor and try to take over docent led tours. How might an institution develop and implement firm policies that will allow museums to be fair to all groups? Hear not only from museum representatives who can offer pros and cons of allowing paranormal investigations, but also from an investigator. Included in the comments will be ways for a museum to handle the increase in interest in paranormal activities after the release of investigators’ findings.

Chaired by: Emily Carrington, Collections Intern, Historic Waco Foundation, Waco

"Pop," Founder and Lead Investigator, Central Texas Paranormal Society, Waco

Jack N. McKinney, Executive Director, Dr Pepper Museum, Waco

James Yasko, Director of Education, The Hermitage Museum-Home of Andrew Jackson, Nashville, TN

2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Working with Large Object Collections Storage: An Action Guide Approach

This session will cover the design and implementation of a daily work guide and manual for the management of large object collection storage. Areas to be identified include the need for 2-D and 3-D floor plans; inventory and material types that might affect accessibility; outlined agendas for photography, exhibition, and general processing. This session will examine the continued need to provide an understanding of past practice as well as special concerns with arrangement and material type. Participants will hear practical solutions to the organization and access of large object collections storage.

Chair: Henry B. Crawford, Curator of History, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock

Brian C. Briggs, Student Team Leader/Special Projects, History Division, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock

Amy Fulkerson, Collections Manager, Witte Museum, San Antonio

2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Curriculum Enhancement and Other Fun Programs

With schools teach focusing on basic skills, there seems to be little time left for the arts and humanities. Educators acknowledge the importance of arts and humanities in the quality of life but what can they do? Is there a way that museums might effectively reach schools and students without detracting from the required classes that enforce the testing program? Some districts have found ways to achieve this and even helping with the funding of programs that work art, history, geography and other disciplines into the curriculum.

Chaired by: Viola Moore, Director, Carson County Square House Museum, Panhandle

Allen Lea, Executive Director, McFaddin-Ward House, Beaumont

Ali Tiegs, Executive Director, Window On a Wider World (WOWW), Amarillo

3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Refreshment Break

3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Affinity Group Meetings

Collections Managers Committee (CMC)

Marketing/PR and Media (M&M)

5:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall closes

5:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Evening Event: This event includes stops at two museums for one ticket price! Visit the Institute of Texan Cultures during cocktail hour then move on to the San Antonio Art Museum for the rest of the party. Buses will shuttle between the hotel and the venues; last bus will leave the Institute of Texan Cultures at 7:00 p.m.

Institute of Texan Cultures Offsite  

Visit the Institute of Texan Cultures for a "Cultural Extravaganza" celebration that shows how Texas has more to offer than cowboy boots and ten-gallon hats. Catch a snapshot of the real Texas as the museum comes to life with costumed dancers performing in their unique styles, reminiscent of San Antonio’s 1968 HemisFair: A Confluence of Cultures. After the performance, immerse yourself in the history of the state, as told through the stories of its diverse people from more than 20 cultural groups. Currently on exhibit, "Timeless Texas Toys" explores another aspect of Texas culture: folk toys and the ingenuity, art, and design they express, along with the social roles and cultural values they teach.

San Antonio Museum of Art Offsite

Savor Local Flavor: A Night of Authentic San Antonio at SAMA

Visit the San Antonio Museum of Art for a special celebration of all things “local!” Enjoy the famous flavors of San Antonio while touring SAMA’s galleries of more than 25,000 objects representing 5,000 years of art and culture, housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery complex along the San Antonio River. TAM guests will view several special exhibitions, enjoy a local favorite marimba band, and savor fabulous food and drinks. Guests will dine on hand-patted gorditas, empanadas, handcrafted guacamole, jalapeno quail bites, chimichurri roasted tenderloin and more while sipping hand-shaken margaritas and San Antonio’s own “Alamo Ale.”

While savoring local flavors, guests will have the opportunity to visit three exhibitions on view, each celebrating renowned collections of local San Antonio collectors. San Antonio Collects: Contemporary includes over 90 works of art by internationally recognized contemporary artists. San Antonio Collects: African American Artists includes works by Jacob Lawrence, Richard Dempsey, Henry O. Tanner, Hale Woodruff and more. San Antonio Collects: Theodore Gentilz and Mission Life of San Antonio profiles the work of French-born San Antonio artist Theodore Gentilz and his beautifully evocative 19th century paintings of San Antonio’s famous missions. Also on view are SAMA’s permanent collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, Asian art, Latin American art, American paintings and contemporary art.

Pick up your special gift for TAM members at the end of the evening. If you wish to forego the bus ride back, grab one of San Antonio’s famous paletas to go and enjoy a short (5-10 minute) moonlight stroll along the new Museum Reach of the Riverwalk back to the El Tropicano Hotel.

Pre-registration is required. Participation is limited. $38 fee includes receptions at both museums and transportation. 

Buses will depart the El Tropicano River Walk for the Institute of Texan Cultures starting at 5:00 p.m. Buses will depart the El Tropicano River Walk for San Antonio Museum of Art starting at 6:15 p.m.

Buses will move between the two venues until 7:00 p.m.

All buses will return to the hotel by 9:30 p.m.