Thursday, Oct 3
8:00 am
Registration Open
Conference registration open at the Lunenburg Opera House (all day).
9:30 am
Walking Tour (Pre-Conference Activity)
Join Lunenburg Walking Tours for a walking tour of Old Town Lunenburg, one of only two urban communities in North America designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Seventy percent of the original colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries continue to greet visitors with their colourful façades, and your guide will wow you with the equally colourful history of the town. The tour will visit Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, and Knaut-Rhuland House.
11:00 am
Revenue Generation for Museums (Pre-Conference Activity)
This interactive session is focused on opportunities for museums to generate revenue to support their core operational costs. Topics include fundraising (donations, sponsorships, and special events), rental of museum space, and the sale of gifts and promotional items.
Speaker:
David Oyler
David Oyler Consulting
12:00 pm
Lunch (on your own)
You’re welcome to enjoy lunch any of Lunenburg’s many restaurants, most of which are a short walk from the Conference location of the Lunenburg Opera House.
1:15 pm
Conference Begins – Welcoming Remarks
Lunenburg Opera House
1:30 pm
Opening Keynote
Involving Communities in Exhibit Design and Engagement
Description coming soon.
L’Rai Arthur-Mensah is a Project Director with Local Projects. Credits include The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, The Fashion For Good Experience in Amsterdam, Netherlands and The Greenwood Rising Museum in Tulsa, OK. Prior to joining Local Projects L’Rai worked as a lead on projects ranging from implementing mixed reality experiences at the Superbowl to creating an online digital version of Kara Walker’s Sugar Baby with Creative Time. L’Rai holds a B.S.E in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.
2:15 pm
Break
2:30 pm
Session 1
Luv Sic: The 5 Love Languages for Museums
Lunenburg Opera House
Based on Gary Chapman’s 5 love languages this will be a look at how we (or how we don’t) love our Guests. The five love languages are:
- Words of affirmation – how museums have a voice/ presence in community
- Quality time – Museum experience and how we connect with our visitors
- Gifts – Free Admission, community support
- Acts of service – blockbusters and economic impacts
- Touch – staff interactions
The core of this will be about exhibition and experience development but will prompt the question, “Are we really in love with our visitors?”.
Speaker:
Jeff Gray
Manager, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
3:05 pm
Session 2
Museums as Medicine? Exploring the Healing Potential of Cultural Spaces
Lunenburg Opera House
Unpack the power of cultural spaces to support health and wellbeing. Drawing on expertise in mental health and wellness, leisure participation, equity and inclusion, community engagement and more, Christian will reflect on his time as the lead of ROM’s social prescribing pilot program while sharing the stories, successes, challenges and considerations for organizations interested in enhancing community health and wellbeing.
Speaker:
Christian Blake
OT Reg. (Ont.), ANSM Consultant for Prescribing Museums Project
3:40 pm
Break
4:00 pm
Session 3
Repatriation is Relational: Honouring Indigenous Cultural Heritage
Join us for a lively panel where Indigenous leaders share their experiences with repatriation and rematriation efforts alongside the Canadian Museums Association. From local communities to national movements, we’ll dive into how Indigenous Cultural Heritage Rights are being supported and uplifted. Our panelists will also highlight their collaborations with museums, governments, and international organizations to preserve and protect Indigenous cultural heritage for future generations.
Moderator:
Janis Kahentóktha Monture
Executive Director, CMA
Speakers:
Heather Stevens
Manager & Senior Heritage Interpreter, Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre
Tim Bernard
Executive Director, The Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre
Stephanie Danyluk
Sr Manager Community Engagement, CMA
5:00 pm
Beer Tasting and Tour (Pre-Dinner Activity)
Ring in the ANSM 2024 Conference at the Lunenburg Academy! Come for the Meet & Greet and try the famous Bell Ringer Red, a beer created in honour of the Lunenburg Academy!
6:30 pm
Awards Dinner
The Old Fish Factory Restaurant (Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic)
8:30 pm
Trivia Night (Optional)
Everyone is welcome to Thursday night trivia at Shipright Brewing Company.
Friday, Oct 4
7:30 am
Early Bird Walk
Join Hilda from the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic for a Back Harbour Trail Walk. Meet at XXXX at 7:30 am.
8:45 am
Open for Coffee
Lunenburg Opera House open for coffee and preparing for day two.
9:00 am
Opening Remarks
Lunenburg Opera House
9:30 am
Session 4
Intentional Partnership Development and Community Building
These museums in Nova Scotia have been exemplary in transforming their spaces into community hubs through creative programming and unique partnerships. We look forward to your participation in what will be a lively and engaging interactive panel discussion.
Moderated by:
Hilda Russell
Curator of Interpretation, Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic
Tegan Rowlings
Curator, Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum
John Verlinden
President, Musquodoboit Harbour Heritage Society
Michael Huggins
Regional Coordinator, Nova Scotia Museum
Rosie Browning
Senior Heritage Interpreter, Clifton Museum Park & Shand House Museum
Angie MacIsaac
Manager, Strait Area Museum
Laura Bennett
Director, Nova Scotia Museum
10:30 am
Break
11:00 am
Concurrent Session 1-A
Perspectives on Preservation
This panel explores non-traditional preservation activities in museums, featuring speakers on automating preservation processes, using collections databases as preservation tools, and leveraging podcasting as a dynamic preservation activity. Discover how technology and media can safeguard cultural heritage for future generations.
Ian Lougheed
Conservator, Museum of Natural History
Karin Kierstead
Programs Manager, ANSM
Shawn Smith
Loyalist Connections
Concurrent Session 1-B
Digging Deeper: Climate Change Change and Archaeology in Nova Scotia and its Relationship to Museums and Heritage Organizations
An introduction to the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Nova Scotia’s Archaeology Sector (who we are and our program)
Our planned activities and how they relate to museums, heritage organizations and the public
How you and your organization can help (and how we might be able to help you)
Samantha Brannen
Director, Barrington Museum Complex
Andrea Richardson
Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator – Archaeology Cape Sable Historical Society
12:00 pm
Lunch
Lunch provided at the Lunenburg Opera House
1:00 pm
Concurrent Session 2-A
From Photographs to Propaganda: How do we Talk to Audiences About Difficult Subjects
The Army Museum plays a crucial role in educating visitors and students about complex and challenging subjects like racism and death. By providing historical context and personal stories, we strive to create a safe space for discussion and reflection. We employ exhibits, artifacts, and interactive displays to highlight the human impact of war, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and problem solving. Through guided tours and educational programs, visitors and students are encouraged to engage with these difficult topics,fostering empathy, awareness, and a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made in the pursuit of justice and peace.
Julie Thomas
Curator, The Army Museum Halifax
Chara Kingston
Collections Manager, The Army Museum Halifax
Concurrent Session 2-B
Connecting to Classrooms: A Hands-On Workshop to Develop an Educational Program for Museums
- Methods of engaging with learners
- Incorporating curriculum connections and inquiry-based learning into programming
- Overview of NovaMuseEd and its offerings
- Hands-on group activity: Develop an idea for an educational program using prompts and existing participant ideas and programs
Alyssa Giles
Member Services Coordinator, ANSM
1:45 pm
Break
2:00 pm
Concurrent Session 3-A
The Power of Storytelling: How to Better Engage Your Audience
Decades of journalism and broadcasting experience are applied to sharing history on the page, on stage, and in the museum. Seven years ago Bruce Rainnie added CEO of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame to his resume, which includes a lengthy career of Olympic sport broadcasting, supper-hour news anchoring, and major event hosting. This session will share what he’s learned about showcasing your museum’s greatest assets—its stories. Learn how to hook your audience, how to say more with less, and how to perfectly pace a story in order to make history, community, and memory come to life!
Speaker:
Bruce Rainee
President & CEO, Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame
Concurrent Session 3-B
Higher Education and Museums: Reflecting on Exhibit Evaluation as Part of Participatory Learning
This panel will outline the development and delivery of a museum graduate course for the Master of Information program at Dalhousie University. Current and past students will be invited to participate in this session to share their perspective on partnerships between higher education and the museum community.
Sandi Stewart
Lecturer (part-time), Dalhousie University) and Student Panel
2:50 pm
Break
3:00 pm
Closing Keynote
“It Takes All of Us”
Janis Kahentóktha Monture
Executive Director, CMA
Museums, heritage sites and cultural centres are at the heart of any community. As a result, these cultural heritage organizations rely heavily on community volunteers and community support to sustain them. However, we know that despite the community’s best efforts it takes a lot of resources to ensure that these museums and organizations can succeed and meet the community’s needs when it comes to programming, exhibitions and collections management.
Advocacy for museums is more than just funding. It is highlighting the amazing research, exhibitions and programs the sector creates each year. How these exhibitions and programming showcase our diverse communities and reflect on the work museums are doing towards reconciliation.
That is why advocacy plays such a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability of the museum and cultural heritage sector. This advocacy can come in many forms and not only is restricted to government relations (although this is a key piece) but also public relations with our communities we serve. Museums tend to be humble organizations. However, now more than ever we need to shout from our rooftops. We need to tell the rest of this country how integral and vital these organizations are to the fabric of our communities.