A PASSIONATE PROFESSION: INNOVATION & CREATIVITY IN MUSEUMS
Museum Association of New York/Upstate History Alliance
Annual Conference,
April 18-20, 2004, New York City


CALL FOR PROPOSALS- DEADLINE NOVEMBER 20, 2003

"Above all, we are coming to understand that the arts incarnate the
creativity of a free people. When the creative impulse cannot flourish, when
it cannot freely select its methods and objects, when it is deprived of
spontaneity, then society severs the root of arts."‹John F. Kennedy

Museums are inherently creative and inventive institutions. They inspire
generations of people through their presentation of history, science, and
culture. They celebrate the imagination of the individual artist and the
uniqueness of local communities. They teach, they challenge, and they
commemorate. In times of stress and uncertainty, it is important to
celebrate the innovative spirit of museums and the people that keep them
running; to recognize that there is no status quo; to remember that we are
masters at accomplishing a lot with a little.

The MANY/UHA Annual Conference is one of the largest gatherings of museum
professionals in New York state. Each year it brings together a diverse
array of individuals from all types and sizes of museums, historical
societies, and similar cultural organizations. We are excited to be holding
this year¹s conference in New York City, one of the most culturally rich,
diverse, and innovative cities in the world.

We are currently seeking proposals for conference sessions that discuss or
explore aspects related to our theme of creativity and innovation. We are
interested in creating a unique and diverse program for this conference, and
welcome proposals from all areas of the museum field‹collections,
exhibitions, education/outreach, administration, governance, etc. Possible
sessions might address any of the following questions:

--Have you created innovative educational, interpretive, or outreach
programs at your organization? (or seen innovative programs at other
institutions)
--Have you made changes or revisions to your structure, mission, or
programming that could serve as models for other organizations?
--Can you share creative solutions to common problems faced at museums?
--Have you established partnerships or collaborative ventures that encourage
institutional creativity and the sharing of ideas?
--Are you interested in discussing ways museums can be more creative and/or
innovative?
--How do you think museums will reinvent themselves in the future?

While we welcome standard presentation/panel format session proposals, we
hope you will explore using other formats such as roundtable discussions,
debates, or critiques. Sessions can be practical or theoretical in nature.
Do not be afraid to partner different or opposing approaches/solutions to an
issue in the same session.

The deadline for session proposals is NOVEMBER 20, 2003. Please use a
session proposal form available on the UHA website at
www.upstatehistory.org/services/conferences/conferences.html . The completed
form can be mailed to UHA at 11 Ford Ave, Oneonta NY 13820. You may also
e-mail it to [log in to unmask] The proposals will be reviewed by
committee and decisions will be made by January 2004. We also welcome
general comments or suggestions for topics you would like to see covered at
the conference.

If you have any questions or are looking for assistance with developing a
proposal, contact UHA at (800) 895-1648, [log in to unmask]

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