The Louisiana Association of Museums currently has a traveling exhibition of
art and artifacts from twenty-six museums throughout the state, scheduled to
be seen at six different institutions.  Increasing awareness, surely,
increasing attendance and perceived value, we hope.  (Project Director
Herman Mhire can be contacted at (337)232-7881.)
Kent Plantation House, a historic site and museum, has collaborated on
several events with the parish (county) library system.  Our "Tales Along
the Bayou" Halloween ghost-storytelling sessions have more than doubled in
size in two years, and last summer we hosted their summer reading program
kickoff with 600+ children, featuring traditional craftspeople in addition
to a puppet show.
The area Arts & Humanities Council has this year become very proactive,
encouraging collaborations between member organizations.  We are looking
into jointly sponsoring a summer camp in the future with a children's
theater.  We ALWAYS solicit loans from other institutions and organizations
for exhibits, with cooperation by some and not others.  It's curious to see
the occasional lack of understanding of the mutual and greater benefits of
not jealously protecting some narrow "turf", generally traceable to an
individual.

Carolyn Breedlove
Executive Director
Kent Plantation House
Alexandria, LA
-----Original Message-----
From: Ellen B. Cutler <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2000 4:33 PM
Subject: Re: Museum Collaborations


>I look forward to reading answers to this question.  It certainly has
seemed
>to be that cultural  organizations seem to spend more energy on fighting
for
>a piece of a dwindling pie than they do on increasing the size of the pie.
>Surely there are examples of collaborations out there that have resulted in
>increased attendance, funding, membership, and value in the eyes of the
>public (and local government)?
>
>Ellen Cutler
>Aberdeen, MD
>----- Original Message -----
>From: elizabeth Nora <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2000 8:03 AM
>Subject: Museum Collaborations
>
>
>> Hello and Happy Holidays!  I have a few questions regarding museum
>> collaborations and I am wondering if anyone can provide me with some
>> information.  Recently, my museum began to participate in monthly
meetings
>> for a collaboration that just began.  This group includes mostly
>educators,
>> some directors and curators.  The institutions participating are four
>> history museums, a metropolitan park well on its way to being a botanical
>> garden, two art museums, and a planetarium. We have met about 5 times
now.
>> Most of our meetings have concerned what we hope to do, but we have had
no
>> agendas.  We have just pinpointed three goals for the year 2001 but have
>no
>> committees.  Two of us are fighting for the survival of the group and are
>> willing to work hard.  The others are followers.  I am afraid that we are
>> going to fail as a group even though the community we live in needs us
>> badly.  We are centrally located, being within 3 miles of a rapidly
>> dwindling downtown, but neighbors to a growing university, Youngstown
>State.
>>   Here are some questions for those of you who participate in successful
>> collaborations.  1.  Have you set up committees or designated individuals
>in
>> leadership roles (i.e. president, vice, secretary, etc.)?  2.  Who else
>> should we include?  We have some other arts organizations and also social
>> services agencies, schools, etc. nearby.  3.  What kinds of goals did you
>> set early, and did you accomplish them?  4.  Did you get media support?
>5.
>> Did you get funding, or establish yourselves as a separate entity?  6.
Is
>> there any advice you want to offer to us.  Whew!  I know that is a lot
but
>I
>> hope someone will help.  This is so important to me and it is necessary
>for
>> the community.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Elizabeth J. Nohra
>> Assistant Director
>> Mahoning Valley Historical Society
>> Arms Family Museum of Local History
>> 648 Wick Avenue
>> Youngstown, Ohio 44502
>> 330-743-2589
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