The Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) has announced that it will hold its upcoming Annual Conference in Roanoke from March 18 – 21, 2017.
The largest annual gathering of museum professionals in the state, the conference is VAM’s signature event, featuring best practices in museum management, experiential education, and collections care practices.
The conference also features general sessions on hot topics in the museum field, immersive off-site events at local cultural sites, and networking opportunities for students, museum professionals, and business people.
The event will feature Dr. Rex M. Ellis, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) as its keynote speaker.
Dr. Ellis is charged with planning, developing, directing, and managing all curatorial and education and outreach programs and activities at the NMAAHC. Prior to this position, Dr. Ellis was the first African American vice president for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where he managed all programs and operations.
He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Masters in Fine Arts from Wayne State University, a Masters of Divinity from Virginia Union University, and an Ed.D from the College of William and Mary. He is the author of two books, Beneath the Blazing Sun: Stories from the African American Journey, and With a Banjo on My Knee, which chronicles the history of black banjo players from the time of slavery to the present.
Ellis has also served as consultant to organizations such as Old Salem Village, the Henry Ford Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Constitution Center, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, and the Puerto Rican Preservation Trust. He has worked with various institutions in South Africa as well as institutions in New Zealand, France, and Israel.
Jennifer Thomas, VAM’s executive director said that the group is excited to be returning to the Roanoke Valley for a conference for the first time since 2006. “We have some amazing events and sessions planned, as well as some new learning labs and a more open, interactive exhibit hall. Maybe the jewel in the crown of our conference, though, is Dr. Rex Ellis, our keynote speaker from the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. Hearing the story of the museum’s founding is sure to be a highlight for everyone.”
The Virginia Association of Museums helps is a united museum community with over 2,000 members, including individuals, businesses, and member organizations, ranging from historic houses to botanical gardens, aquariums, zoos, children’s museums, historical societies, art museums and galleries, battlefields, military museums, and more.
Learn more about VAM’s Annual Conference online at http://vamuseums.org/
