Conversations
View past Conversations on the Commons
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All About Objects: Artifact Care, Description, and Management (21 January 2022)
Filigree or verdigris? Crazing or cracking? There’s a lot of talk about archival processes, but what about object care and description? Do you know how to deal with that mildewed leather portfolio? Pigeon poop on statues or memorials? How do you tag a porcelain teapot? Describe an old painting? What guidelines do you use? Do you have guidelines for your enthusiastic volunteers? We talk about our projects, share our sources, and connect over a conversation on object collections.
Teaching New England Slavery to Kids (7 January 2022)
We tackle the topic of “Teaching New England Slavery to Kids” with Kristin Gallas, the project manager for education development at the Tsongas Industrial History Center and author of the recently published Interpreting Slavery with Children and Teens. Her work offers advice, examples, and replicable practices for slavery-related school and family programs at museums and historic sites. Come and learn with Kristin and share your questions and knowledge.
Membership… A Must? (10 December 2021)
Annual Fund Drives, Giving Tuesday, membership drives, end of year giving, holiday bake sales. Do you do any of these? All of these? How do you ask for money? Does the membership model still work for 2022? If so, how do you administer it? Index cards? Excel sheet? A membership database? We discuss, share, and brainstorm, and get some new ideas in our latest Conversation on the Commons!
Conversations on the Commons January 21: All About Objects
PUBLICK OCCURRENCES -- December 16, 2021
All About Objects: Artifact Care and Description
January 21, 2022, 10:00
Conversations on the Commons January 7: Teaching New England Slavery to Kids
PUBLICK OCCURRENCES -- December 10, 2021
January 7, 2022, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Registration is free. ...
Critical Race Theory: A Primer for Historical Organizations (12 November 2021)
You've probably heard about Critical Race Theory in the news lately, but do you know what it is? Have you addressed it at your museum or historic site? Should you? Do you know how to? What is the difference between Critical Race Theory and African American History? As museums are reimagining their roles and messages in the wake of social, economic, and political changes, we offer a primer on Critical Race Theory and see how to incorporate this work into your own
Archives Hour with the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB): Veterans’ Heritage Grants and more (28 October 2021)
Representatives from the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) talk about resources available to you and your organization for managing historical records. We’ll go over this year’s round of Veterans’ Heritage Grants — the LOI deadline is November 5! — with information on what makes a successful application, we’ll cover the SHRAB Roving Archivist program, which pairs a professional archivist to consult with your institution on how to set up and maintain a space for archival records, and we’ll announce the next cycle of SHRAB Regrants, which allow institutions to apply for up to $500 of funds to pay for archival supplies.
Conversations on the Commons November 12: Critical Race Theory
PUBLICK OCCURRENCES -- November 1, 2021
November 12, 2021, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
With Julia Jeffries, Ph.D. ...
Town Meets Gown: Connections Between Local Historical Societies and Academics (22 October 2021)
How do academic scholars and local museums and historical societies work together? Has your museum worked with scholars and/or researchers? Do you have a long term working relationship with a researcher or public history scholar? What have they worked on for you? How do academics work with historical societies? Have you (scholar or museum) received a grant to do this work? What about student researchers and internship programs? What benefits can they provide to museums, and how can museums cultivate these relationships with students and scholars to further their mission and goals?
Countering Native American Erasure: Practical Steps for History & Cultural Organizations (8 October 2021)
How do local organizations and towns think about Indigenous history and perspective in their own community histories? What are practical ways that we, as members of cultural organizations, can integrate these perspectives into the programs, language, and conversations we have about local history? We ways to counter Native American erasure and build more nuanced and inclusive narratives about Massachusetts history.
Conversations on the Commons: Taking History Across Town! (24 September 2021)
What do you do, and how well does it work? What does not work? Join our panelists, Sabrina Kaplan, Outreach Manager
One Year Later (9 July 2021)
Conversations on the Commons was the MHA's response to the pandemic. Like everyone else, we worked on making hay ...