San Antonio Takes Virtual Stage at Texas Association of Museums Annual 2021 Conference

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:

Krystal Jones, Department of Arts & Culture

210-207-6970, krystal.jones@sanantonio.gov

San Antonio Takes Virtual Stage at Texas Association of Museums Annual 2021 Conference
Program highlights San Antonio art institutions and the City’s Public Art Program

SAN ANTONIO (April 7, 2021) – On April 12 – 16, 2021, San Antonio and its arts community will be presented to leaders of museums and cultural centers throughout Texas and beyond as the virtual host for the Texas Association of Museums (TAM) 2021 Annual Meeting, “Roots and Reckoning: Museums Respond and Refine.”  

Though the meeting was originally scheduled as an in-person conference, TAM and its San Antonio host committee moved the event to an online format to ensure the safety and accessibility of the museum community. The conference includes more than 20 intermediate- and advanced-level breakout and networking sessions crafted for museum administrators, trustees, collections managers, educators, exhibition designers and external relations staff.

"We are saddened to not physically be in San Antonio for the 2021 Annual Meeting, but hope a virtual conference will provide greater access to timely topics at a time when meeting in-person still has its challenges,” said TAM Executive Director Alex Freeman. “Our online conference platform enables us to infuse the flavor of San Antonio and its museums and cultural centers into the experience, and our sessions feature many speakers from the local community. One of our goals is to highlight the richness of the region and entice attendees to come back to San Antonio when we meet there in-person in 2023.”

Plenary sessions that feature national and international thought leaders are also part of the program, including renowned Mexican sculptor Sebastian. Sebastian’s keynote is followed by Sebastian in San Antonio: How to Pull Off a City-Wide Public Art Exhibition of

50+ Years | 20+ Sites | 100+ Works, a presentation by the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture regarding the retrospective exhibit of Sebastian’s work held in San Antonio from October 2019 to May 2020.

In addition, San Antonio-based museums played a key role in planning TAM, including the Witte Museum and San Antonio Museum of Art, who are presenting organizations for Plenary Sessions as well as demonstrations and virtual tours highlighting the arts and culture of San Antonio. Topics covered include A Conversation with Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, Smithsonian Institution on the future of museums, presented by the Witte Museum; Strategies, Outcomes and Missteps in the Field When Tackling Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Work in Museums with Christy Coleman, Executive Director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, presented by the San Antonio Museum of Art; and Systemic Solutions to Systemic Problems: Unlocking Barriers to Equity in Museum Practice with Laura Huerta Migus, Executive Director of the Association of Children’s Museums. Attendees also have opportunities to learn about museum operations, marketing, and management strategies as well as discuss the importance of collaboration between institutions especially during the pandemic.

“San Antonio is shaped by a deep and abiding confluence of cultures, and the city’s innovative museums and cultural centers illuminate an abundance of experiences with art, nature, science, and history,” said Marise McDermott, President and CEO of the Witte Museum and TAM 2021 Local Host Committee Chair. “We look forward to connecting with our esteemed colleagues across Texas, as we explore post-pandemic challenges with redefinition of our museums and cultural gathering places. We know people yearn for cultural experiences, and we look forward to sharing the cultural spaces of San Antonio during this conference and once again in 2023.”

To help provide accessibility to the conference, individual registrations start at $125 and Institutional Members of TAM can provide access to all their staff and volunteers for a tiered price based on full-time staff size. For full details about the TAM 2021 Annual Meeting, including registration details, visit http://www.texasmuseums.org/events/tam-2021-virtual.

About the Texas Association of Museums (TAM): TAM is a nonprofit organization established for educational purposes to provide a network among museums, improve the level of professionalism within the museum community, encourage the use and enjoyment of museums by all Texans, serve as an information clearinghouse for and about museums, and serve as a liaison between museums and museums-related agencies and organizations. www.TexasMuseums.org

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San Antonio is a global city with a dynamic economy and workforce, a deep cultural heritage and diverse communities that are resilient and welcoming. It is one of the strongest fiscally managed cities in the country, nurturing entrepreneurship, encouraging investment and funding infrastructure. America’s seventh-largest city offers a vibrant business climate and growth opportunities in bioscience, financial services, aerospace, cybersecurity, energy, transportation, manufacturing and healthcare. In 2015, UNESCO designated San Antonio’s 18th century Spanish colonial missions as a World Heritage Site – the first in Texas. Proudly called Military City, USA®, San Antonio is home to one of the largest populations of active duty military, veterans and crucial military commands. For more information, visit www.sanantonio.gov

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