TAM 2024 Lubbock Workshops and Tours

TAM 2024 Workshops 

Pre-Conference Workshop:

Evaluative Thinking

Laureen Trainer, Principal, Trainer Evaluation; Inez Wolins, Assistant Deputy Executive Director of Historic Sites, Texas Historical Commission.
Workshop sponsored by the Texas Historical Commission. 

Explore evaluative thinking—a process of inquisitive curiosity and iterative reflection. Learn to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and seek diverse perspectives. This workshop guides you in uncovering insights about your programs and exhibitions. Join us to discover how evaluative thinking informs design, storytelling, and program goals. Register now to embark on a journey of continuous improvement.

Sunday, April 14, 2024 
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Science Spectrum & OMNI Theater
Learn More & Register Here 

Conference Workshops:

Narrative Development: Finding Story Within Collections

J. Maisie Duncan, Curator of Exhibits and Interpretation, National Mounted Warrior Museum; Sherry E. McDowney, Curator of Collections, National Mounted Warrior Museum; Mikaela Young, Curator of Exhibits & Collections , Bell County Museum; Kayte Ricketts, Education Coordinator, Bell County Museum

Unlock the power of storytelling in museums! Learn from Bell County and National Mounted Warrior Museums as they share insights on narrative concepts, challenges, and departmental approaches. This interactive workshop offers practical takeaways on themes, storytelling techniques, and the synergy between narrative and education. Join us to fuel your museum's interpretation goals. 

Tuesday, April 16, 2024  
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
The Museum of Texas Tech University
Learn More & Register Here

Navigating the Digital Frontier: Trends and Strategies

Danielle Brissette, Magoffin Home, Texas Historical Commission; Adyson Brady, Don Harrington Discovery Center; Lea Hart, W. K. Gordon Museum & Research Center. 

Join three experts from diverse museum backgrounds as they guide participants through the essentials of online engagement using analytics, crafting versatile content tailored to various topics, audiences, and goals, and harnessing project management skills and systems to streamline your planning, campaign implementation, and media utilization, making the process efficient and stress-free.

Tuesday, April 16, 2024  
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
The Museum of Texas Tech University
Learn More & Register Here

Preserving the Past, Ensuring the Future: Exploring the Relevancy and Sustainability of Historic Sites and Houses

Gary Smith, President, The Summerlee Foundation; Rachael A. Nadeau Johnson, Collections Manager, Dr Pepper Museum; Rowena Dasch, Executive Director, Neill-Cochran House Museum; Shae Nawoj, Assistant Historic Site Supervisor, Log Cabin Village; Erik Swanson, Executive Director, Historic Waco

How are historic sites and houses maintaining or growing their relevancy and sustainability? Using Gary Smith’s Summerlee Report as a catalyst, the first portion of this workshop will look at Log Cabin Village, Neill-Cochran House Museum, Dr Pepper Museum, and Historic Waco to see what efforts they are making towards their relevancy and sustainability in their communities and beyond. The second part of this workshop will open the discussion of relevancy and sustainability to attendees. Through case studies and group discussions, attendees will come away with practical takeaways to bring back to their historic sites and houses. 

Tuesday, April 16, 2024  
3:15 pm - 5:45 pm
The Museum of Texas Tech University
Learn More & Register Here

Inexpensive Garment Mounts or How to Alter What You Have For Displaying Historic Costumes

Melanie Sanford, Principal, Conserving Threads

Explore the art of displaying historic costumes in this hands-on workshop. Learn about store-bought and museum-grade display forms, best practices, and altering suggestions. The second part features hands-on experience with Fosshape, a museum-grade fabric for crafting temporary mounts. Create an outer display shell for historic garments. Attendees can bring their own display mount or use those provided during the workshop.

This workshop is sponsored by Siebler, Inc. 

Tuesday, April 16, 2024  
3:15 pm - 5:45 pm
The Museum of Texas Tech University
Learn More & Register Here

TAM 2024 Tours

Texas Tech Public Art Tour

All aboard the Art Cart to see one of the nation’s top 10 outdoor art museums, an experience that will leave you wondering if you’re still in Lubbock. Executive Director of Public Art Emily Wilkinson will be your tour guide as you explore one of the largest public art collections of any university. These site-specific artworks were commissioned specifically for the Texas Tech University System, so this is the only place in the world you’ll be able to see many of these pieces. You’ll hear behind the scenes information about why each piece was chosen, as well as interesting facts about the artists, materials, conservation, and installations.

Tuesday, April 16, 2024  
4:00 pm
Art Cart Leaves from the Museum of Texas Tech University
Learn More & Register Here

Hank the Cowdog & The National Ranching Heritage Center

Join us on an exclusive tour at the National Ranching Heritage Center! Explore a project born in our education department, featuring a collaboration with children's book author John R. Erickson of the Hank the Cowdog series. Discover the impact on education, partnerships, and the creation of the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center—an $8 million exhibit aimed at expanding public knowledge about ranching. Don't miss this firsthand look and engaging discussion. 

Tuesday, April 16, 2024  
3:00 pm
The National Ranching Heritage Center
Learn More & Register Here