IMA Plugged-In is a free monthly opportunity for museum professionals and volunteers to connect around topics of interest to the museum field.
IMA Plugged-In is provided by the Iowa Museum Association the third Monday of the month at noon. This one-hour opportunity to lunch, learn, and engage varies from facilitated conversations to presentations.
Sessions presented in 2024 will be posted after they are presented live.
Tuesday, January 16 (due to Martin Luther King Day). “Rethinking the ever-changing world of Social Media.” How can museums leverage this moment in time with the ever-changing world of social media? Which channels should we maintain and where should we let go? Where can we grow? Reexamine your ideas of how to build value with your content and get inspired by creative experimentation, trends, and playfulness on social media in this presentation from the University of Iowa. Jessica Smith, Communications Coordinator, and Abby Fowler, Pentacrest Museums, Iowa City.
Monday, February 19 (Presidents’ Day) “What to Clean When and With What: Historic House Museums.” If you or your organization are the caretakers of a historic house museum you know how daunting and time-consuming cleaning and maintenance are. With such mix-use spaces and mix-material collections it can be hard to know what is best when it comes to cleaning the house and your objects. Montauk Historic Site Coordinator, Hannah Frederick, will discuss the dos and don’ts of cleaning in a historic house museum, professional best practices, and creating a cleaning plan and schedule.
Monday, March 18 Activism and Museums. Activism in museums is not a new concept. David shares a number of activist events that have occurred in museums and presents thought provoking questions to consider if your museum is asked to allow groups to use museum spaces.
David Bright is the Associate Director of the Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center, and a member of the Board of the Iowa Museum Association. Dave currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the American Bar Association’s Art & Cultural Heritage Law Committee, and regularly contributes to its section of the American Bar Association’s Year In Review publication. He is a frequent speaker at colleges and universities, nonprofits, and continuing education events on topics including nonprofit and tax-exempt governance, and art and museum law. He also teaches Art, Law, & Ethics; Cultural Property & Heritage; and Art & Entertainment Law at the College of Law, University of Iowa.
The power went out while we were recording Eric’s presentation. The video below picks up when the power came back on! We hope to re-record and put up a complete recording at a later date.
We will also be posting the slides from Eric’s presentation.
Monday, April 15 Demystifying the Board’s Role in Fundraising. Eric Heininger, CFRE, President, EDEN+ Fundraising Consulting. Every person can make an impact on fundraising in an organization whether or not they are comfortable making an ask. In this session, we will walk through the 10 steps of the donor lifecycle and how board members, staff, and volunteers can participate at each stage. Learn to mobilize your team where they feel comfortable and can make the biggest difference.
Monday, May 20 Amazing Space, A Leader in Regenerative Interpretive Centers. Amazing Space, Indian Creek Nature Center’s 12,000 square foot interpretive center, was the first building certified as part of the Living Building Challenge program of the International Living Future Institute, making it one of the most sustainable buildings in the Midwest. As a teaching tool and gateway to nature, Amazing Space is NetZero energy, NetZero water, and models biophilia connecting nature and the outdoors with the built environment. Over 80,000 people visit Indian Creek Nature Center annually to learn about sustainability, land restoration, and environmental education.
John Myers has been executive director of Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa since May 2013. Working with the organization’s board of directors, John leads the strategic planning and growth of the organization ensuring that its vision to create champions of nature is achieved. He has led the organization’s growth with the design and construction of Amazing Space, reinvention of programming, and more than doubling the staff size, the annual budget, and the land the organization owns. John has a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration and is an Eagle Scout. John and his wife, Meridith, reside in Marion, Iowa with their three children. SPONSORED BY:
Monday, June 17 Post Exhibit / Summative Evaluation. Dr. Heidi Lung, WIU-QC Museum Studies Program.
Dr. Heidi Lung is dedicated to training museum professionals and supporting museums in meeting organizational goals. Heidi currently serves as a mentor in the STEPS-IMA program and served on the IMA board from 2016-22. She joined Western Illinois University-Quad Cities as Associate Professor and Director of the Museum Studies Graduate Program in 2022, and previously served as Director of the Museum Studies program at The University of Iowa. Heidi earned a B.A. in art history, an M.A. in history, a Graduate Certificate in museum studies, and a Ph.D. in education. Before moving to Iowa in 2015, Heidi lived in St. Louis, Missouri, where she worked in museum education, outreach, and administration at the Saint Louis Art Museum (1998-2008) and the Challenger Center Louis (2008-2015).
Monday, July 15. “Iowa Tourism and iTIP.” Chelsea Lerud, Executive Director, Iowa Travel Industry Partners (iTIP).: Iowa Travel Industry Partners (iTIP) is Iowa’s statewide tourism association designed to be a champion and resource for the industry. Tune in to hear how iTIP can support the work of your organization and some of the latest trends of the tourism industry.
Monday, August 19.
Power of Place. Onnica Marquez recently traveled to Egypt and upon her return prepared a presentation on the power of place. Onnica will talk about how she saw the power of place through the lens of the many historical sites in Egypt.
Monday, September 16. Medical Emergency Preparedness. Brian Helland, retired Clive EMS and medical consultant. What medical training should museum staff have and what medical resources should be available on site?
Monday, November 18 Internship Programs. Case study and academic insights. Audra Roseland, Intern and Volunteer Coordinator for Living Collections, National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium and Heidi Lung, Associate Professor and Director, Museum Studies, WIU QC Museum Studies Program.
This session was presented at the 2024 Iowa Museum Association Conference.
NAGPRA Implementation Updates for Iowa Museums and Institutions. Speaker: Lara Noldner, PhD , Bioarchaeology Director, Office of the State Archaeologist.