New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Museum Association of New York

Catherine Gilbert Out As MANY Executive Director

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Catherine Gilbert MANYThe Board of Directors of the Museum Association of New York (MANY) has announced that the organization current Executive Director Catherine Gilbert will “transition out of the Association to pursue new opportunities.”  Gilbert began with the organization in 2008 as Director of Museumwise and continued as director of MANY after the 2012 consolidation of the two organizations.

The board has named Devin Lander as the organization’s new Executive Director, effective June 2, 2014. “Devin brings years of legislative and advocacy work built on a foundation of museum and cultural heritage experience,” according to a statement MANY issued this week. [Read more…] about Catherine Gilbert Out As MANY Executive Director

Museums in Action Annual Conference Announced

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Albany PhotoThe Museums in Action conference is planned for Albany, March 30 through April 1, 2014. Museums in Action is the annual professional conference of the Museum Association of New York. This year’s conference theme is “STEM to STEAM” as well as “Museum ‘Must-Haves'”. Keynote speakers will include Susan Hildreth, Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services and Roger Tilles, Board of Regents, New York State Education Department.

A new addition to the conference will be Coffee Talks that will allow for directors, curators, development staff and independent museum professionals to gather with colleagues and discuss what’s important to them, bounce ideas around the room and network. [Read more…] about Museums in Action Annual Conference Announced

Museum Association of NY Award Nominations Sought

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MANY LogoThe Museum Association of New York (MANY) has extended the deadline for its Awards of Merit nominations to this Friday, December 20, 2013. The Awards of Merit program acknowledges outstanding programs and individuals who have made the state’s museum community richer and more relevant.

They reward the innovative efforts of staff and volunteers and they provide encouragement for the development of new and remarkable projects. Nominations are sought for contributions made in 2013. [Read more…] about Museum Association of NY Award Nominations Sought

History Community Coordination: An Update

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home_revolutionReaders of The New York History Blog may recall that in a previous post I asked if anyone had heard about what had been discussed in Cooperstown at the NYSHA conference in a private meeting involving the Association of Public Historians of New York State (APHNYS), the New York State historical Association (NYSHA), and the New York State Historian among others.

Some of those discussions have now been reported in the APHNYS newsletter. The following excerpts are from the newsletter. [Read more…] about History Community Coordination: An Update

$60,000,000 History Questions For Andrew Cuomo

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PathThroughHistorySomeone I know sent me an e-mail in response to my posts about the Path through History asking me “What do you think has motivated Cuomo to launch the $60 million tourism initiative?”

That is a big question and I don’t claim to be privy to the inner sanctum of the Albany decision-makers or to the workings of Cuomo’s mind.

What follows then is a speculation on my part. [Read more…] about $60,000,000 History Questions For Andrew Cuomo

Peter Feinman: The MANY / Museumwise Conference

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On April 22-24, MANY and Museumwise held their annual conference in Albany. The two organizations are in the processing of merging which should be a good thing. Due to all the commotion over the NYS Regents, the Core Curriculum, and the state requirements in social studies for high school graduation, I have been delayed in posting about that conference. [Read more…] about Peter Feinman: The MANY / Museumwise Conference

Size Matters: Advocating for New York History

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Since my emergency post of April 22 a lot has happened.

1. MANY/Museumwise held its annual conference
2. APHNYS held its annual conference at the same time
3. The NYS Board of Regents met
4. Gov. Cuomo created a New York Education Reform Commission
5. Gov. Cuomo’s “Path Through History” initiative scheduled a meeting for May 21

Let’s see if it is possible to make sense of some of these developments. [Read more…] about Size Matters: Advocating for New York History

Budget, New Funding Boosts New York History

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This week Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced $89 million for in New York Works funding for capital improvements at 48 specific state parks and historic sites that account for 37 million of the park system’s 57 million annual visitors. The state budget signed last week also includes $35.6 million in total funding for the New York State Council on the Arts grants, an increase of $4 million. The Environmental Protection Fund is unchanged, at $134 million which includes 9M for the Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquariums Program and additional monies for some historic preservation projects. According to the Museum Association of New York (MANY), there are no cuts in jobs or programs at the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, but “Parks would be down 12 jobs, to 1,736, reflecting attrition and the ongoing hiring freeze.” Funding to run the parks would dip slightly, about 2.5 percent, to $211.3 million according to MANY.

According to a press statement issued by the Governor’s office, New York Works is designed to reinvent state economic development with innovative new strategy that will put New Yorkers back to work rebuilding the state’s infrastructure. The Task Force is expected to help create tens of thousands of jobs by coordinating comprehensive capital plans, overseeing investment in infrastructure projects, and accelerating hundreds of critical projects across the state.

Parks & Trails New York was among those who reacted enthusiastically to the New York Works plan. Through a series of reports over the last few years, Parks & Trails New York has attempted to document the challenges facing the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), particularly the agency’s enormous capital projects backlog, and the economic benefit the park system generates for the people and economy of the Empire State.

On a statewide basis, Parks & Trails New York reports that direct spending by OPRHP and spending by visitors to state parks supports up to $1.9 billion in output and sales, $440 million in employment income, and 20,000 jobs. The benefit-to-cost ratio is more than 5-to-1—more than $5 in benefits for every $1 in costs.

A detailing of projects in each region of the state can be found by using the Governor’s press releases here.

Irene and New York State History (Part Two)

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So where do we go from here? The August issue of The Public Historian devoted to “Strengthening the Management of State History: Issues, Perspectives and Insights from New York” was featured in a recent post by Bruce Dearstyne. In these articles, the need for leadership, direction, and coordination in state history is touted. A stronger role for the State Historian is recommended since the present position has been “emasculated.” [Read more…] about Irene and New York State History (Part Two)

Strengthening NY’s Historical Enterprise

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Anyone who follows this website, New York History: Historical News and Views From The Empire State, knows the close to astonishing amount of historical activity going on in our state. New York’s history, I believe, has more variety, interest, and potential for us to draw insights today, than the history of any other state. We have hundreds of historical programs and officially designated local historians. But we also know that the state of the historical enterprise is not as strong as it ought to be. [Read more…] about Strengthening NY’s Historical Enterprise