The GW Museum Studies Program had the honor of hosting the2012 Marie Malaro Award for Excellence in Research and Writing Symposia on April 13, 2012. Samantha Bass, Dixie Clough, and Meghan Mulkerin presented their award-winning papers at the Symposia. Samantha Bass’s “Exhibiting the Sacred,” focused on the proper way of handling and displaying sacred objects in museums. Dixie Clough’s “People Follow People: the Key to a Successful YouTube Strategy for Museums” provided recommendations on how museums today can utilize YouTube to their advantage in many different aspects. Meghan Mulkerin’s “Says Who? Objects and Attribution in Museum Records” demonstrated how inaccurate information can be found in museum records and offered suggestions to rectify the problem. After the student winners presented, the audience heard from Alex Nyerges, Director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, on “Should Museums Exist?” Mr. Nyerges is a 1982 alumnus of the Museum Studies Program. He spoke on the change over time in the purpose of museums from “collecting, preserving, and exhibiting” to a more resolute focus today on the audience. His riveting discussion touched on the importance of accessibility, relevance, and fun in museums and how the next generation of museum professionals needs to focus on continuing to develop these traits in museums. Overall, the Symposia was a wonderful outlet for learning about new and exciting develops in the museum world and a fantastic way of honoring the 2012 Marie Malaro Award Winners!
Alex Nyerges, Director, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Kym Rice, Director, MSTD, Samantha Bass, Meghan Mulkerin, Dixie Clough