Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service's Blog

Museum News and Grant Opportunities

MUSEUM ADVOCACY DAY

 

AAM is pleased to invite you to join other museum advocates and professionals from around the country to participate in Museums Advocacy Day on February 23-24, 2009 in Washington, DC. Participants will learn about the American Asso1ciation of Museum's legislative agenda and how to effectively communicate the value of museums to their representatives in Congress. Following a day of advocacy training and issue briefings, advocates will make scheduled visits to Capitol Hill.

"There could not be a more critical time for museum advocates to make their case to Congress," said AAM President Ford Bell. "With a new president and a full slate of issues facing public policy makers, there is a lot at stake in 2009. We need to make our voices heard."

>>More detailed description of Museums Advocacy Day.

GRANTS FROM TARGET®
Target® will award 5,000 Field Trip Grants of up to $800 each during the 2008-2009 school year. That adds up to 5,000 more opportunities for students to explore more of the world outside the classroom.

Visit the zoo. Go backstage at a local theater. Tour a museum. Explore more with a Field Trip Grant from Target. Apply Now for 2008-2009 Field Trip Grants.

Complete a Target® Field Trip Grant application online anytime between now and Nov. 1, 2008. Only one submission per applicant, please.

SMITHSONIAN COMMUNITY GRANTS
Supported by MetLife Foundation, this grant program allows SITES exhibitors to apply for up to $5,000 for expenses related to public, educational programming produced in conjunction with a SITES exhibit. Exhibitors may choose to enhance current program offerings or to create a new program especially suited to the topic of the exhibition.

Potential programs include, but are not limited to, lecture/film series, family days, student transportation, school tours/workshops, or educational workshops/classes. Apply today!

Finding Photographic Content for Your Next Exhibition: Part II

We're back . . . after what seems like eons. In any case, you're probably wondering about the nitty-gritty of this subject, particularly about costs.

There are a number of variables with the cost scenarios: Tiffany Ruhl, our image guru, suggests that art museums are usually a bit more expensive and that securing images from AP Press or Corbis is the most costly of all--sometimes running in the hundreds for a single use. On the other end of the spectrum, many universities, historical societies, and archives charge anywhere from $20-$100--managble for most institutions. Generally, this price is for an image that's about 300 dpi, but larger, higher-resolution versions can usually be secured for a few extra dollars.

Once you've located the images that you'd like to use, you'll need to fill out the request forms in their entirety. At this point, you must specific how you'll be using the image(s): whether for display, educational purposes, print, or web. Sometimes, there's an "all media" usage fee that covers everything. Once you've submitted the forms, the waiting begins. Turn around times can be as long as four weeks (so plan accordingly). If, however, collections are all digital, and there's somebody whose job it is to receive requests, you may be dealing with a matter of days rather than weeks. The Golden Rule, especially with a tight deadline, is to follow up with a phone call. Even though many of the request forms are available online, talking to a human being can certainly expedite the process.

If you're still wondering where to begin in the first place, Tiffany recommends launching with a simple Google search, and don't underestimate Flickr as a possible source for contemporary images. To date, we've used several Flickr images, without cost, on exhibition panels. We simply asked permission from the publisher and provided a complete credit under the photo. Bottom line is, there are ample resources out there so that your next exhibition can be that much richer . . .