2024 Conference reflections

Reflection by Jessica Rehfield

Salem Art Association & Bush House Museum

I am so grateful to have been a recipient of scholarship funds that supported my attendance and travel to the 2024 OMA conference in Coos Bay. In addition to the many resources I learned about, the theme and events were on point and the people were a treasure! WOW, museum people! As a presenter, this support enabled me to get to the conference to share my organization’s work and connect with session attendees, many of whom were interested to create connections about the presentation topic. As a conference attendee, I was able to attend so many presentations and learn from excellent speakers on critical topics - it truly felt like being part of a museum vacation super-hub for community networking and learning and I couldn’t have been happier! I learned about so many useful, necessary resources that I was able to bring back to my home institution including Oregon Heritage resources, online collections curation/social media strategies and relevant information from funders - based on my experiences, my mentors and peers at work absolutely want to attend next year’s conference in Independence and to keep connecting with other OMA members. Thank you for this amazing opportunity to meet and learn from OMA members all around the state. Go, Museum People!

Reflection by Abbey Nickerson

Abbey is a recent graduate of Oregon State University now representing Experiment PDX, a new interactive science museum in Portland

As an early career museum professional, this conference gave me more perspective on the challenges shared by institutions across the field. The myriad of topics I had questions about surrounded mostly the building of relationships. Professional working ties that I can go to with questions and for support. In the workshops and affinity group settings, there were honest conversations about what forming these relationships looks like. Ranging from community partnerships, to colleagues, to coworkers I felt I had taken a crash course in networking and relationship building.

Centering Staff Passion to Spark Collaboration as a workshop really contextualized challenges with workload and relationships amongst coworkers as something that all institutions face. Going around the room discussing with other museum professionals I was comforted by the understanding and greeted with advice to play to my co-worker’s strengths. Try to give jobs based on interest and passion, while centering questions on what is realistic and what needs to be prioritized.

The conclusions I had drawn from these spaces is that consistency and communication are key. Relationship maintenance is similar across the spectrum of human connections, in these professional ties the courtesy of recognizing your limitations, either set by your schedule, your institution’s goals or your budget is important. Your intentions with a relationship may not always pan out. Communicating these potential shortcomings, I have learned helps to temper expectations and keep goals measurably within reach.

I met and introduced myself to new colleagues and I caught up with mentor figures, and I met new peers who recounted experiences I navigated only a year ago. Most interactions challenged me to either seek advice, listen to seasoned professionals, or to my younger peers dispense what experience and advice I had traversing postgraduate programs.

I remember at my first conference making a point to write out questions during workshops, I wanted to ask things that got to the heart of my curiosity. I remember it being much harder to parse what I wanted to ask. This year I felt a level of clarity. I felt a had something to impart on my younger peers and I had the language to ask specific questions to more established professionals.

For me this conference gave me the clarity I needed to maneuver the industry. To see the people I admire and look up to as people I can reach out to. I hope that through more consistent and sustained communication I can begin to put these newfound strategies to good use.

Reflection by Olivia Black

Olivia is a senior at the University of Oregon, majoring in Environmental Studies

Ebb and flow. As the Oxford Dictionary shares, a “rhythmical pattern of coming and going or decline and regrowth.” To me, there’s no more fitting description of the state of our profession. As much as waves can shape shifting sands, museums must reflect the evolving narratives and histories of our communities.  

Attending the OMA conference as an emerging professional was an incredible opportunity for me as I heard from people about their passions, successes, and challenges in the field. Not only were the breakout sessions informative (shout out to the Wasq’u Curriculum project’s inspiring presentation) but everyone was beyond supportive sharing their own experiences and answering my many, many questions. I’m grateful for the pages of notes I’ve gathered to look back on as I start my graduate school applications. More than anything, the conference has reinforced my desire to work with museums.

And as an aspiring museum educator, I’m beyond excited to take what I’ve learned from these last two days and apply it to my own work. Thank you to the OMA staff for the privilege of attending the conference, and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next!