Museum Association of Oklahoma

Museum Association of Oklahoma
Name	Museum Association of Oklahoma
Formation	1973
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Region served	Oklahoma

Museum Association of Oklahoma is a statewide nonprofit organization serving museums, historic sites, and cultural institutions across Oklahoma. It advocates for preservation, professional development, and public engagement among institutions including Oklahoma Historical Society, Gilcrease Museum, Philbrook Museum of Art, Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, and National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. The association connects small local museums, tribal museums, university museums, and state institutions such as University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Northeastern State University, and Wichita State University via statewide networks.

History

The association was founded in the early 1970s amid national movements influenced by organizations like the American Alliance of Museums, the legacy of the Smithsonian Institution, and the cultural policy shifts following the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Early leaders included directors and staff from institutions such as Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Bartlesville Area History Museum, Tulsa Historical Society, Cherokee Heritage Center, and Black Heritage Museum. Collaborations with regional entities like the Council of State Archivists, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation shaped its preservation programs. Over the decades it has responded to crises affecting the sector, working alongside agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Mission and Activities

The association's mission emphasizes stewardship, access, and professional standards, aligning with benchmarks set by the American Association for State and Local History, the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums, and the International Council of Museums. Activities include collections care initiatives informed by practices from the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, disaster planning modeled on case studies from the Maryland Historical Trust, and digital strategy influenced by projects at the Library of Congress and Smithsonian Institution Archives. The organization also promotes community outreach exemplified by programs at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Membership and Governance

Membership spans municipal museums like Oklahoma City National Memorial, university museums such as Wichita State University Museum, tribal entities including Chickasaw Cultural Center and Choctaw Cultural Center, and specialty institutions akin to the Oklahoma Railway Museum and Science Museum Oklahoma. Governance follows nonprofit frameworks similar to boards at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Getty Trust, with an elected board, committees, and bylaws informed by governance models used by the Association of Science and Technology Centers and the American Association of State and Local History.

Programs and Services

Programs address conservation, interpretation, and audience development drawing on techniques from Tate Modern, Guggenheim Museum, British Museum, Vancouver Art Gallery, and Kunsthistorisches Museum. Services include technical assistance mirroring offerings from the Museum of Natural History, London, collections management training comparable to programs at the Field Museum, and exhibit planning resources like those developed at the Science Museum, London and Deutsches Museum. Educational workshops reference curricula used by Indianapolis Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art, and Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Conferences and Events

Annual conferences attract curators, educators, and administrators from institutions such as Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Frist Art Museum, Heard Museum, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium. Regional workshops and symposia include speakers with experience from the Smithsonian Institution, Getty Center, Museum of Modern Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, and National Gallery of Art. Events often feature panels addressing topics raised by leaders from American Alliance of Museums, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Publications and Communications

The association publishes newsletters, best-practice guides, and resource directories influenced by editorial standards used by Curator: The Museum Journal, Museum Management and Curatorship, Journal of Museum Education, American Art Journal, and communications strategies practiced at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and British Museum. Its communications network amplifies news and job postings similar to lists maintained by Museum Professionals of Oklahoma, ArtTable, and Association of Midwest Museums while maintaining social media outreach comparable to accounts at Smithsonian Magazine and Artforum.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships involve state agencies like the Oklahoma Arts Council, federal funders such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and private foundations including the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. Collaborative projects have connected with educational partners like Oklahoma State University Museum Studies Program, University of Oklahoma School of Archival Studies, and K–12 initiatives modeled after programs by National Museum of African American History and Culture, The Field Museum, and Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Category:Museums in Oklahoma Category:Non-profit organizations based in Oklahoma