U.S. CONGRESS RECOGNIZES 2006 AS YEAR OF THE MUSEUM

The American Association of Museums (AAM) recently announced that both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives passed resolutions declaring 2006 the Year of the Museum. Passage of these resolutions is the culmination of a year-long effort by AAM to get Congress on the record in support of museums across the country. To read the text of these resolutions and the sponsors, visit thomas.loc.gov and enter "H.Res.389" or "S.Res.437" in the Bill Number search field. Please thank your representatives and senators who sponsored or cosponsored the resolutions for their support of museums in your community. Also visit AAM Year of the Museum for additional information about the Year of the Museum and AAM's centennial. Other announcements about the publication of book and a television documentary can be found below in "Other Announcements."

For information about the California Legislature's passage of Year of the California Museum resolution earlier this month and statewide efforts for California Museum Month, see California Museum Month or read below.

CALIFORNIA MUSEUM MONTH PUBLICITY EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY

Two press releases promoting California Museum Month in May were issued last week by the California Association of Museums (CAM) and the California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC). These releases complement and leverage any press releases your institution issues to your local media, especially those that tie your planned events or programs to California Museum Month.

It is not too late to get involved in local efforts to raise awareness about your museum and the California museum field as a whole.

CAM issued a press release on April 20, 2006 to over 200 key newspapers, radio stations, and television stations in California. The release highlights key findings from the report "About California Museums" (see above) and encourages all Californians to explore the museums in their community this May. To read this release, see CAM Press Release (pdf, 92.2 KB).

CTTC issued a special press release specifically for California Museum Month. It highlights various events and activities in museums across the state in May that showcase the contributions of these diverse cultural organizations to the state. To read this release, see CTTC Press Release (pdf, 38.2 KB).

For additional information on how to become involved in California Museum Month, see California Museum Month.

CAM will be hosting its next conference in Long Beach, California, February 21-23, 2007 and the Call for Session and Workshop Proposals is now available online. CAM invites proposals from the field that present strategies and ideas for strengthening the future of museums, their programs, collections, and communities. See 2007 CAM Conference for the guidelines and submission instructions--and additional details about the conference. The deadline for submissions is June 2, 2006. We hope to see you in Long Beach!

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

CCHE ANNOUNCES FINALISTS IN SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING
The California Cultural and Historical Endowment (CCHE) has selected the finalists for their second round of funding. The CCHE Board will meet in Sacramento on April 27 & 28, 2006 to review presentations by the finalists and deliberate on the final award recommendations. A list of the finalists is posted on the Endowment's web site. Members of the public may make brief comments. Created at the California State Library with funds from Proposition 40, CCHE will distribute $122 million to reveal and preserve the history and culture of California. For additional information, see http://www.library.ca.gov/CCHE/index.cfm.

IMLS ANNOUNCES DEADLINE FOR NEW MUSEUMS FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE GRANTS
The Institute for Museum and Library Services will award $842,000 in grants to strengthen African American museum operations, care of collections, and personnel; advance the study of African American history, art and culture; encourage collaborations among museums, historical societies, and educational institutions; and enhance educational programming. Draft guidelines are available at http://www.imls.gov/pdf/AAHC_Draft_Guidelines.pdf (PDF, 2.4MB). Final guidelines will be made available approximately 45 days before the grant deadline. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2006.

NEW EDITION OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND SALVAGE WHEEL NOW AVAILABLE
The Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel, a tool for protecting collections from disasters, has been released in a new edition featuring a water-resistant coating, magnets on the handle for easy display, and a revised section on Electronic Records. Since its release in 1997, the Wheel has become a resource for archives, libraries, museums, and historic sites nationwide. The Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel is produced by Heritage Preservation as part of its support of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force. To order the Wheel, visit the Bookstore at www.heritagepreservation.org or call toll-free 888-388-6789.

BLAKEMORE FOUNDATION PROVIDES GRANTS IN SUPPORT OF ASIAN ART
The Blakemore Foundation provides grants for programs, exhibits or publications that improve the understanding of Asian fine arts - paintings, graphic arts, ceramics, sculpture and textile art from China, Japan, Korea, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Mongolia and Tibet - in the United States. The closing date is May 15, 2006 and grant amounts range from $5,000 to $50,000. For additional information, see http://www.blakemorefoundation.org/art.htm.

NEW BOOK ABOUT 100 YEARS OF MUSEUMS IN AMERICAN IS NOW AVAILABLE WITH PUBLIC BOOKSIGNINGS
Riches, Rivals and Radicals: 100 Years of Museums in America by author Marjorie Schwarzer, chair of the museum studies program for the John F. Kennedy University is now available. Published by AAM to commemorate the Year of the Museum and mark AAM's Centennial, the book traces the rise of the American museum over the past century. Riches, Rivals and Radicals is AAM's first book published for general audiences in addition to museum professionals. It is available through the AAM Bookstore at www.aam-us.org/bookstore. There will be public booksignings with Marjorie Schwarzer at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco (June 16, 7pm) and the Magnes Museum in Berkeley (November 12).

GRANTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS WORKING WITH YOUTH
The Milagro Foundation seeks grants applications from community-based, grass-roots organizations that work with underprivileged children and youth in the areas of arts, education, and health. Visit the website for more information at http://www.milagrofoundation.org/apply.asp. (Excerpted from the California Arts Council's CAC Update, April 21, 2006.)

TELEVISION SPECIAL ON 100 YEARS OF MUSEUMS TO AIR SOON
The public television series, Great Museums, has produced a one-hour program titled "Riches, Rivals and Radicals: 100 Years of Museums in America," to coincide with AAM's book. Hosted by National Public Radio's Susan Stamberg, it features museums coast-to-coast and reveals the story of how America's museums came to be. The "Riches, Rivals and Radicals" show is airing on PBS stations throughout America. Some of the California areas with stations that already have committed to carrying this special "Year of the Museum" program include: San Bernadino - KVCR/24 - Wednesday, May 31 9 p.m.; San Francisco -KQED/9 - Saturday, May 27 at 6 p.m.; and San Mateo- KCSM/60 - Friday, June 23 at Noon. Feel free to contact your local PBS station to ask them to air this program.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT ON ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE
Making the Case for Culture is a new research project made possible by the collaboration of the Louise T. Blouin Foundation with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that aims to measure the economic importance of culture in a sample of key OECD countries. This will be the first time that the investment in cultural activity has been analyzed on this scale. It may then be possible to analyze whether there are correlations between the percentage of GDP spent on culture, economic prosperity and quality of life. The Foundation's goal is to build a better case for cultural investment through providing more convincing evidence that investment in culture can have a positive effect on a nation's economy and quality of life. For more information, go to http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2006/31/c1037.html. (Excerpted from the California Arts Council's CAC Update, April 21, 2006.)

2006 LA MEDIA EVENT - NEED TO REGISTER BY MAY 3RD
The California Travel and Tourism Commission is holding their 2006 Los Angeles Media Reception on June 13th. The deadline to register is May 3rd. For additional information, contact Leona Reed, Media Relations Manager, at (916) 319-5421 or visit www.visitcalifornia.com.

MUSEMATIC LAUNCHED BY MCN AND AAM MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
The Museum Computer Network and the AAM Media and Technology Committee are pleased to announce the launch of Musematic, where you will find rants and raves about the latest trends in the world of museum informatics and technology. An intrepid cast of experts from both organizations share their insights, observations and tricks of the trade. Visit Musematics at http://www.musematic.net for additional information.

ADAPTEC FOUNDATION GRANTS FOR SILICON VALLEY NONPROFITS
The Adaptec Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations in communities where the company operates, with special emphasis in the Silicon Valley area. Their areas of funding include education, culture, the arts, and other areas. There is no specific grant deadline and amounts range from $250 to $2,500. For additional information, see http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/company/compeditorial.html?prodkey=adaptec_corpcontributions&cat=%2fCompany%2fAbout+Adaptec

NEH PRESERVATION AND ACCESS EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANTS
The closing date for the National Endowment for the Humanities' (NEH) Preservation and Access Education and Training grant program is July 3, 2006. Grant amounts are $600,000. These grants support national or regional (multi-state) education and training programs on the care and management and creation of intellectual access to library, archival and material culture collections. For additional information, see http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pet.html.

NATIONAL FILM PRESERVATION FOUNDATION'S PARTNERSHIP GRANTS
The National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) provides support for film preservation work at laboratories and post-production houses donating services to the NFPF. Grants must be used to pay for new laboratory work involving the creation of new film preservation elements and two new public access copies, one of which must be a film print. Public and nonprofit archives in the United States are eligible to apply. The registration date for this grant program is May 26, 2006 and the application is due on July 7, 2006. Grant awards range from $3,000 to $5,000. See http://www.filmpreservation.org/sm_index.html for additional information.

IMLS ANNOUNCES AWARDS FOR CONSERVATION PROJECT SUPPORT
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recently announced the 40 museum recipients of the 2006 Conservation Project Support grants totaling $2,772,000. This year the Institute received 144 applications for a wide range of projects, including conservation treatment, training, and surveys. To see the complete list of awardees by state, see http://www.imls.gov/news/2006/041806_list.shtm. Congratulations to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco for being awarded these grants. Conservation Project Support awards help museums identify conservation needs and priorities and perform activities to ensure the safekeeping of their collections.

CALIFORNIA ARTS SYMPOSIUM WILL REPLAY ON LA36
Nearly 80 people participated in the Symposium on California Arts and Healthy Communities April 7th at the Los Angeles Central Library. Topics covered included education, youth development and delinquency prevention, cultural tourism, and health. The event was videotaped by LA36 for viewing on their cablecast in Los Angeles and will be distributed to stations around California. You can also stream it live at www.la36.org at the following times: 4/15/06 8:00 am & 4:00 pm; 4/16/06 5:00 pm; 4/17/06 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm; 4/21/06 9:00 am; and 4/22/06 11:00am. If you would like to purchase a DVD of the one-hour edited show or have questions, call Amy Kaizuka, California Lawyers for the Arts, (415) 775-7200 x 524. (Excerpted from the California Arts Council's CAC Update, April 21, 2006.)

NONPROFIT LEADERS SURVEY RESULTS
Two out of five nonprofit CEOs say they plan to leave their positions by 2008, but 58 percent say neither their board or management team have ever discussed succession planning, according to the 2006 Nonprofit CEO Survey from DRG, an executive search and recruitment firm. The survey, which had 173 respondents, also found that although 84 percent of CEOs consider themselves highly involved in developing their senior staff to be future executives, only 34 percent say their organization has formal training systems. In addition, 55 percent of surveyed CEOs recommend a master's degree in nonprofit management for senior managers seeking advancement. Read more: http://www.drgnyc.com/2006_Survey/Index.htm .

CALIFORNIA INDIAN CONFERENCE OCTOBER 13-25, 2006
The California Indian Conference will take plate October 13-15, 2006 at Dominican University in San Rafael, CA. for additional information see http://bss.sfsu.edu/calstudies/CIC/default.htm or contact the Conference Organizer, Arthur Kane Scott, at AScott@dominican.edu. Programs for the previous California Indian Conferences 1984-2005 are online at: http://bss.sfsu.edu/calstudies/CIC/default.htm.

NEW YORK LIFE FOUNDATION PROVIDES GRANTS FOR CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS
The New York Life Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations serving children. Support is provided to the most compelling child-related projects submitted by eligible nonprofits. Only requests to fund specific projects or activities directed toward serving children will receive grants.The deadline is May 1, 2006 and up to 40 grants of $5,000 will be awarded. For additional details, see http://www.newyorklife.com/cda/0,3254,13493,00.html.

FIRST ANNUAL "STATE OF THE ARTS" CONFERENCE IN SANTA BARBARA
The University of California Institute for Research in the Arts (UCIRA) recently announced its first annual State of the Arts conference, to be held on May 19-20, 2006, at UC Santa Barbara. The event "hopes to broaden the discussion of the current role and future of the arts in California by: addressing practical and policy issues of pressing concern for artists, arts administrators and educators; showcasing faculty and graduate student research projects as well as examples of interdisciplinary arts practice; and considering the research functions and modalities of arts practice. To register, visit http://www.ucira.ucsb.edu. (Excerpted from the California Arts Council's CAC Update, April 21, 2006.)

CAN HOSTS ACCOUNTABILITY AND FINANCES WORKSHOP ON MAY 4 IN SANTA CRUZ
The California Association of Nonprofits (CAN) is hosting a workshop in Santa Cruz on Thursday, May 4 focusing on accountability, managing finances efficiently, enhancing human resources, aligning management with mission, and policies impacting the way nonprofits work. "Show Me the Money: Resources, Reporting, Responsibility," CAN's Nonprofit Finance Conference will take place Thursday, May 4, 2005, 8:30 am- 4:00 pm. For additional information, see http://www.CAnonprofits.org/showmethemoney/. To register, see http://ga0.org/ca_nonprofits/events/showmethemoney/details.tcl Or call (213) 347-2070, ext. 210.

LOUIS R. CAPPELLI FOUNDATION SUPPORTS PROGRAMS FOR SERVING AT-RISK YOUTH
The Louis R. Cappelli Foundation (http://www.cappelli-inc.com/lrc.shtml) is a funding source designed to assist at-risk youth to reach their full potential. The deadline is June 30, 2006. Three specific targeted areas where the foundation focuses its attention are education, health and fitness, and arts education. The foundation generally considers grants of $5,000 to organizations meeting the criteria. However, unusually significant and effective programs able to establish a need for greater support may be considered for a grant of up to $25,000. Grant application guidelines and an application form are available at the Cappelli Foundation Web site at http://www.cappelli-inc.com/lrc.shtml

Get the Word Out in CAM e-News!
Please email the CAM office at cam@calmuseums.org to list any announcements pertaining to professional development programs, grant opportunities, or related opportunities in future editions of CAM e-News and on the CAM web site. Since it is not possible to include all the details of an announcement, please include a phone number, web site address, or email address so interested parties can get additional information. Please do not exceed a limit of 150 words per listing. All announcements are subject to editing by CAM personnel.