GOVERNOR SIGNS STATE BUDGET AND SUPPORTS ARTS EDUCATION

The California budget, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger last Friday, includes the largest known state-funded expenditure for arts education in public schools in California and nationwide. Schools will receive an estimated $105 million in ongoing funding for arts education (estimated at $17-18 per student), in addition to a one-time allocation of $500 million for arts, music, and physical education equipment. These funds will be distributed to school districts, charter schools and county offices of education to support standards aligned instruction in kindergarten through grade twelve. The funds will be available for hiring additional staff, staff development, purchasing materials, books, supplies and equipment. The budget also allocates $5.11 million for the California Arts Council, which includes funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and revenue from the Arts License Plate. For additional information about the state budget, see http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/.

Planning for the 2007 California Association of Museums’ (CAM) conference is underway and the guidelines for being an exhibitor, advertiser, and/or sponsor are now available. You can download a pdf version (190 KB) of the “Vendor and Consultant Prospectus” at http://www.calmuseums.org/conferences_and_workshops/Vendor_Consultant_Prospectus.pdf. This prospectus is for consultants and museum vendors who wish to showcase or advertise their products and services at the conference or support this professional development program through sponsorships.

To be listed in our preliminary conference program, which will be sent to 2,500 California museum professionals, business associates should send in their Vendor Contracts by September 1, 2006. There is no additional fee for this extra exposure—the Vendor Contract just needs to be received by the deadline! Please feel to contact the CAM office at 831-471-9970 or cam@calmuseums.org if you have any questions.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SMITHSONIAN'S MUSEUM CONSERVATION INSTITUTE UNVEILS NEW WEB SITE
The Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) has a new website, which can be viewed at http://www.si.edu/mci/. MCI's mission is to become the center for specialized technical collection research and conservation care for all Smithsonian museums and collections. To fulfill this mission MCI staff combine their knowledge of materials and the history of technology with state-of-the-art instrumentation and scientific techniques to provide technical research studies and interpretation of art, as well as anthropological, and historical objects.

NEW TOOL FOR WRITING DISASTER PLANS
The Northeast Document Conservation Center and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners have created dPlan, a free online program to help institutions write comprehensive disaster plans. The dPlan program provides easy-to-use templates that allow museums of all sizes to develop a customized plan, including checklists; salvage priorities; preventive maintenance schedules; contact information for personnel, insurance and IT help and a list of emergency supplies and services. The free program and an introductory demo are available at www.dplan.org.

REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE FOR CALIFORNIA TRAVEL AND TOURISM COMMISSION'S MEDIA EVENT IN SAN FRANCISCO
The California Travel and Tourism Commission is now taking registrations for its upcoming San Francisco Media Event on October 4, 2006. They will be hosting a reception and marketplace exclusively for San Francisco Bay Area-based consumer and travel trade media (print and electronic). The event will be at SBC Park and will update the San Francisco Bay Area media on “What’s New in California” in order to create a positive impression of the various destinations and attractions throughout our state. Registration and full payment is due August 11, 2006. For registration, costs, services, and more information, please contact Leona Reed by phone at (916) 319-5421 or by email at lreed@cttc1.com.

CASINO NIGHTS MAY BE LEGAL SOON IN CALIFORNIA
Charitable casino night, Monte Carlo night and poker tournament fundraisers, currently outlawed in California, may be legal as early as January 1, 2007, under provisions of AB 839 (Alberto Torrico, D., Newark). The bill allows chapters of organizations to hold one fundraiser each per year and to take the cost of renting a space to hold the fundraiser out of the 10 percent limit on expenses that can be paid from proceeds of the event. The most recent version also clarifies the provision which allows venues in rural areas to host more than four fundraisers per year if preapproved by the Attorney General. Until AB 839 becomes law, however, charitable gaming nights are subject to law enforcement actions. For details, visit http://caag.state.ca.us/charities/. (Excerpted from the California Association of Nonprofits’ Policy Update, June 29, 2006.)

JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION'S NEW CONNECTIONS FUND DEADLINE IS AUGUST 9, 2006
The deadline for the James Irvine Foundation's New Connections Fund is August 9, 2006. While Irvine is committed to its statewide funding role, the foundation has identified Los Angeles County, the Central Valley, and San Bernardino and Riverside counties as geographic areas of strategic importance to California and to the foundation. The New Connections Fund has two goals: 1) to identify nonprofit organizations doing high-quality work that is well-aligned with selected program strategies, particularly in regions of priority interest, and 2) to increase the number of new organizations in Irvine's grants portfolio. The maximum grant amount is $50,000. For detailed information, go to www.irvine.org/grants_program/howto/new_connections/application_process.shtml or email grantsadmin@irvine.org.

FOUR LOS ANGELES MUSEUMS AND ARTS GROUPS WIN GOVERNMENT FUNDS
Four Los Angeles nonprofit cultural organizations will each receive one-time payments of $5 million from the county government’s surplus money, reports the Los Angeles Times. In addition, the county approved arts grants of $4.5 million in the coming fiscal year, up from $2.2 million the previous year. Los Angeles County’s 2007 budget of $20 billion includes $62.9 million for arts and culture, and was approved last week. The recipients of the $5 million payments are La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Music Center, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. For more information, see: http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-et-county28jun28,1,1974469.story.

NEW ACCREDITATION RESOURCES ONLINE
Now posted on the American Association of Museums (AAM) website are resources from the Accreditation Program to provide guidance to all museums on standards and best practices. At its April meeting, the Accreditation Commission approved a name change and minor revisions to two policy documents, formerly known as "Position Statements," now referred to as "Statements on Best Practice." They provide guidance to the field on how to approach particular issues, based on the commission’s observations of the hundreds of high-performing museums in the Accreditation Program. The newly formed "Characteristics of an Accreditable Museum" describe outcomes that all museums can and should strive for, and can achieve in ways appropriate to their resources. Download copies of all documents described here from www.aam-us.org/museumresources/accred/standards.cfm. (Excerpted from AAM’s Aviso Online, July 1, 2006.)

VISITOR STUDIES ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING
The Visitor Studies Association's annual meeting will be held July 25-29, 2006 in Grand Rapids, MI. This year's conference will explore how research and evaluation are used in informal learning environments to enhance the visitor experience. For additional information, see http://www.visitorstudies.org/conference_about.htm.

JOHN SIMON GUGGENHEIM MEMORIAL FOUNDATION OFFERS FELLOWSHIPS FOR SCHOLARS AND ARTISTS
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation offers fellowships to further the development of scholars and artists by assisting them to engage in research in any field of knowledge and creation in any of the arts. The fellowships are awarded to men and women who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. In 2006 the foundation awarded 187 United States and Canadian fellowships for a total of $7.5 million (and an average grant of $40,107). The deadline for applications from the United States is October 1, 2006. Visit the foundation's Web site for complete program information and application procedures at http://www.gf.org/.

THE GETTY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE PRESENTS "MUSEUM LEADERS: THE NEXT GENERATION 2006"
The Getty Leadership Institute (GLI) is presenting an intensive five-day program dedicated to developing the career potential of promising professionals November 6-10, 2006 in Los Angeles. Identified by senior museum leaders as having responded impressively to additional responsibilities, these are individuals who may someday lead museums. Admission is competitive and individuals are required to be nominated by a senior museum professional. The tuition fee is $1,100. GLI will consider need-based requests for reduced tuition fees from eligible museum professionals. To download an application pack, visit http://www.getty.edu/leadership/programs.html.

ICOM CELEBRATES 60TH BIRTHDAY IN PARIS
Three weeks after the American Association of Museum’s (AAM) centennial celebration in Boston, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) celebrated its own 60th birthday in May with gala receptions at two French national landmarks, the newly restored Musée du Petit Palais and the incomparable Château Versailles. Anniversary celebrations will continue throughout 2006 with the premiere of three video clips for explaining and promoting ICOM membership around the world. All three will soon be available for download at www.icom.museum. (Excerpted from AAM’s Aviso Online, July 1, 2006.)

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES OFFERS $750,000 FOR STABILIZATION OF GULF COAST HUMANITIES COLLECTIONS
The National Endowment for the Humanities, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Tulane University, will designate $750,000 for grants to stabilize humanities collections at libraries, museums, colleges, universities, and other cultural and historical institutions in Gulf Coast areas affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The grants will support projects at cultural institutions in the Gulf Coast region designed to provide long-term preservation and protection of their significant humanities collections, many of which sustained major damage in the aftermath of last year's hurricanes. Visit the NEH Web site for information on other NEH hurricane-related relief efforts: http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10003228/neh.

INSTITUTE FOR MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES FUNDING FINALIZED
President Bush recently signed the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which provides fiscal year 2006 appropriations for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Act gives IMLS programs and administration $247,144,000(1), a 2.7 percent increase over FY 2005. Museum programs will receive $36,547,000, an increase of $1,823,000 or 5.2 percent. This includes $842,000 for the launch of the African American History and Culture program. The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee also approved level funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) at $124.4 million and $141 million, respectively.

2006 WESTERN MUSEUM ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING
The Western Museum Association's (WMA) annual meeting, Frontier Without Limits: High Desert Rendezvous, will take place in Boise, Idaho, October 11-15, 2006. The early bird registration deadline is July 15. The preliminary program is available as a pdf download at http://www.westmuse.org/.

JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES JUNE GRANT AWARDS
The James Irvine Foundation recently announced new grant awards as of June 16, 2006, including those selected in the newly launched Artistic Innovation Fund to help arts institutions increase innovation in artistic programming. Congratulations to the following museums for receiving an Irvine grant: the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center; Japanese American National Museum; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Oakland Museum of California; and Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. For additional information, see http://www.irvine.org/irvine_news/press_releases/2006/06-15_grants_listing.shtml.

THE TERRA FOUNDATION FOR AMERICAN ART AWARDS GRANTS FOR VISUAL ARTS
Between June 2005 and June 2006, the Terra Foundation for American Art awarded grants in excess of $3 million. CAM would like to congratulate the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles for receiving $50,000 that supports the 2006 Robert Rauschenberg exhibition and international educational programming. The Chicago-based Terra Foundation for American Art is dedicated to promoting the exploration, understanding, and enjoyment of the visual arts of the United States. For additional information about their grant program, visit http://www.terramuseum.org/grants/.

PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY OFFERS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
Pacific Gas and Electric Company has announced that it will again sponsor a Local Economic Development Grants Program to help fund projects and events throughout northern and central California. Wherever feasible, the company targets a large portion of its grants for projects or organizations that assist underserved communities. In general, this includes people with low incomes, people of color, seniors, the disabled, and the LGBT community. Visit the PG&E Web site for complete program information and application procedures. The deadline to apply is August 7, 2006. See http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10003144/pge for more information.

34TH ANNUAL MUSEUM COMPUTER NETWORKS CONFERENCE
The Museum Computer Network will hold its next conference in Pasadena, November 8-11, 2006. The conference will explore ways the field has found to demonstrate useful, successful methods for accessing technology and more. For additional information, visit http://www.mcn.edu/conferences.

THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE VISUAL ARTS
The Andy Warhol Foundation is focused primarily on supporting work of a challenging and often experimental nature, while noting that the interpretation of those terms may vary from place to place and culture to culture. In this regard, the foundation encourages curatorial research leading to new scholarship in the field of contemporary art. Grants are made on a project basis to curatorial programs at museums, artists' organizations and other cultural institutions to originate innovative and scholarly presentations of contemporary visual arts. Grant Amounts vary from $25,000 to $200,000. The deadline to apply is September 1, 2006. See http://www.warholfoundation.org/ for additional information.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR STATE AND LOCAL HISTORY ANNUAL MEETING
The American Association for State and Local History will host its next annual meeting, History's Enduring Voices, in Phoenix, Arizona, September 13-16, 2006. The early bird registration deadline is August 1, 2006. For additional information, see http://www.aaslh.org/anmeeting.htm.

TWO COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE CLASSES AVAILABLE IN JULY
The Northern States Conservation Center is offering two complimentary online classes in July: MS 208: Applying Numbers to Collections Objects and MS 207: Cataloging Your Collection. Both courses last for four weeks. The instructors will be available at predetermined intervals throughout the courses and students work individually and interact through forums and scheduled on-line chats. If you are interested in either course, please sign up at www.museumclasses.org. Contact Helen Alten at helen@collectioncare.org with any questions.

WEINGART FOUNDATION GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
The Weingart Foundation will consider grants to assist credible agencies and institutions serving children and youth and projects benefiting the general community. Grant requests from credible agencies or institutions will be entertained both for specific programs and for capital expenditures. Preference is given to organizations providing services in the following seven Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Santa Barbara, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura. A letter of inquiry must first be submitted by the requesting agency. If it is determined from the letter of inquiry that the project meets the foundation’s priorities and interests, the applicant will be provided with the instructions and forms required to prepare and submit a formal application. Grant amounts range from $5,000 to more than $1,000,000. See http://www.weingartfnd.org/default.asp?PID=17 for more information.

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.