Founded by Raymond Pepi in 1985, BCA has provided custom technology and planning services to architects, private institutions, developers, building owners, museums, and government agencies. BCA’s pragmatic philosophy is rooted in construction technology and museum practices. Our company’s mission is to make building conservation an economically viable option within the normal parameters of property development and rehabilitation. BCA is headquartered in New York, with a regional office in New England. BCA’s staff includes building and object conservators, architects, historic preservationists, scientists, historians, planners, and artisans. Its senior staff members are widely published and have been individually honored with grants, fellowships, and other citations. BCA has won numerous awards for excellence in architectural conservation and historic preservation.

As one of the oldest rural life museums in the country, The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, New York, provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience 19th-century rural and village life first-hand through authentic demonstrations and interpretative exhibits. The museum, founded in 1943, comprises a Colonial Revival stone barn listed on the National Register for Historic Places, a recreated historic village circa 1845, a late- nineteenth-century Country Fair featuring The Empire State Carousel, and a working farmstead. Through its 19th-century village and farm, the museum preserves important examples of upstate New York architecture, early agricultural tools and equipment, and heritage livestock. The Farmers’ Museum’s outstanding collection of more than 23,000 items encompasses significant historic objects ranging from butter molds to carriages, and hand planes to plows. The museum also presents a broad range of interactive educational programs for school groups, families, and adults that explore and preserve the rich agricultural history of the region.

The Farmers’ Museum is located on 5775 State Hwy. 80, Lake Road, in Cooperstown, NY.  For information, please call 1-888-547-1450 or visit www.farmersmuseum.org.

Gaylord is your Trusted Source offering a complete line of archival storage; quality conservation supplies; exhibition and environmental control, and museum exhibit cases. Check out the exciting custom capabilities Gaylord offers which include custom archival boxes, custom exhibit cases, and more at the Gaylord booth or visit us online at www.gaylord.com

History Phone and Cellbee are the inexpensive, easy to use and great sounding cell phone audio guides - designed with the smaller museum, organization and institution in mind – yet completely capable of handling the largest of scenarios and facilities. 

History Phone is geared toward local historical societies, heritage areas, museums, organizations and institutions with a focus on historical sights, landmarks, artifacts, etc.

Cellbee is geared toward more contemporary organizations, such as science museums, art galleries, zoos and aquariums, university campuses, parks, gardens, arboretums, civic associates, etc.

History Phone and Cellbee are extremely easy to use.  Unlike competing services that attempt to use business voice mail systems for cell phone tours, we designed our proprietary Cellbee Audiotex platforms from the ground up specifically for disseminating information and entertainment to the public.  Our systems are designed for user friendliness, minimal frustration and natural flow from one presentation to another.  Our “Standard” system features single digit entry - just one button is all it takes to get to the selected narrative, enhancing your visitors’ experience.

We also recognize that many (if not most) museum and exhibition visitors are more interested in easy access to the recorded content and less interested in the technical savvy required by advanced bells and whistles.  For many visitors, the use of  “pound keys”, difficult multi-digit codes, “texting” or browser features can be confusing, frustrating or distracting.  Keeping it simple keeps everyone happy and makes for a more rewarding experience all around.

History Phone and Cellbee include telephone numbers that are local or regional to your area (available in most North American markets and over 50 countries worldwide).  Unlike competing services, there is no need to ask your visitors to make an out-of-area long distance call to access your local cell phone tour – and we provide unlimited incoming calls.

Professional broadcast-quality production is also included at no extra charge.  Narrated by talented and engaging broadcast voice-over announcers, your tour will sound great.  If you prefer, you can record your own - we’ll be standing by to help.  Updates, changes or special announcements can be recorded anytime, 24/7.  We can get you up and running very quickly - usually within a day or two, or within minutes if you are a do-it-yourselfer.

 History Phone and Cellbee are also designed for Fundraising and Community Building.  By providing support for local sponsors, both systems can not only pay for themselves, but can generate substantial and regular funding for your organization - while tying the community into your cellular tour project.  

History Phone and Cellbee are products of Larry Weiss Associates, Inc.  Founded in 1983 by Larry Weiss, a broadcasting, marketing and technology guru, we are the oldest and most experienced company in the business, and are well known for our pioneering work in Interactive Telemedia – the use of the telephone and automated voice information systems to communicate, promote and inform.  Over the past quarter century, our telemedia service bureaus have processed millions of calls.  Our vast experience, not just with this technology, but also in how to use it most effectively, is at your disposal.

The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) is a not-for-profit membership organization, founded in 1945. MAAM represents museums professionals, organizations, and institutions in the mid-Atlantic region, which includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. MAAM’s mission is to support and promote excellence, ethics, and accessibility in museum practices to make the museums of the mid-Atlantic region better able to preserve and interpret our diverse cultural, scientific, and aesthetic heritage. MAAM assists museums in carrying out their missions for public service by developing and improving communication among the personnel of museums and other appropriate institutions in the region through meetings, symposia, publications, and other professional activities.   

MAAM offers two major annual conferences. Building Museums™, now in its fifth year, provided a forum in Washington last month for 233 members of the museum community to interact, educate, and share information on best practices related to the construction, financing, planning, renovation and expansion of museums and other historical and cultural sites. Creating Exhibitions™, now in its second year, will be offering its March 29-31, 2009, attendees an opportunity to foster best practices and exchange ideas on developing and designing exhibitions at Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, New Jersey.

Watch MAAM’s website for details on the 2009 Annual Meeting, which will take place on October 18-21, 2009, at the Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, New York.   The theme of this year’s meeting is INVIGORATING MUSEUMS, and what better place is there than Saratoga Springs, a city that has been invigorating its visitors since the 19^th century, to explore museum leadership, promote creativity, and engage new audiences in refreshing ways!  

Museum Search & Reference is a niche executive search firm specializing in recruiting CEOs and senior professionals for museums. Principal Marilyn Hoffman had a long career as an art-museum director and now manages a rapidly expanding search practice with prominent clients. Visit www.museum-search.com

The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is dedicated to preserving and expanding the rich and diverse cultural resources that are and will become the heritage of New York's citizens. The Council believes in supporting: 

• Artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censure, and
• The rights of all New Yorkers to access and experience the power of the arts and culture, and the vital contribution the arts make to the quality of life in New York communities.

NYSCA strives to achieve its mission through its core grant-making activity and by convening field leaders, providing information and advisory support, and working with partners on special initiatives to achieve mutual goals. Further, NYSCA's vision for cultural development in the state is reflected in the following goals.

• Sustaining a vital ecosystem of individual artists and cultural organizations that supports the creation, presentation, critical review, and distribution of the arts and culture
• Celebrating our rich range of artistic and cultural resources inclusive of diverse cultures and aesthetics
• Encouraging artistic and discipline field advancement
• Broadening public access, appreciation, participation, and education in the arts and culture throughout the state
• Providing recognition and professional advancement for artists and arts administrators.

At NYSCA, our efforts are guided by our belief in the fundamental importance of arts and cultural expression in people's lives and a commitment to serving our three constituencies: artists, arts and cultural organizations, and the public. We believe that:

• Artists are at the center of creative endeavor.
• Strong arts and cultural organizations are vital to connecting the arts to people's lives.
• Every citizen of New York State can have a meaningful connection to creativity and every community has a right to cultural self-determination.

Through our grants making process, NYSCA provides support within 16 different programs, including the Museum Program and the Architecture, Planning and Design Programs.  Complete information can be found at our website: www.nysca.org.

The New York State Historical Association is committed to engaging and connecting a broad public audience to New York State’s unique cultural heritage through exhibitions, extensive library collections, statewide educational programs, and publications that provoke, delight, and inspire. Founded in 1899, NYSHA is a private, non-profit, membership-based, educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving, collecting, and interpreting art and historical artifacts significant to New York State’s rich history and American culture. The Association’s remarkable collections are showcased in the Fenimore Art Museum.  NYSHA’s Research Library holdings include over 90,000 volumes on American, New York State, and local history.

 For more information on the Association, the Fenimore Art Museum, the Research Library, or Membership, please call (607) 547-1400 or visit www.nysha.org.

Red’s Plastic Fabricating produces quality acrylic vitrines and museum exhibit cases. We are willing to work with you to provide you with custom cases that meet your exhibition and display needs. Our client list includes:

• Corning Museum of Glass
• National Baseball Hall of Fame
• Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute
  

Contact us for a quote or samples.Each panel includes nailable interiors, paintable & removable panel coverings, adjustable leveling feet, and a wide range of diverse and interchangeable connection hardware that is compatible with all past, present, and future product offerings.

In these challenging times, connecting with your community is more important than ever.  Riverhill specializes in projects that engage communities with museums and historical societies.   Whether it’s an interpretive plan for a historic house, a permanent exhibition,  school programs,  or a traveling exhibition,  we can help you design and implement your project.

 Current work includes new interpretive plans and tours at the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, an exhibition on Italian-Americans in Waterford, NY, an exhibition on the role of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Sayre, PA, and interpretive planning with the Wyckoff House and Lewis H. Latimer House, both in New York City.   We’re also working on an innovative traveling banner and cell phone download project for the Montgomery County Historical Society in Rockville, Maryland and a new Heritage Center for Kingston, Massachusetts.   We work with museums large and small, always bringing a commitment to audience engagement, scholarship—and fun!   Other clients have included the Geneva Historical Society, the Heart of Chesapeake Visitors Center, the Akwesasne  Museum and Cultural Center, the Berkshire Museum, Great Camp Sagamore,  the Historical Society of Woodstock and the Big Springs Historical Society.

 Looking for an inexpensive option for an exhibition?   Riverhill also has two affordable traveling exhibits available.   Passing on the Comfort tells the story of An Keuning-Tichelaar, a Dutch Mennonite woman active in the Resistance and of the quilts created by communities in North America to help her shelter refugees.   Featuring historic quilts, engaging graphic panels, interactives and a host of related educational materials, the exhibit will be of interest to museums interested in quilts, social justice and activism, or World War II.   To learn more, visit www.passingonthecomfort.blogspot.com.    Coming Up on the Season:  Migrant Farmwork in the Northeast, adapted from a larger traveling exhibit, tells the story, in twelve bi-lingual (English and Spanish) panels of the history and contemporary life of the people who harvest our food.  It comes with curriculum-based materials for elementary, middle and high school students.  To learn more, visit our website at www.riverhillpartners.com.

 Wondering why Linda Norris, Riverhill’s managing partner isn’t at the conference? She’s currently a Fulbright Scholar in Ukraine, teaching a graduate course in museum studies and working with Ukrainian museums.   You can read more about her adventures on her blog, The Uncataloged Museum, www.uncatalogedmuseum.blogspot.com.   And of course, you can always contact her at Linda@riverhillpartners.com.

Spicer Art Conservation, L.L.C. has been caring for collections from museums, historical societies, state agencies, businesses and private owners since 1995. The focus has always been to distinguish long-term collection care and preservation of artifacts from the needs of the owner.

Gwen Spicer is a trained object, textile and upholstery conservator. She often collaborates with other conservators in order to create the best expertise that the project demands. This allows for even more variety of artifacts able to be treated and services performed.

As an acclaimed international publisher of distinguished research and notable works of general interst since 1966, SUNY Press and its Center for Scholarly Communication are proud to support the State University of New York's committments to teaching, research, and public service. Capitalizing on the latest advance in digital communication, the Press offers an innovative range of print and electronic pubications to fulfill the evolving needs of scholars, students, authors, and readers. SUNY Press sponsors nationally recognized and rapidly growing lists of publications in the areas of philosophy, Jewish studies, religion, Asian studies, political science, transpersonal psychology, women's studies, queer studies, African American studies, Italian American studies, and indigenous studies. Through its Excelsior Editions imprint, SUNY press makes available exceptional works for all readers and also showcases the diversity abiding energy of the peoples, histories, and natural beauty of New York and the surrounding regions.

With offices in New York City and Chicago, Thomas & Associates, Inc. is an innovative firm that offers staffing, consulting, and professional development workshops for museums, galleries and arts and culture businesses nationwide and internationally. The company has recently launched its career services division to address the needs of arts and culture professionals everywhere.
 
We are uniquely qualified to help arts & culture organizations and their employees as this field is our exclusive focus.  With over 30 years experience in the industry we understand the needs of this unique community and provide innovative and cost-effective solutions.
 
Regardless of budget and requirements, we can help fill a position, streamline an organization or develop your board.  In addition to permanent placement and executive search we also provide temporary and interim personnel at all levels, from executive directors to administrative staff.
 
In this increasingly challenging economic climate, many arts & culture organizations are experiencing layoffs and workforce reductions.  We provide comprehensive Outplacement and Career Transition Services that include on-site group seminars, one-on-one career advisory sessions and organizational support for workforce reduction to help you turn an unfortunate necessity into a productive and positive transition for both the organization and the effected employees.
 
We offer you and your organization dedicated service, demonstrated expertise and a matchless client list.  Please contact us at 212-779-7059 to arrange a free consultation; for employment opportunities and to subscribe to the quarterly newsletter, Art Career News, visit www.artstaffing.com. 
 
Geri Thomas, President
Thomas & Associates, Inc.