Connect at AAM 2024

Thursday, May 16, 2024, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | $10
The National Aquarium: 501 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Be the first to explore the National Aquarium Harbor Wetland on a hard hat tour of our floating wetlands experience set to open in June 2024. This innovative experience includes over 10,000SF of constructed wetlands and a public access dock system. A demonstration of educational conservation programming unique to this experience will be included.

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | $10
American Visionary Art Museum: 800 Key Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21230
Get inspired at the National Museum for Self-Taught and Intuitive Artistry! Experience a guided tour of AVAM’s blinged-out campus, and stay to shop at Sideshow, our world-famous museum gift shop.

12:30 PM – 3:30 PM | $10
Laurel Historical Society: 817 Main Street, Laurel, MD 20707 
Join several partners from a consortium of history organizations in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and their work following the awarding of an NPS African American Civil Rights Grant. This tour occurs in Laurel, Maryland, a small historic mill town on the Patuxent River with a complex history of racialized segregation. The tour will include the historical context of Laurel’s settlement and racial residential patterns, a discussion of the segregation and city-led desegregation of the local pool, and a conversation with parishioners of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in the Black neighborhood of The Grove. Transportation and light snacks will be provided. Restrooms will be available at both stops. Light walking.

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | $10
The Walters Art Museum: 10 W Centre St Baltimore, MD 21201
In 2023, the Walters Art Museum reinstalled their Asian and Islamic art collections, the culmination of several years of collaborations with colleagues across departments and with external advisors to ensure that inclusion, accessibility, and community are at the forefront. During the project’s development, museum staff invited an accessibility consultant to provide input on exhibition design and worked with several community members—including an Islamic Art Advisory Committee and a College Student Advisory Group—who shared their perspectives in planning meetings and through community labels and media in the galleries. In this program, you will tour the galleries with museum staff then join a discussion about the processes, successes, and challenges of this landmark project.

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM | $10
Baltimore Museum of Art: 10 Art Museum Drive Baltimore, MD 21218
What does it mean to flourish as a healthcare professional? The Baltimore Museum of Art is a partner with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in a museum-based course that focuses on the well-being of those preparing to serve patients. In this workshop, participants will take part in in-gallery sessions that are part of the elective. Facilitated debrief will focus on the ways in which these activities support deepened self-reflection for medical students. There will be time for discussion about how museum/medical school partnerships can be developed at participants’ institutions.

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | $10
Baltimore Museum of Art: 10 Art Museum Drive Baltimore, MD 21218
What does it mean to flourish as a healthcare professional? The Baltimore Museum of Art is a partner with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in a museum-based course that focuses on the well-being of those preparing to serve patients. In this workshop, participants will take part in in-gallery sessions that are part of the elective. Facilitated debrief will focus on the ways in which these activities support deepened self-reflection for medical students. There will be time for discussion about how museum/medical school partnerships can be developed at participants’ institutions.

2:00 PM – 5:30 PM | $10
Mount Clare Museum and Homewood Museum: 1500 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21230
Not just focused on teacups and silver (of course you’ll still see some teacups and silver), we’ve made long overdue changes to the focus of the tours at Mount Clare Museum and Homewood Museum. In the past the lifestyles and families of the wealthy elite who lived in these houses were the story. That narrow interpretation is no longer wanted or acceptable. So, how are these spaces being interpreted today? How are they engaging the communities they serve? And what are the internal and external challenges they’ve faced? Board the provided shuttle and enjoy an exciting tour of two of Baltimore’s sites. Snacks will be provided, and a reception will close the day.

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM | $10
Baltimore Museum of Art: 10 Art Museum Drive Baltimore, MD 21218
In December 2023, the Baltimore Museum of Art reopened the Joseph Education Center, a 5,625-square-foot space and invited visitors to touch nearly everything. Featuring 3 commissioned artist interactives that allow visitors to touch the art, 36 discovery drawers with multisensory content, and twice as much space for artmaking and visitor response, the Center represents a dramatic shift in tactile interpretation and accessibility at the Museum. Join the team that led the project development and its implementation to learn from what was successful, what they would do differently, and how the Education Center has been integrated into the work of the Education and Interpretation division as well as the Museum. This dynamic tour will encourage people to engage with the Center and offer an insider’s view to help inform planning of similar hands-on projects.

5:00 PM – 9:00 PM | $10
Maryland Center for History and Culture: 610 Park Ave. Baltimore, MD 21201
Immerse yourself in the creative energy of the Baltimore Bromo Arts District! Prepare to be captivated as you venture to over 30 creative venues and experience the work of more than 100 artists during a night filled with live performances, exhibits and open studios. This self-guided tour promises a night to remember.
Participants should arrive at the Maryland Center for History and Culture located at 610 Park Ave. Parking in our parking lot is provided on a first come, first serve basis and is located on Monument Street between Park Ave. and Howard St. Please enter through glass doors either on Park Ave or in parking lot. Check-in for AAM members will be in the Lobby. Maps of ArtWalk will be provided. Participants should arrange dinner before or include a stop during the tour. A local summer treat will be provided by the Maryland Center for History and Culture to AAM attendees

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM | $20
Open Works: 1400 Greenmount Ave Baltimore,MD 21202
Explore the more than 25 murals that define Station North and Greenmount West with the local artist and curator, Gaia. Meet your group at the maker space, Open Works (ample nearby parking) and be ready to learn about the industrial history of the neighborhood and subsequent revitalization efforts that have transformed the oldest arts district in the country. Learn about various practices and approaches to engaging the public with art and the intersection with public policy. The walk will conclude at a local bar for evening drinks (not included), where Gaia will be available for questions and further discussion.

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM | $25
Jewish Museum of Maryland: 15 Lloyd St, Baltimore, MD 21202
The Jewish Museum of Maryland (JMM) is at a moment of significant change, we are currently taking major steps to growing the JMM from a 20th-century museum to a 21st-century one. The JMM team, in partnership with Quinn Evans Architects, invite conference attendees for a hard hat tour of the museum during active capital redevelopment of our public areas.This unique workshop will incorporate a presentation by the museum leadership and our architect partners to discuss the visioning and creative processes. We will explore how the lessons of the past few years have informed JMM museal practice, including an increased turn towards digital engagement opportunities and thus our capital design needs. Following, attendees will tour the construction area to preview key elements including an audio/video studio, with adjacent multimedia gallery.Light refreshments will be provided following the tour.

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM | $25
The Peale: 225 Holliday St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Get a guided tour of the Baltimore Street Museum project, which was inspired by AAM and other cultural events coming to Baltimore in 2024. Hear how The Peale and Quatrefoil joined forces with local area museums, community organizations, artists, and other creators to develop connected cultural experiences in public spaces that bring visitors to Baltimore’s attractions and neighborhoods. We’ll share our learnings and tips on how your organization can forge alliances and partnerships with neighborhood groups and culture keepers of all sorts. This is also a forum for workshop participants to share their own projects and observations of museums’ “beyond the walls” outreach initiatives elsewhere. A cocktail hour will conclude our evening.

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM | $25
Maryland Museum of Military History: 219 29th Division St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Discuss issues around creating, solving, and discovering storage solutions options for collection needs and staff considerations during a tour of the museum’s new storage areas. Topics include acquisition and instillation of high-density storage units in a historic building, security, emergency preparedness considerations, general collection and archive move, as well as planning for staff workstations and needs – including adequate accommodations for a service dog.Light tidbits and refreshments will immediately follow as we continue to discuss and socialize.

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | $10
The Peale: 225 Holliday St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Staff and partners of The Peale will discuss the organization’s recent relaunch as Baltimore’s Community Museum, asking what it means to play this role in the current local and national cultural ecosystem. We’ll highlight what we think makes a community museum distinct from other kinds of museums, and also what learnings, approaches, practices from The Peale’s experience as a community museum might be adopted by museums of all kinds to increase engagement, relevance, and belonging for their communities. Topics will include The Peale’s shared leadership structure, Lab, workforce development program in exhibition preparation and the historic preservation trades, Community Activation Team (CAT), and examples of community-driven programming. Participants will hear from community partners who have produced recent programs at The Peale, and will be able to visit the current exhibitions* at The Peale. Everyone will also be invited to share their community museum experiences and insights, and enjoy refreshments along with the conversation. Light refreshments will immediately follow.

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | $10  
The National Aquarium: 501 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Join National Aquarium staff for a tour of our innovative Animal Care and Rescue Center (ACRC). In 2018, the National Aquarium opened ACRC in Baltimore’s historic Jonestown neighborhood a few blocks from the Inner Harbor. From comprehensive animal care and rehabilitation for up to 5,000 animals to the production of 15,000 gallons of saltwater monthly, the ACRC was constructed to allow guests to witness the Aquarium team’s extensive behind-the-scenes work through guided tours and classroom activities. You will have the opportunity to experience innovative educational strategies developed by our Tours team for revenue driving tours of this behind-the-scenes facility. Along with the animals and husbandry staff, the ACRC also houses the Aquarium’s in-house exhibit design and fabrication studio, where expert artists create functional, intricate habitats that meet the Aquarium’s high animal care standards while recreating environments that millions of Aquarium guests may otherwise never have the chance to experience in the wild. In this tour, you will meet the artists in their workshop while learning how the ACRC helps provide guests a unique and meaningful connection to the Aquarium’s mission.

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | $10   
The National Aquarium: 501 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Join us at National Aquarium to walk and talk about all things National Aquarium design. We’ll delve into National Aquarium’s iconic design “bones,” discuss lessons-learned from recent gallery renovations, and share future plans to upgrade the guest experience.

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | $10
Maryland Center for History and Culture: 610 Park Ave. Baltimore, MD 21201
Dive into the intimate relationship quilters historically have had with their quilts, serving as a form of occupational therapy, evoking personal memories, sharing narratives, self-expression, and to connect with community. Join MCHC staff to take a behind-the-scenes deep dive into Abstract #1 by mixed media fiber artist Elizabeth Talford Scott (1916-2011), a Baltimore Album Quilt, and a Crazy Quilt in the MCHC collection.Participants will tour the MCHC exhibition Material & Memories and create their own textile art in the tradition of combining history, emotion, and memory. We will close our workshop with a guided quilt meditation.