Ukraine in Seattle

I've been going through the AAM conference schedule, trying to figure out how I'm going to make time for all I'd like to do and learn--and I figured Uncataloged readers might be doing the same.  So I wanted to alert you to several chances to meet three of my great Ukrainian colleagues who will be attending the conference so you can mark your own calendars. (and a shout-out to AAM's app developers for creating the feature to add your own schedule in this year!)

Ihor Poshyvailo of the Ivan Honchar Museum, Eugene Chervony of  Shevchenko's Grove, the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life,  and Tania Kochubinska of the Pinchuk Art Centre bring a great variety of museum experiences to Seattle.  Along with Tricia Edwards of the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center, we'll be presenting Can Constraints Make Your More Creative? on Sunday at 2:00 PM.  Ukrainian museums operate under constraints that many of us can barely imagine, and we'll share creative solutions already underway and engage audience members in helping us to think anew about others.

But judging from the response we got from several posts about Ukrainian museums during the conflicts of the last several months, we're guessing that conference-goers might relish the chance to dig deep into the current issues surrounding the conflict and how its affected museums.  Thanks to Dean Phelus at AAM and the sponsorship of US-ICOM, we've squeezed in a special session,  Museums in a Time of Conflict, Monday, May 19, 2:00-3:00 PM in the International Lounge. As the Ukrainian  nation works to find a new path, what do the changes mean for museums?  And how have museums stepped up to meet community needs?  And what's the difference between what we see on the news and what's happening?  (You won't find this session in your program, so make a note!)   And, we'll be attending the ICOM-US lunch on Tuesday, so you can also meet them there.

But Ihor, Eugene and Tania are really looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about American museum practices.  In particular,  they have interests in including visitor voices in exhibitions,  branding and marketing,  working with teenagers, and issues surrounding civic engagement.  If you've got a great story or project to share with them, please let me know and I'll put you in touch.  And if you see them in the corridors of the conference, do say hello!  From top to photo in this post, that's Eugene, Tania, and Ihor.

Update:  I neglected one more chance to learn more about Ukraine!  Ihor Poshyvailo will be presenting a case study on the Dynamic Museum Project of the Ivan Honchar Museum in the Lessons from the International Community on Tuesday, May 20 from 8:45-10 a.m.

Our deep gratitude to AAM, the United States Embassy in Ukraine, and the Rinat Akhemetov Foundation for the Development of Ukraine for making this experience possible.