Upcoming Awards, Conferences and More

» The second annual Palm Beach Fair Museum Publication Grant Program supports the vital contribution museums' scholarly research makes to the cultural and intellectual life of their communities. Museums are encouraged to apply for up to $50,000 for books published by December that cover art from works of antiquity through those produced by artists born before 1977, the same scope represented at the Palm Beach Fair. To apply, submit a brief letter describing the nature of the project, budget, source of matching funds and request for support by July 1 to Dr. Michael P. Mezzatesta, Director, Palm Beach—America's International Fine Art and Antique Fair, 1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 200, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.

» Two scholarships are available for the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC). The Florida Museum of Natural History-sponsored SEMC scholarship is awarded to an individual from a natural history or natural history-based museum. The EdCom-sponsored scholarship is awarded to an individual in the field of museum education. Applications must be postmarked or faxed to the SEMC Central office by July 6. They will be reviewed by members of the Scholarship Committee, and all applicants will receive notification by Aug. 17. For further information, contact Elise V. LeCompte, coordinator of the SEMC Scholarship Subcommittee, at 352-392-1721 ext. 236 or lecompte@flmnh.ufl.edu.

» Smithsonian staff and colleagues are invited to attend "Widening the Conversation: Involving Communities in Interpretive Planning." Sarah Blannett, Margaret Hughes and Jeff Tancil from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum will discuss their successful community programs for new English speakers, their ImMigrant Trails self-guided tour program and possibilities for other museum-based educational programs. The program will be held on July 17 at 3 p.m. It is open to all Smithsonian staff and will be webcast live and available for viewing after the program date. For more information, contact Philippa Rappoport at 202-633-5299 or rappoph@si.edu.

» The 21st Annual Theater in Museums Workshop will be held at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Part I of the workshop, Sept. 24–26, will provide basic information needed to start a theater program and offer opportunities to explore other museums' programs. Part II, Sept. 27–29, will focus on script development. Participation in Part I, either this year or in previous years, is mandatory to participate in Part II. Enrollment deadline is Aug. 17. Contact Patricia Daily at 317-334-3819 or patriciad@childrensmuseum.org or visit the museum's website for a brochure and registration information.

» To commemorate its 25th anniversary, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) has announced a special awards competition, sponsored by the Prudential Group. Five associations will receive $2,000 awards with which to acknowledge one of their chapters, affiliates or members for an outstanding program that helped citizens with disabilities participate in and contribute to the economic, social and cultural vitality of their community. AAM will administer one of the awards to support a museum that has shown special dedication to serving disabled patrons. To enter, send a completed application form to Kate Goodall, American Association of Museums, 1575 Eye St. NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005 or kgoodall@aam-us.org no later than Aug. 31.

» The International Sculpture Center's 2007 conference, "Sculpture in Public: Part 1, Sculpture Parks and Gardens," will be held Oct. 15–17 in Seattle, a site chosen in honor of the opening of the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park. Attendees including artists, curators, patrons, architects, city planners and museum directors are invited to discuss issues related to both national and international sculpture parks and gardens. For more information or to register, visit the ISC website or contact events@sculpture.org.

» "The Future of the Past: Ethical Implications of Collecting Antiquities in the 21st Century" Conference will be held Oct. 18–19 at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. Sponsored by SMU's Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, the conference will bring together archaeologists, museum professionals, antiquities dealers, art collectors and others to discuss the ethical complexities of the global trade in antiquities. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Donny George Youkhanna, former president of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and director general of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad. For more information, contact Natalie Bowers at 214-768-2162 or natalie@smu.edu or visit the SMU website.

» The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) has received funding to train 60 select candidates on how to respond to emergencies affecting cultural collections. The training will be offered in Shepherdstown, W.Va., Oct. 15–19 and Seattle, Nov. 12–16. There is no registration fee, and participants will receive support for travel, hotel and meals. For application forms, selection criteria and more information, visit the education section of the AIC website or contact Eric Pourchot, professional development director, at 202-452-9545, ext. 12 or epourchot@aic-faic.org.

» The Art Museum Partnership's 2007 Directors Forum will be held Oct. 21–24 in New York. Open to full-time directors of nonprofit art museums and galleries, the conference will feature keynote speaker Holly Block, executive director of the Bronx Museum of the Arts. The program will begin with an opening dinner at the historic National Arts Club, followed by two days of informative sessions at distinguished cultural institutions throughout Manhattan. For more information and to register, visit the conference website. For inquiries and sponsorship opportunities, contact The Art Museum Partnership/Directors Forum, Inc., 303 Park Avenue South, Box 1112, New York, NY 10010-3657, 646-431-2358 or Info@ArtMuseumPartnership.org.

» Americans for the Arts will hold "Flourishing in the New Frontier: New Media, New Audiences, New Opportunities" on Nov. 2–5 at the Hyatt Regency, Miami. Along with direct marketing, branding and messaging, the conference will explore new modes of communication including RSS, podcasts, blogging and texting, as well as how to optimize e-mail and websites to reach every segment of the marketplace. Visit the Americans for the Arts website for more information or to register.