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Central Arizona Museum Association
Founded1978
Type501(c) (3) Non-Profit Association
AZ Tax Identification #: 86-0495403; AZ Corporation Commission ID #: 0161357-0
FocusMuseums, including professionals and volunteers
Area served
Arizona Counties served by CAMA: Gila, Maricopa, Yavapai, and Pinal
Websitehttp://www.azcama.org/

Central Arizona Museum Association (CAMA) founded in 1978, is a 501(c)(3) regional non-profit organization dedicated to fostering collaboration among museum professionals, encouraging professional development, improving best practices, and promoting the value of member museums to the greater community. Central Arizona is home to diverse museums - excellent venues for spending time with family and friends while gaining educational experiences. Arizona museums offer exhibitions, programming for students, adults, specialists, and children ranging from lectures to social hours, free events, workshops, demonstrations, trips to other destinations, and so much more.[1]

Central Arizona Museum Association membership boundaries include the following Arizona counties: Gila, Maricopa, Pinal, and Yavapai. CAMA's individual members include directors, curators, registrars, educators, exhibit designers, public relations officers, development officers, security managers, trustees, students, and volunteers. Its museum members represent art, history, natural history, science, military, specialized, and youth museums.[2]

Arizona map showing counties served by the Central Arizona Museum Association.
Member Counties of the Central Arizona Museum Association.

History

Institutional history[3]

File:Photograph of Governor Bruce Babbitt signing a proclamation, sponsored by CAMA, for Arizona Museum Week in 1982.jpg
At CAMA’s request, Governor Bruce E. Babbitt signed a proclamation declaring May 18 – 25, 1982, “Arizona Museum Week.” Photo: Courtesy of CAMA Archives

As for the "why" of CAMA, I remember that it began as a once-a-month "lunch bunch." I also remember how nice it was for me to be able to share experiences, plans, fears, successes, etc. with a group of peers. Without the benefits of email, texting, Twitter, and Instagram, keeping in touch required a lot more time and effort back then, and I remember really looking forward to the meetings that grew in size monthly. The creation of the CAMA brochure (a first for the Valley) was a true accomplishment for our group, and we took great pride in it.

Barbara Meyerson
First Treasurer post-incorporation, 1983-84

Founding Institutions - February 1, 1978

Chandler Historical Society

Glendale Historical Society

Heard Museum

Mesa Museum

Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Historical Museum

Tempe Historical Museum

Founding Officers -1978

First President - Tray C. Mead, Mesa Museum

Vice-President - Peggy Burton, Tempe Historical Museum

Secretary - Mary Jane Williams, Arizona State University Art Collection

Treasurer - Lee Scott Theisen, Phoenix Historical Museum

Timeline

  • March 1, 1978 - Committee consisting of officers, plus Charles Colley, Archivist and Field Collector for the Arizona State University library, Dick Lynch, and Ernest Jenner established by-laws and mission statement
  • 1978 - CAMA's first project was printing a brochure funded by First Federal Savings (100,000 copies) for $3,500.00
  • November 5 – 12, 1978 - CAMA's first official Proclamation signed by Governor Bruce Babbitt: "State-wide Museum Awareness Week"
  • February 1979 - First brochures available, 12 member museums
  • March 1979 - Annual dues established of $25 per member museum
  • May 18, 1980 - Second official proclamation recognizing International Council of Museums' "International Museum Day"
  • September/October, 1981 - First Valley-wide Collaborative CAMA members' exhibition: "Containers"
  • March 13, 1982 - At CAMA’s request, Governor Bruce E. Babbitt signs a proclamation declaring May 18 - 25 “Arizona Museum Week.”
  • December 1982 - First bylaws printed
  • September 17 - October 9, 1983 - Second Collaborative exhibit: held at Pueblo Grande Museum, includes 20 CAMA members: "Education Outside the Classroom"
  • 1983 - CAMA member survey: "Culture in Central Arizona Profile"
  • March 1983 - Second brochure printed with 35 museums; The Arizona Bank underwrote the production of 50,000 copies[4]
  • March 4, 1983 - First formal convening of the Executive Committee held immediately following CAMA meeting
  • May 1983 - Reciprocal membership with Phoenix/Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau; CVB became first reciprocal, nonpaying CAMA member
  • May 1983 - Fiscal year set from July 1 through June 30; amended bylaws presented to members
  • December 7, 1983 - Central Arizona Museum Association is officially founded with Articles of Incorporation;
  • December 12, 1983 - Phoenix attorney James T. Bialac named CAMA's statutory agent
  • May 16 - 22, 1984 - Third official proclamation: "Arizona Museum Week" proclaimed by Governor Bruce Babbitt
  • November 1984 - Incorporation completed [5]
  • May 1985 - Amendment to by-laws regarding membership and voting; 2nd Vice President position added to Board
  • May 18, 1989 - CAMA Marketing Committee organizes first free admission day for "International Museum Day"
  • March 1990 - By vote of membership, annual dues for member institutions increased from $25.00 to $75.00
  • 1993 - CAMA brochure funded by Salt River Project; 47 museum members [6]
  • May 1994 - Fourth gubernatorial proclamation: recognizes "International Museum Week" signed by Governor Fife Symington; jointly sponsored by CAMA and the Museum Association of Arizona[7]
  • 1994 - 1995 - The position of 2nd Vice President was eliminated
  • 1995 - CAMA sponsors International Museum, May 18 - 21, with discounts on admission and merchandise at participating member museums [8]
  • 1995 - A $200.00 stipend established for a CAMA member to attend the MAA (Museum Association of Arizona) conference
  • 1996 - CAMA sponsors Museum Day, May 18, 1996 [9]
  • 1996 - Printing of CAMA brochure funded by Salt River Project; 51 member museums [10]
  • 1997 - First year that Robinsons-May [Department Store] underwrote promotion of the month of May as Museum Month around International Museum Day [11]
  • 1997 - Robinson's-May and CAMA collaborate on a "Museum Passport" featuring free admission to twenty-one museums [12]
  • January 1998 - First CAMA website created, sponsored and maintained by the Tempe Historical Museum and the City of Tempe - www.tempe.gov/cama
  • February 11, 1998 - Initiated Strategic Plan: "Visioning"
  • July 6, 1998 - Became an affiliate organization of the Museum Association of Arizona
  • 1998 - Robinsons-May funded printing for the 1998 CAMA brochure in promotion of what became "Robinson's-May Museum Month" [13]
  • June 1999 - Robinsons-May grants $10,000 to help promote "Robinson"s-May Museum Month" [14]
  • September 24, 1999 - IMLS grants $27,300.00 for Project SMART (Small Museums of Arizona Resource Training), a collaboration between Arizona Humanities Council, ASU Museum Studies, and the Museum Association of Arizona to provide a resource manual and professional-development workshops[15]
  • April 2000 - Website make-over by Larry Warner, Arizona Museum for Youth
  • April 7, 2000 - Robinsons-May donates $10,000 for promotion of "Robinsons-May Museum Month"
  • October 2000 - CAMA establishes a mentorship program with member volunteers
  • October 9, 2002 - By-law change: increases Board from four members (President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer) to seven, adding a Membership/Development Director, a Program Director, and a CAMA/MAA Representative
  • 2002 - Printed new brochures (50,000 copies) sponsored by Robinson's-May; 60 museums listed [16]
  • December 3, 2003 - Directors' and Officers' Insurance is purchased for $1300.30
  • April 14, 2004 - Arizona Historical Society, Central Division, at Papago Park agrees to serve as repository for CAMA archives
  • May 18, 2004 - Robinsons-May grants $18,000 for promotion of Museum Month
  • March 25, 2005 - Strategic planning begins
  • September 2005 Bylaw change: new mission statement adopted
  • September 15, 2005 - CAMA joins ShowUp.com for promotions
  • January 2006 - Bylaw change: CAMA boundaries now include following counties – Gila, Maricopa, Pinal, and Yavapai
  • April 2006 - Bylaw change: adds Communications Director and Member-at-large, increasing Board to nine members
  • 2006 - Website make-over
  • April 2007 - Received "Outstanding Contribution" award from the Museum Association of Arizona [17]
  • 2007 - CAMA sponsors Museum Month, May 2007, with free admissions and discounts on admissions and merchandise at partnering museums [18]
  • 2007 - 2009 - CAMA participated in the Bashas’ grocery chain "Thanks A Million for Friends and Neighbors" fundraising program for non-profit organizations
  • January 11, 2008 - By-law change: spells out boundaries for membership; only organizations and individual members from the counties of Gila, Maricopa, Pinal, and Yavapai are eligible
  • Fall 2008 - Tag line adopted: "It's Your Organization!"
  • October 2008 - New brochure printed
  • Summer 2009 - CAMA engaged Showup.com to be its primary promotion partner
  • 2009 - CAMA promotes and sponsors "Summer at the Museum," encouraging museum attendance [19]
  • November 2010 - New brochure printed (20,000 copies)
  • 2010 - Thomas H. Wilson, Director of the Arizona Museum of Natural History, becomes CAMA's new statutory agent.
  • Spring 2011 - In support of the International Council of Museums’ [ICOM] "International Museum Day," CAMA created an Arizona Memory Project collection [20]
  • 2011 CAMA member museums offer special pricing for International Museum Day [21]
  • April 13, 2011 - Received "Best Interpretation of a Theme" award from the Museum Association of Arizona
  • October 22, 2011 - CAMA participated in the "Arizona Humanities Festival: Stories of Us," Civic Space Park, Phoenix [22]
  • January 2012 - New brochure printed (20,000 copies)
  • November 3, 2012 - CAMA participated in the Arizona Humanities Festival: American Jukebox, Civic Space Park, Phoenix
  • January 2013 - New brochure printed (20,000 copies)
  • September 2013 - ASU Libraries' Archives & Special Collections, Arizona State University, Tempe, agrees to permanently archive CAMA records
  • December 14, 2013 - CAMA participated in the Phoenix Festival of the Arts, Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix [23]
  • April 25, 2014 - CAMA records delivered to ASU Libraries' Archives & Special Collections, Arizona State University, Tempe
  • May 1 - 2, 2014 - CAMA was a co-sponsor of the Museum Association of Arizona Annual Conference, Flagstaff, AZ
  • May 18, 2014 - Fourth official proclamation of International Museum Day in Arizona, sponsored by CAMA and signed by Governor Janice K. Brewer
  • January 2015 - New brochure printed (20,000 copies)
  • May 14 - 15, 2015 - CAMA was a co-sponsor of the Museum Association of Arizona Annual Conference, Chandler, AZ

CAMA Presidents

CAMA Presidents 1983 - 2016 [24]

1983 - 1984 President - Tray C. Mead, Mesa Museum

1984 - 1985 President - Rudy H. Turk, Arizona State University Art Museum

1985 - 1986 President - Chad Phinney, Pueblo Grande Museum

1986 - 1987 President - Chad Phinney, Pueblo Grande Museum

1987 - 1988 President - Michael Carmen, Arizona State Capitol Museum

1988 - 1989 President - Michael Carmen, Arizona State Capitol Museum

1989 - 1990 President - Michael Duchemin, Arizona Historical Society, Central Division

1990 - 1991 President - Michael Duchemin, Arizona Historical Society, Central Division

1991 - 1992 President - Teresa Coury-Davia, Arizona Museum of Science and Technology

1992 -1993 President - Roger Lidman, Pueblo Grande Museum

1993 – 1994 President - Roger Lidman, Pueblo Grande Museum

1994 - 1995 President - Larry R. Warner, Arizona Museum For Youth

1995 - 1996 President - Barbara Moulard, Pueblo Grande Museum

1996 - 1997 President - Jacqueline Miller, Arizona State Capitol Museum

1997 - 1998 President - Anthony R. Basché, Phoenix Art Museum

1998 - 1999 President - Kenneth Evans, Salt River Project History Center

1999- 2000 President - Anthony R. Basché, Phoenix Art Museum

2000 - 2001 President - Anthony R. Basché, Phoenix Art Museum

2001 - 2002 President - Tracy Wright Wagner, Mesa Historical Museum

2002 - 2003 President -Tracy Wright Wagner, Mesa Historical Museum

2003 - 2004 President - Wallace Steffan, West Valley Art Museum

2004 - 2005 President - Angelica De Coq, Mesa Southwest Museum

2005 - 2006 President - Stacey Ray, Pueblo Grande Museum

2006 - 2007 President - Stacey Ray, Pueblo Grande Museum

2007 - 2008 President - Mitch Menchaca, Arizona Commission on the Arts

2008 -2009 President - Mitch Menchaca, Arizona Commission on the Arts

2009 - 2010 President - Sarah Weber, Musical Instrument Museum

2010 - 2011 President - Sarah Weber, Musical Instrument Museum

2011 -2012 President – Vicki L. Berger, Curator and Collections Manager, Retired

2012 - 2013 President - Vicki Berger, Curator and Collections Manager, Retired

2013 - 2014 President - Vicki Berger, Curator and Collections Manager, Retired

2014 -2015 President - Vicki Berger, Curator and Collections Manager, Retired

2015 - 2016 President - Tyson Robinson, Mayo Clinic

Publication

Image of several of CAMA's brochures.
A selection of CAMA’s ever-popular brochures.

The whole purpose behind organizing CAMA was to do a brochure so people visiting the area would be able to find our museums. We kept on adding members and would print a brochure every year--or whenever we ran out.

Mary Jane Williams Founding Secretary, 1978

Every other year CAMA produces a brochure—available in printed format and online on the CAMA website—highlighting its member museums. The brochure includes a map indicating locations of member museums, as well as institutional information. [25]

Programs

CAMA members at a professional-development meeting in 2010..
Members enjoy a CAMA professional-development program at The Carnegie Library on April 14, 2010..

CAMA meetings give members a chance to get to visit museums that we'd probably never see otherwise. And the professional-development programs themselves have been invaluable sources of information. (Another amazing thing about CAMA is that, in the beginning, our museum hosts would provide a buffet lunch for our meetings!)

JoAnn Handley Museum Manager Scottsdale Historical Museum

CAMA meets from September to May on the second Wednesday of each month. These hour-and-a-half-long professional-development meetings feature presentations and demonstrations on a wide-ranging array of topics of interest to membership. Member museums or affiliated cultural institutions serve as hosts for CAMA meetings.

Awards and Grants

As CAMA grew and matured in its mission of promoting museums in central AZ, and with its 501(c)(3) non-profit status, it became eligible to receive organizational grants like the Robinsons-May support for International Museum Day and an IMLS professional-development grant. In 1995 CAMA began awarding conference/workshop stipends to museum professionals and volunteers to support professional development and museum best practices. CAMA is also proud to have received two Awards of Excellence from the Museum Association of Arizona.

Nancy Cutler CAMA Marketing Director 2013 - 2016

CAMA provides an annual opportunity for its members to apply for stipends. These stipends award funds covering conference attendance or other professional experiences for its members. In 2013 CAMA honored deceased colleague Alice C. Jung, CAMA secretary from 2005 to 2009, by dedicating that year's stipends in her memory.

In June 1999 and April 2000, Robinsons-May Department Store gave CAMA grants of $10,000 to help promote local museums in what soon became Robinsons-May Museum Month, and, in May 2004, Robinsons-May granted $18,000 for Museum Month.

On September 24, 1999, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) granted CAMA $27,300.00 for Project SMART (Small Museums of Arizona Resource Training), a collaboration between Arizona Humanities Council, ASU Museum Studies, and the Museum Association of Arizona to provide a resource manual and several professional-development workshops.

International Museum Day (IMD)

Promotional materials for International Museum Day, sponsored by CAMA.
A selection of International Museum Day promotional materials.
The 2014 proclamation for “International Museum Day,” May 2014, was signed by Governor Janice K. Brewer.
The 2014 proclamation for “International Museum Day,” May 18, 2014, was signed by Governor Janice K. Brewer..

The origin of CAMA's promotion of IMD was an effort begun many years ago to use International Museum Day [26]as a way to get media visibility for local museums. I remember taking a photo of the CAMA board in then Governor Bruce Babbitt's office as he signed a proclamation recognizing CAMA and International Museum Day. Over the years, the "day" evolved into a month-long event. This was influenced by Robinsons-May financial support.

Roger Lidman CAMA President 1991 - 1994

Each year during the month of May, Central Arizona Museum Association (CAMA) sponsors the celebration of International Museum Day (IMD) [27]with its member museums offering special promotions, programs, and discounts. IMD, created in 1977 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), raises public awareness about the vital role museums play in creating a sense of community. In 1978, 1984, 1994, and 2014 CAMA was awarded gubernatorial proclamations in celebration of International Museum Day. The Arizona Memory Project also archives a number of International Museum Day materials. [28]

Archives

On April 25, 2014, I signed the Deed of Gift donating the CAMA Records to the Department of Archives & Special Collections, Arizona State University Libraries. This donation was the culmination of many months of work by CAMA board members who contacted former officers, culled incoming boxes of papers, and organized documents by topic and date. The records are now safe and available for research. In the future, the Board of Directors will periodically add pertinent records to the collection.

Vicki L. Berger CAMA President 2011 – 2015

Central Arizona Museum Association Records [29] are housed at Arizona State University Library: Archives & Special Collections Reference Services located at the Tempe campus.

  • For more information on CAMA, its member museums, programs, and bylaws, visit the Central Arizona Museum Association's website at: http://azcama.org/

References

  1. ^ Nerdy Data http://azcama.com.nerdydata.com/
  2. ^ "Serving, Sharing, Saving: The First Twenty-Five Years of the Museum Association of Arizona," Rebecca R. Akins, 2007; page 45.
  3. ^ Information for this section was extracted from the official Central Arizona Museum Association Records, housed at the Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, Tempe, AZ. http://www.azarchivesonline.org/xtf/view
  4. ^ 1983 brochure, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366, Box 4, Folder 3
  5. ^ Arizona Corporates - Company Profiles of Arizona http://www.arizonacorporates.com/corp/580074.html
  6. ^ Salt River Project http://www.srpnet.com/community/heritage.aspx
  7. ^ Governor Fife Symington International Museum Week, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366, Box 8, Folder 5
  8. ^ "Phoenix New Times," Great Escapes, p. 57
  9. ^ "The Arizona Republic," May 12, 1996
  10. ^ 1996 brochure, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366, Box 4, Folder 5
  11. ^ Confirmation letter from Robinson's-May, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366, Box 5, Folder 5/5
  12. ^ "The Arizona Republic," April 25, 1997, Section D20
  13. ^ 1998 brochure, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366, Box 4, Folder 5
  14. ^ Letter from Robinson's-May, June 30, 1999, acknowledging its $10,000 sponsorship, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366, Box 5, Folder 5/8
  15. ^ Final Report Project SMART, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366, Box 6, Folder 6/7
  16. ^ Brochure sponsored by Robinson's-May, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366, Box 4, Folder 6
  17. ^ Artifact box #1100, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366
  18. ^ "The Arizona Republic," AZ Living Section, April 30, 2007
  19. ^ "The Arizona Republic," Section E1, July 11, 2009
  20. ^ Letter from Vice-president Vicki L. Berger to membership, February 9, 2011, Arizona State University Archives & Special Collections, CAMA Records, MSS - 366, Box 4
  21. ^ "Raising Arizona Kids" https://www.raisingarizonakids.com/2011/05/free-museum-days/
  22. ^ Arizona Humanities publication, "Arizona Humanities Festival: Stories of Us," October 22, 2011
  23. ^ "Arts and Culture Guidebook," Phoenix Festival of the Arts, P. 29
  24. ^ Board-president roster compiled from Arizona Corporation Commission records. http://www.azcc.gov
  25. ^ Arizona Edventures - Museums http://www.arizonaedventures.com/things-to-see-do/arizona-field-trips/museums/
  26. ^ “La Voz” Celebrarán con ofertas museos de Phoenix by Beatriz Limón, Mayo 8, 2015 http://www.lavozarizona.com/story/entertenimiento/tvymas/2015/05/08/celebrarn-con-ofertas-museos-de-phoenix/26886263/
  27. ^ “Arizona Family Magazine” International Museum Day http://events.azfamily.com/International_Museum_Day/289370384.html
  28. ^ Arizona Memory Project http://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/cdm/contributor?colln=camaimd
  29. ^ Arizona Achives Online Central Arizona Museum Association Records 1980-2015 MSS-366 http://www.azarchivesonline.org/xtf/view?docId=ead/asu/cama.xml;query=;brand=default
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