Central Arizona Museum Association

Central Arizona Museum Association

CAMA Logo
Founded	1978
Type	501(c) (3) Non-Profit Association
Tax ID no.	AZ Tax Identification #: 86-0495403; AZ Corporation Commission ID #: 0161357-0
Focus	Museums, including professionals and volunteers
Area served	Arizona Counties served by CAMA: Gila, Maricopa, Yavapai, and Pinal
Website	http://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.

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.

Member Counties of the Central Arizona Museum Association.

History

Institutional history

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

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

Publication

Image of several of CAMA's brochures.

A selection of CAMA’s ever-popular brochures.

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.

Programs

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

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

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..

Each year during the month of May, Central Arizona Museum Association (CAMA) sponsors the celebration of International Museum Day (IMD)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.

Archives

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

External links

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

• CAMA records are archived at ASU Libraries' Archives & Special Collections, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287: http://www.azarchivesonline.org/xtf/view? For additional information, please contact Karrie Porter Brace at Karrie.Porterbrace@asu.edu; (480) 965-4925

• International Council of Museums: http://icom.museum/

• List of Museums in Arizona https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Arizona

• Nonprofit Facts http://www.nonprofitfacts.com/AZ/Central-Arizona-Museum-Association.html