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Central Arizona Museum Association

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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] CAMA is also the sponsor of International Museum Day in central Arizona. [2]

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.

CAMA is registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission as a 501(c) (3) Non-Profit Association.[3]

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

Founding Institutions and Officers

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

The Central Arizona Museum Association [4] was formally organized on February 1, 1978. Its founding institutions were the Chandler Historical Society, Glendale Historical Society, Heard Museum, Mesa Museum, the Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Historical Museum, and the Tempe Historical Museum.

CAMA’s founding officers [5] were: President - Tray C. Mead, Mesa Museum; Vice-President - Peggy Burton, Tempe Historical Museum; Secretary - Mary Jane Williams, Arizona State University Art Collection; and 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[6]—available in printed format and online on the CAMA website—highlighting its member museums. This publication has frequently been sponsored financially by local organizations and businesses such as First Federal Savings, Salt River Project, The Arizona Bank, and Robinson's-May Department Store [7]The brochure includes a map indicating locations of member museums, as well as institutional information.

Programs and Activities

CAMA members at a professional-development meeting in 2010..
CAMA members enjoy a professional-development program at The Carnegie Library in Phoenix.

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.[8]

CAMA members also participate in many promotional activities such as the annual Arizona Humanities Festival of the Arts[9] in order to publicize its member museums. [10]

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)[11] with its member museums offering special promotions, programs, and discounts. [12] 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.

Currently known as International Museum Day, over the years this museum promotion has also been celebrated by CAMA as Arizona Museum Week, Arizona Museum Month [13], and Summer at the Museum.[14] Participating member museums offer discounts and special programming for young and old alike. [15]

CAMA frequently publishes promotional materials to publicize IMD and its participating member museums,[16] and these publications are often corporately sponsored. [17] All of CAMA's International Museum Day materials--printed and broadcast--are available in both English and Spanish. [18]

The Arizona Memory Project also archives a collection of International Museum Day materials.[19]

Archives

Central Arizona Museum Association Records [20] 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. ^ Rebecca R. Akins, "Serving, Sharing, Saving: The First Twenty-Five Years of the Museum Association of Arizona," 2007, page 45.
  2. ^ "The Arizona Republic," May 12, 1996
  3. ^ Arizona Corporates - Company Profiles of Arizona http://www.arizonacorporates.com/corp/580074.html
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ Board-president roster compiled from Arizona Corporation Commission records. http://www.azcc.gov
  6. ^ Arizona Edventures - Museums http://www.arizonaedventures.com/things-to-see-do/arizona-field-trips/museums/
  7. ^ "The Arizona Republic," April 25, 1997, Section D20
  8. ^ Nerdy Data http://azcama.com.nerdydata.com/
  9. ^ "Arts and Culture Guidebook," Phoenix Festival of the Arts, p. 29
  10. ^ Arizona Humanities publication, "Arizona Humanities Festival: Stories of Us," October 22, 2011
  11. ^ “Arizona Family Magazine” International Museum Day http://events.azfamily.com/International_Museum_Day/289370384.html
  12. ^ "Raising Arizona Kids" https://www.raisingarizonakids.com/2011/05/free-museum-days/
  13. ^ "The Arizona Republic," AZ Living Section, April 30, 2007
  14. ^ "The Arizona Republic," Section E1, July 11, 2009
  15. ^ “Arizona Family Magazine” International Museum Day http://events.azfamily.com/International_Museum_Day/289370384.html IMD
  16. ^ “ "Phoenix New Times," Great Escapes, p. 57
  17. ^ "The Arizona Republic," April 25, 1997, Section D20
  18. ^ Beatriz Limón, “La Voz” Celebrarán con ofertas museos de Phoenix, Mayo 8, 2015 http://www.lavozarizona.com/story/entertenimiento/tvymas/2015/05/08/celebrarn-con-ofertas-museos-de-phoenix/26886263/ IMD
  19. ^ Arizona Memory Project http://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/cdm/contributor?colln=camaimd
  20. ^ 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