In this Coffee Gathering Amber Inwood (Museum Education Specialist for the Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University) shared her experience developing a pilot training program for gallery educators, which focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Amber has kindly permitted RAAMP to provide her contact information for others to be in touch with any questions about the pilot training program:
Phone: (757) 683-4669
Email: ainwood@odu.edu
Amber Inwood is the contracted Museum Education Specialist for the recently opened (2018) Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Within this role, she has been the lead facilitator for the Museums pilot Gallery Educator program. Prior to this Amber was a member of the Bishop Museum Education team in Honolulu, Hawaii from 2007 to 2017. While there, Amber served as a science and culture educator and as the Science Education Manager for 5 years. As manager she was also the project manager for numerous government and community funded science, art and culturally integrated education projects. Most recently, Amber completed her M.S. in Education, Free Choice Learning at Oregon State University. During this, she undertook a study on Native Hawaiian middle school students’ interest drivers while taking part in place-based informal education programs under Professors Dr. Lynn Dierking and Dr. Pauline Chinn.
Co-facilitating the discussion, along with Cali Buckley (CAA’s Grants and Special Programs Manager) is Laura Busby, the RAAMP Project Assistant at CAA. During her studies and following her graduation from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History, Visual Art & Theory, she worked as an Educator at the Vancouver Art Gallery for nearly seven years. In addition to leading tours of countless exhibitions for people of all ages, she co-developed art education programs at the Vancouver General Hospital for patient populations with cognitive impairments including early dementia and Alzheimer’s. Laura also worked at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia where she assisted with the institution’s presenting series. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Visual Arts Administration at New York University Steinhardt.
Background on Barry Art Museum:
Visit the Barry Art Museum Website: https://barryartmuseum.odu.edu/
The Barry Art Museum Opening, Old Dominion University, Norfolk Virginia
Resources Supporting Barry Art Museum Visitor Engagement:
The Museum Review Article – A Commitment to art education and outreach: forming a Researcher-Practitioner Partnership to support diversity and inclusion at a university art museum:
http://articles.themuseumreview.org/tmr_vol4no1_garner
The Slow Art Movement:
Freeman Tilden’s 6 Principals of Interpretation per Veverka, John. (2018). The Interpretive Trainers Handbook – the art of teaching heritage interpretation concepts, principles and techniques to others:
Old Dominion University Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity:
Inclusivity and Diversity Resources:
American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Working Group on Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI):
https://www.aam-us.org/programs/diversity-equity-accessibility-and-inclusion/facing-change/
The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Alliance (LGBTQ Alliance) of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM):
https://www.aam-us.org/professional-networks/lgbtq-alliance/
2019, American Alliance for Museums LGBTQ Alliance Welcoming Guidelines for Museums (AAM):
https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-Welcoming-Guidelines.pdf
Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion: Unconscious Bias and Personal Work (AAM):