What do museum groupies have in common from the following ten states:
- Colorado
- Kansas
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Wyoming
All ten of these states participate in the Mountain Plains Museums Association (MPMA), a regional museum association established in 1953.
Headquartered in Littleton, CO, MPMA is governed by a board of directors which overseas many affiliates and committees. A hired staff includes the Executive Director and an assistant. MPMA is concerned with supporting and popularizing museums and associated entities. It promotes communication within the association and with the general public.
Each fall, MPMA sponsors host an annual conference that usually attracts about 300 attendees. Conferees attend because they can network with other professionals to exchange information, ideas about training, job opportunities, and the latest gossip, all for a relatively minor cost. Currently over 700 individuals and institutions are happy to write membership dues checks each year to MPMA. In return, they receive a bi-monthly newsletter and are eligible for valuable discounts via a purchasing cooperative program. Here is a list of the products and services available from the discount program:
- Archival and collection care supplies
- Archival products for conservation and restoration (framing, mounting, bookbinding, library restoration)
- Archives design and processing
- Audio tour packages
- Climate-controlled storage
- Conference discounts
- Crating and shipping
- Custom made plastic mounts and cubes
- Customized museum touring crates
- Digitization (searchable)
- Ethafoam, sheet foam, tapes, boxes
- Exhibit research, design, fabrication and installation
- Film, video, audio and photography services
- Grant writing
- Graphics: Armolite high pressure laminate for interior use
- Graphics: Fibrelite, fiber glasses embedded graphics for exterior use
- Historical research and writing
- Hotel discounts
- Insurance for small and medium museums
- Microfilming
- Moving services for exhibits
- Museum and gallery planning
- NAGPRA consulting
- Shipping supplies
- Signage writing and design
- Space and information management
- Toys, gifts, novelty items
- Web development
The MPMA is home to a number of Affinity Committees (AC) that bring together professionals who specialize in specific disciplines related to museums. These AC form an important networking resource for the exchange of ideas. If an AC meets specific requirements, it can qualify as a Standing Professional Committee (SPC) and receive a vote on the MPMA board of directors. AC and SPC are effective gathering places for groups of professionals who share common duties and responsibilities in different museums. They meet at least annually, and exchange the latest information about projects, exhibits, sources for materials, and opinions on the museum scene.
We applaud the important work done by the MPMA, and encourage residents of the ten states to attend the next MPMA meeting. Getting involved with museums is an excellent way for citizens to express their civic pride and the high value they place on an educated public.