Oregon Museums Association

Since 1978, OMA has brought Oregon’s museum professionals together to cultivate ideas, further contributions to the museum field, and support our state’s cultural organizations.

Your tax-deductible donation supports our mission to empower Oregon's museums to thrive. We do that through lively discussion and networking at in-person events and via online media, insightful programming and training at our annual conference and workshops, targeted advocacy to advance the museum field, and member benefits that support professional advancement and community building.

You can make a donation of any amount to OMA by visiting oregonmuseums.org/Donate. Thank you so much for your support!

Did you mark your calendars for our Annual Conference in Ashland? If not, put down April 18 - 20, 2027 in Ashland. We cannot wait to see all the members and not-yet-members in 7 months!

As an OMA Institutional member, you get access to a number of museum-specific benefits, including having your museum's online collection listed on our website! Current members can contact [email protected] to have their online collection listed.

Interested in accessing this benefit and more? Visit oregonmuseums.org/Join to join us today!

We're having a Meet Up this week with Portland Museum Professionals! Join us September 24 at 5pm at Double Dragon for an evening of networking and connection in Portland.

Let us know you'll be there! RSVP here: tinyurl.com/PortlandMuseumsMeet-upSep24

See you this Thursday!

Member Spotlight: Gresham Historical Society!

The Gresham Historical Society (GHS) is a free museum dedicated to preserving and sharing its community′s past to enrich its present and future. Programming focuses on education, access, and community-building with initiatives such as the Voices of Gresham podcast, walking tours of cemeteries and historic architecture, the Indigenous Arts Festival, and rotating historical and cultural exhibits. GHS also stewards collections of historical documents, photos, objects, recordings, manuscripts, and rare books. Now in its 50th year, GHS is looking ahead to the next 50 years of serving East Metro.

Visit greshamhistorical.org to learn more and plan your visit!

OMA greatly appreciates all of our members. Visit oregonmuseums.org/Join to join us as an individual, business, or institutional member! Follow us on socials to stay up to date and learn more about our amazing member institutions.

Planning to be at the WMA Annual Meeting in Utah next week? A few members of OMA's Board will be at the Coffee Hour on September 24th from 8-8:45am in the Grand Ballroom, and would love to meet up with folks from Oregon! Join us for some lively conversation and networking. Hope to see you there!

Can you believe that it's been five months since the Annual Conference with Oregon Heritage? Our Conference Committee is hard at work planning our Ashland Conference! What would you want to see offered?

Join us for our Collections Affinity Group, happening next Thursday, September 24 at 10am! OMA Affinity Groups are always free, online events for museum professionals to network and discuss meaningful topics.

Managing a museum collection is a rewarding challenge, but it can also be daunting, overwhelming, and exhausting! So why not put our heads together and collaborate? The OMA “Collections Affinity Group” is an opportunity for collections managers, curators, registrars, and people specializing in similar positions to come together and share our triumphs, challenges, and most importantly, learn from one another!

Join us for this group, hosted by Rebekah Averette, Collections Manager of Deschutes County Museum, by registering online at https://oregonmuseums.org/event-6536583.

Discover upcoming events from OMA members!

Visit the Corvallis Museum for the upcoming lecture, The Legacy of Anti-Indigenous Rhetoric in the Fabric of the Nation, on October 8th at 10:30AM.

Language holds power. It puts forth the words that define our lived realities, shape our futures, and tell the stories of our past. In the Declaration of Independence, the notorious words “merciless Indian savages” enshrines anti-Indigenous rhetoric into the very fabric of the nation. Often justified and oversimplified as “phrasing of the time” or as being about King George versus Native American people, these three words shaped the future of the United States’ relationships with Tribal nations through national values, norms, laws, and policies that continue to impact the experiences of Native American people today. This talk will discuss these complexities and ask what we can do to reshape our collective futures in ways that reconcile the lasting impacts.

Speaker: Dr. Luhui Whitebear

This lecture happens at the Corvallis Museum.

Registration required. These lectures are free to the public, thanks to the support of our generous Historical Society donors and members like you! Suggested donation $5-$10.

For accommodation related to a disability, please contact Anya Ballinger at [email protected]

Website: https://bentoncountymuseums.org/events/the-legacy-of-anti-indigenous-rhetoric/

Join us for our Programming Affinity Group, happening October 2nd at 9am! OMA Affinity Groups are always free, online events for museum professionals to network and discuss meaningful topics.

Programming is a critical part of community and connection in museum work. From pre-K and lower elementary to lifelong learners and senior communities, there are countless opportunities for your programs team to share all that your institution has to offer. Let's share ideas, resources, and connections!

Join us for this group, hosted by Julia Triezenberg, Education Supervisor at the Columbia River Maritime Museum, by registering online at https://oregonmuseums.org/event-6510596