To develop current leadership capacity through lifelong learning, the Northwest Arts Center has been awarded a $1,000 professional development grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA). This grant provided funds to the Northwest Arts Center for the director to attend the 2019 American Alliance of Museums conference to receive training in current best practices for museum and collections management.

The AAM annual meeting is one of the largest gatherings of museum professionals in the world with an annual attendance of more than 5,000 from all types of cultural institutions. It is advertised as the “top destination to gain the inspiration, insights and expertise needed to keep your organization dynamic, relevant, sustainable and essential to your community.’ The NAC is an institutional member of AAM and is using AAM guidelines and materials in the continuing development of the Arts Center.

NDCA’s professional development grant program benefits arts organizations by providing financial assistance for staff/board/volunteer training opportunities or for hiring consultants and technical or artistic directors. Individual artists also benefit from the program through grants for educational opportunities relating to the arts and arts development.

At the AAM conference, Director Greg Vettel attended professional training in community engagement and impact, education and interpretation, leadership, management and administration, and collections stewardship. As director of the Northwest Arts Center, Vettel is involved in all aspects of the center’s operations, specifically relating to the aforementioned areas. Vettel received training through the sessions on planning to move museum collections, public policy and advocacy, fundraising, digital project management, audience specific engagement strategies, inclusion and diversity in staffing, accessible exhibition design and visitor experiences.

“Receiving the NDCA Professional Development Grant was instrumental in attending the AAM Annual Meeting,” says Vettel. “Information gained from conference sessions will help ensure the use of current best practices for museum management, caring for the Minot State University collections and in serving our communities.”