Pre-Conference Fun! Saturday, September 21.
Railroad Days is an
annual celebration of all things train and track! Celebrate CB's rich railroad heritage and
place in history as historic Mile Zero for Union Pacific Railroad. There will be
numerous train-themed activities and locations to visit between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m. on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
GoRailroadDays.com
Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau information here.
Sunday, September 22.
Spend the day enjoying area museums. Across the river you will find the Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha (open 10-4 Sunday), the Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th Street, Omaha (open 12-4 Sunday) and the beautiful Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha (open 9-5 Sunday).
5:00 -7:00 p.m.
Opening reception of the Iowa Museum Conference at the General Dodge House. (For handicap access, use the driveway behind the home)
Sponsor: The Historic General Dodge House.
Monday, September 23
MORNING VENUE: Pottawattamie Arts Culture Entertainment (PACE), 1001 S 6th St, Council Bluffs, IA 51501
Snacks sponsored by Quad Cities Graduate Study Center
9 – 9:50 a.m. Genoa Indian School Digital Reconciliation Project: Building Relationships with Tribal Communities. Dr. Susana Grajales Geliga.
Dr. Grajales Geliga will provide insight into the development of the Genoa Indian School and its journey of building relationships with tribal communities. As a branch of an academic institution, the Genoa Indiana School Digital Reconciliation Project has sought to build lasting relationships with tribal nations whose members were sent to the Genoa Indian boarding school, and to work with Native communities making digital files more accessible to descendants who aren’t affiliated with the university.
10 – 10:50 Choice of three breakouts
(1) A Historic Japanese Garden in Iowa: Rehabilitation and Revision of the Story. Melanie Alexander, Director, Muscatine Art Center. Sponsor: Lee Wealth Management
(2) Tour: the PACE Art Collection.
(3) A History of Connection—the Amana People, Their Identity, and Community Over Time. Jon M. Childers, Executive Director, Amana Heritage Society.
11 – 11:50 Choice of three breakouts
(1) Tour: American Midwest Ballet Costume Archive.
(2) 'Razzle Dazzle:' Sewing Community Connections. Christopher Atkins, Curator, Sioux City Art Center.
(3) NAGPRA Implementation Updates for Iowa Museums and Institutions. Lara Noldner, PhD, Bioarchaeology Director, Office of the State Archaeologist.
Noon – 1:00 Lunch at PACE. The IMA Annual Meeting, Awards, and Board Elections will take place during Monday lunch. Lunch sponsored by McCullough Creative.
1:00-1:50 Time with exhibitors. Explore all that our exhibitors have to offer, make connections, exchange business cards!
AFTERNOON VENUE: Lewis & Clark Trail Headquarters National Park Service, 601 Riverfront Drive, Omaha. Sponsored by Lewis & Clark Trail Headquarters.
2:00. Travel across the river to Lewis & Clark Trail Headquarters National Park Service, 601 Riverfront Drive, Omaha. The National Park Service serves Regions 3,4, and 5 from this site, including Iowa.
2:30 – 3:20 Choice of three breakout sessions
(1) Lincoln’s Springfield: Connection Over Convention. Greg Dietzenbach, Creative Director, McCullough Creative.
(2) Connecting with Top Donors: Repeatable Cultivation Plans for 4 Top Donor Types. Eric Heininger, MBA, CFRE, President, EDEN+ Fundraising.
(3) Connecting people to photos and place: How three Iowa Cultural Heritage Organizations use (and benefit from) the Fortepan IA photo history public portal. Monie Hayes, Director, Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana; Nathan Arndt, Director, UNI Museum, the University of Northern Iowa; Bettina Fabos, Director, Fortepan IA and Emeritus Professor of Interactive Digital Studies at the University of Northern Iowa, UNI students: Alex Billman, Cody Miller, Leslie Carlos.
3:30 – 4:20 Choice of three breakout sessions
(1) Tour: Luminerium
(2) Expanding the Conversation: Railroads in Native America Gathering. Patricia LaBounty, Curator, Union Pacific Museum.
(3) The Connecting Link – John Deere’s Continued Relationship to its Community, Fans, and Employees. Brandon Jens, Branded Properties Lead; Josh Waddle, Museums Operation Lead; Grace Rodman, Lead Tour Coordinator
5 p.m. Jester Hospitality Suite, Holiday Inn, 2202 River Road, Council Bluffs, Iowa. Sponsored by Jester Insurance.
Tuesday, September 24
VENUES:
• Council Bluffs Public Library, 400 Willow Ave, Council Bluffs, IA 51503
• Union Pacific Railroad Museum, 200 Pearl St, Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Snacks sponsored by Advantage Archives
9 – 9:50 a.m. Railroad Mobility and the Meanings of Connection. John P. Hankey, historian and curator.
10 – 10:50 Choice of three breakout sessions
(1) Living on an Island: Moves Management for Small Shops to Make Big Connections. Eric Heininger, MBA, CFRE, President, EDEN+ Fundraising.
(2) STEPS-IMA: Reflections. Facilitator: Dr. Heidi Lung, Associate Professor, and Director, Museum Studies Graduate Program, Western Illinois University
(3) Active Collecting and Tracking Methods. Angela Stanford, Madison County Historical Complex, Winterset, and Advanced Museum Services, Indianola. Sponsor: The Dickinson Vaults
11 – 11:50 Choice of three breakout sessions
(1) Making Connections in Museum Studies Courses. Onnica Marquez, Archivist and Professor, St. Ambrose University. Sponsor: Advanced Museum Services
(2) Focused Exhibit Planning – Connecting Visitors to Your Story. Tim Wren, Director of Museum Services, Edwards Creative.
(3) Volunteering – Successes and Challenges. Mike Wendell, Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad.
Noon – 1:15 Progressive Lunch. Pick up your boxed lunch at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum and get dessert at the Squirrel Cage Jail.
1:30 – 2:20 Choice of three breakout sessions
(1) Connecting with Audiences through Social Media. Kat Slaughter, Pottawatomie County Historical Society.
(2) Preserve Your Narrative: Develop Consistent, Impactful Storytelling for your Museum. Machaela Clark, Tandem Works.
(3) Transform Your Social Presence: Vibrant Visuals. Vivian Kvam, Tandem Works.
2:30-4:00 self-guided tour opportunities:
• Tour of B’nai Israel Living History Synagogue - Exhibits | B'nai Israel (cblhs.org)
• Great Plains Wing Museum
• Hitchcock Nature Center
• RailsWest
• Walking tour of 34 mosaic sidewalk tiles located on West Broadway between 1st and 2nd Street (brochure available)
• Golden Spike Monument Public Park
• Lewis & Clark Monument Scenic Overlook
• Loess Hills National Scenic Byway
• Iowa West Public Art driving tour of 12 pieces throughout Council Bluffs.