From April 29 - May 20, 2020 the Group of Ontario Emerging Museum Professionals (GOEMP) Committee ran a survey for Ontario’s emerging museum professional (EMP) community focused on identifying the experiences and needs of EMPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the preliminary results, the Committee immediately created a two-pronged approach to addressing EMP needs at this time centred on Advocacy and Professional Development (PD). One such PD initiative is this “Ask Me Anything” webinar digitally connecting EMPs at home with a highly experienced museum professional who is enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and expertise.

This session will consist of 3 key components in the style of “Ask Me Anything” format popularized on social media in recent years. “Ask” refers to questions posed by emerging museum professionals in the Ontario community. “Me” refers to Sarah Beam-Borg, who has generously volunteered to make her rich experience accessible through this platform. “Anything” references any topic that intersects with the museum sector, museum jobs, museum networking, etc… anything that may be of interest to EMPs who would benefit from this information at this stage in their careers!

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6ejK2MztQTG6yNZNf3sYLQ

Read the GOEMP Blog Post and submit a question here: https://goemp.wordpress.com/2020/06/30/ask-a-museum-professional-anything-on-tuesday-july-7-2020/

Speaker

Sarah Beam-Borg is the Director of Business and Project Development at the award-winning, Ottawa/Montreal/Toronto-based, museum services and design firm Origin Studios. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology, a Bachelor of Education and is a certified Project Management Professional with a post-graduate diploma in Museum Management and Curatorship. Her professional experience in museums has included roles as Collection Manager, Assistant Curator, Project Manager and Senior Exhibitions Manager.

Sarah Beam-Borg is a lifelong learner and museum professional with a deep fascination for human history and the stories that can be told through artworks and objects. Having managed dozens of exhibition projects with collections and curators from around the world, Sarah brings innovative problem-solving and international museum best practices to her work developing expansive and intimate cultural spaces. She is skilled at ensuring that projects and teams thrive in all phases while ensuring the voices of diverse communities and stakeholders are valued. As a leader in the field, she has been working to expose and redress cultural myths and stereotypes in exhibition galleries for over two decades.

Moderator

Madeline Smolarz is a museum professional with a strong interest in the experiences of diverse populations in cultural spaces, particularly through the accessible and inclusive management of programs, human resources, communications, and operations. Since gaining a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, she has contributed to the success of several cultural heritage organizations across Ontario. In addition to her work experience, Madeline enjoys dedicating a significant portion of her time to volunteering through her involvement with the Ontario Museum Association, the Canadian Museum Association, and her leadership position with the Group of Ontario Emerging Museum Professionals (GOEMP) Committee. Connect with her on Twitter @MadelineSmolarz and LinkedIn.