Monday, October 21

Morning

• Behind the Scenes Tour - WMU Zhang Legacy Collection Center (9-10:30)
• Meet the ARTISTS! - MRC Art Studio and Gallery (9-12)
• Visit the Air Zoo (9-12)
• Visit the Gilmore Car Museum (9-12)

Afternoon

• Meet the ARTISTS! - MRC Art Studio and Gallery (1-4)
• Visit the Air Zoo (1-4)
• Visit the Gilmore Car Museum (1-4)
• EMP Meet-Up (1-4) Co-hosted by Michigan EMPs

Wednesday, October 23

Afternoon

• Visit the Kalamazoo Valley Museum (1-4)
• Visit the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (1-4)

Explore these opportunities on your own. 

• Self-Guided Public Art Tour
• Schmaltz Geology Museum and Dinosaur Park

Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive

Monday, October 21
9-10:30

Show your conference nametag and visit Western Michigan University’s Ahang Legacy Collection archives. The facility houses not only the university’s institutional collections, but the university’s special and rare books collection and its regional history collection. As the repository for the archives of the Kalamazoo Gazette, as well as the collections of many Kalamazoo organizations, Western’s more than 30,000 cubic feet of resources and books makes it the largest facility of its type in southwest Michigan, and among the largest in the state.

MRC artWorks
330 South Kalamazoo Mall

Monday, October 21
9-12, 1-4

MRC artWorks is a professional working studio and retail gallery that provides adults living with developmental disabilities an outlet to achieve creative self-expression in a way that promotes personal growth, dignity, and self-confidence and focuses on the individual’s abilities rather than disabilities.

Show you conference nametag and meet the artists, see their creations, and explore our studio. We’ll be happy to share ideas about our studio, how we conduct outreach, and how we run our program with community partners. Make sure to chat with the artists as they’re working – they would love to engage with you!

Air Zoo
6151 Portage Road, Portage

Monday, October 21
9-12, 1-4

Show your conference nametag at the front desk and spend your Monday at the Air Zoo, Kalamazoo’s world-class, Smithsonian-affiliated aerospace and science museum.  Tuesday evening’s reception won’t allow enough time to see all the Air Zoo has to offer: two unique flight centers, more than 40 aircraft from several different eras, 100+ rare air and space artifacts, amusement-park style rides and full-motion flight simulators. Home to the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame, you will enjoy wandering through multi-sensory exhibits filled with history, art and artifacts on World War II, the Golden Age of aircraft, women in flight, space travel and many more.

Gilmore Car Museum
6865 Hickory Rd, Hickory Corners

Monday, October 21
9:00-12, 1-4

Show your conference nametag at the desk and visit the Gilmore Car Museum. Hailed as one of the Top Five car museums in the nation, the site features over 400 extraordinary cars and motorcycles from all eras. Open daily year-round, exhibits range from cars of the 1890s to the classic Duesenberg, the elusive 1948 Tucker, to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s.

Co-hosted by the Michigan Emerging Museum Professionals

Location TBD

Event Flyer

Monday, October 21
1-3 

The Emerging Museum Professional (EMP) Meetup, co-sponsored by MMA and the Michigan EMPs (with support from UM-Flint History), is a relaxed and welcoming opportunity for emerging museum professionals to begin building their network within the Michigan museum community. Designed as a low-key gathering, this event provides a comfortable environment to connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for the museum field. Whether you're looking to expand your professional contacts or simply want to engage in casual conversations with others in the industry, this meetup is the perfect starting point.

Attendees can enjoy snacks, making the experience even more enjoyable, and there will be door prizes to add an element of fun. It's an ideal way to ease into networking, meet new people, and build connections that can support your career journey, all in a laid-back setting. Don't miss this chance to get involved and make meaningful connections!