California Exhibition Resources Alliance

The California Exhibition Resources Alliance (CERA) will provide a professional training program that supports the development of ongoing partnerships between small museums and the communities they serve. Staff members of small museums will be engaged in community involvement training based on the installation of a special exhibition, "Sing Me Your Story, Dance Me Home: Art & Poetry from Native California." Participants will learn how to engage community leaders in planning for exhibits and related programming, with a specific emphasis on nurturing meaningful relationships with local Native communities. Funding will support the presentation of community involvement workshops and follow-up consultations. Outcomes-based evaluation tools will assess the impact of the training programs on the host museum staff, as well as the short- and long-term impact on community connections. CERA will produce a "how-to" guide on its Web site to disseminate the project techniques to a wider audience.