Museum Association of Arizona upcoming events

MAA 2026 Conference (27 Apr 2026)

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMT

MAA 2026 Conference
Fountain Hills, AZ
April 27, 2026
Co-sponsored by the River of Time Museum
and the International Dark Sky Discovery Center

Join us for our first in-person state-wide conference since the COVID pandemic!

With the theme, Technology, we’ll be focusing on the ways in which Arizona museums have adopted and adapted technological advances over the last 6 years. From Online Meetings to Virtual Tours to QR Codes, presentations will look at using applications that have become second nature, as well as ones that explore newer and more controversial technologies like Virtual Reality and the broad use of Artificial Intelligence.

Conference registration includes:
- All Conference presentations, including poster sessions
- Keynote Address from Simon Adlam Tipene
- President’s Breakfast
- MAA Annual Meeting
- Professional Recognition Awards Luncheon
- Closing Party at the River of Time Museum

Additional Events:
- Star Party at the International Dark Sky Discovery Center (Sunday, April 26)
- Field Trip to the Adero Trailhead with the Sonoran Conservancy (Tuesday, April 28)
- Tour of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation with Clissene Lewis (Tuesday, April 28)

Please register separately for the following workshops:
- JEDAI Training (Tuesday, April 28)
- Create Your Cultural Organizational Disaster Plan (Tuesday, April 28)

Scholarships are available.

If you have questions or are having difficulties registering a please contact Janice Klein at azmuseums@gmail.com.

If you are not already an MAA member and wish to join to take advantage of the discount rate, you must do this first, using the Membership form on the MAA Website (www.azmuseums.org).

JEDAI Training Workshop (28 Apr 2026)

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Join us for a FREE half-day workshop, developed by members of the Arizona State Parks and Trails staff, that focuses on a expanded form of diversity training that includes five core principles:

Justice: Identifying and removing barriers that prevent diversity, equity, inclusion of difference, and accessibility.
Equity: Fair and equal access to opportunity that recognizes that people have different needs.
Diversity: The presence and recognition of differences - both visible and invisible - within a group of people.
Accessibility: Giving equitable access to everyone along the continuum of ability and experience.
Inclusion: Deliberately and authentically welcoming and valuing differences.

Use this judgement-free space to engage in meaningful conversations and share and learn openly.

Participants are invited to continue their discussion at a pay-your-own-way lunch at a local restaurant after the workshop.

This workshop is made possible in part by our partnership with Arizona Humanities.

Create Your Cultural Organization Disaster Plan (28 Apr 2026)

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Join the Arizona Alliance for Response for a full-day workshop will provide hands-on guidance for creating a personalized disaster plan for your cultural organization.

While all cultural organizations “should” have a plan that addresses how it will protect its staff, visitors, and collections in case of emergency or disaster, many have not yet written or completed a plan, or have plans that are many years old.

This workshop will include:
- why creating a disaster plan should be a priority for your institution
- essential parts of a disaster plan and why each is important
- examples of cultural heritage disaster plans
- time to work on your own organization’s Pocket Response Plan (PReP)

We highly encourage participating organizations to send two attendees to the workshop - one knowledgeable about building or site operations and one who works with collections. If your institution already has a disaster plan - no matter how old or incomplete - please bring it with you.

The registration fee of $25 includes lunch, the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation’s (FAIC) Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel, and a copy of Council of State Archivists’ Pocket Response Plan (PReP), with pre-printed information for the Phoenix area.