Edward (Ted) Karns’ Post

Today marks the official, public launch of the Tephra ICA at 50 Capital Campaign in celebration of our 50th anniversary. Having repositioned, and rebranded, as an Institute of Contemporary Art, we are thrilled to be able to deliver interdisciplinary experiences and programs, across age groups, that have earned regional and national recognition. Reston, Virginia is our home, and we’re excited to know that our reach and impact continues to extend to the broader Washington, DC metropolitan region, New York City, California, and beyond. Our last capital campaign was for our 40th anniversary, and 10 years later, we’re pleased to launch the Tephra ICA at 50 Capital Campaign with a $300,000 goal focused on the next phase of the Institute’s evolution: building our new home. This new facility will allow more space and resources to enhance exhibitions, education, and public programs; expand essential museum, university, and community partnerships; engage a broader audience in the power of contemporary art; and much more. More specifically, the campaign will address near-term infrastructure shortcomings at our current space, secure a needs assessment to aid in the longer-term search for a new home, and create a seed fund that will enable us to take advantage of the right opportunity once presented. With the dynamic, WMATA Metro-related development in Reston Town Center, Tephra ICA is already a part of ongoing discussions with developers about securing a possible new space, and it was through a developer proffer that we secured our current space 20 years ago. As reflected in our name, “tephra” – matter from geothermal eruptions that lands upon, nourishes, and changes the surrounding environment - emphasizes our belief in the combustibility of creativity and the generation of ideas and growth that the arts can provide. With your help, we’ll receive a similar outpouring of support to realize our ambitions and continue to build momentum in the next 50 years. Read more about the Tephra ICA at 50 Capital Campaign below.

Museums and Elderly people. Recently, I received a message from a former participant of a summer school from many years ago. She still remembers the topic I discussed there: Museums and the Elderly. It was when ... 2008?2012? This was the span of that summer school. I am very grateful that my words still resonate but nowadays, things have worsened, if possible. The most part of our Western cities are shrinking and colouring of more silver tones. Museums must confront the ageing of their societies and the changes in demographic trends. Demoscopic analysis, once outdated, now returns strongly relevant, with some modifications made necessary by cultural and rights transformations and awareness. This will be one of the topics I will bring in the discussion with Mattia Agnetti at the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia: Scenarios and Future visions for the Leaders of the cultural sector. #museums #leadership #museumrelevance #ageing #societalanalysis

When Glenn Lowry, the director of The Museum of Modern Art, confesses to sleepless nights worrying about the institution's finances, it's a wake-up call to the art world: The road ahead for museums is paved with innovation, risk-taking, and an openness to failure, as they reassess traditional funding models and public engagement strategies.    In a recent Museums Journal feature, Aurelie and Leslie explore this landscape of uncertainty and delve into the pressing need for systemic change in the arts sector.    Key Takeaways: ▶ Transparency isn't just a virtue—it's a powerful tool for building trust and securing long-term support. ▶ Inviting donors to understand the real challenges we face can lead to more meaningful engagements and investments. ▶ Navigating the arts funding crisis requires innovative thinking and a shared vision for the future.   The strategies we adopt today will define the cultural legacy we leave for tomorrow. What steps can we take to ensure that museums remain vital centers of culture and education? How can we creatively address financial constraints while staying true to our missions?   Thank you, Museums Association, for echoing these questions. Join the conversation and help us pave the way towards a more sustainable and collaborative future for museums.   #Art #Philanthropy #Museums #ArtsandCulture #ArtWorld #GivingBack #Sustainability

Smithsonian Open Access: (Click on:) si.edu/openaccess "Anyone can download, share & reuse millions of the Smithsonian's images from the Smithsonian's 21 museums, 14 research & education centers, and the National Zoo. The tools you need to create, imagine and discover are right at your fingertips." (Direct quote from the Smithsonian.) (Click on photo below or on si.edu/openaccess)

#Meltology: "underground museum, so, just another melted building", how much plasma-release, what amount of mass-liquefaction, when continents shifted at compressional-boundaries, when this world had a complete societal-reset, magnificent cities already built, subjected to a #massextinction event, not only emptying them all out, but sinking every city west of Appalachias, washing over entirety of central America, covering over our final working pyramidal-complexes, shifting every starfort from position, causing all the churchbells to ring, no "myth", breaking many, removed & captured in photographs, well documented... #1812Project: ...just as all the overwhelming evidence describing #Sungrazer #C1811F1's devastation, one massive bolide resurfacing entire #MississippiEmbayment #Dec16_1811, erasing the lives of countless millions, along with most every animal, plants, trees... ...the Wichita river ran through Mississippi, named by the Washita tribe, meaning "tall-trees", not "tall-reeds", for all the huge redwoods, like in Cali., this impact wiped almost all this tribe away, the remainder became pseudoslaves to the Choctaw & Cherokee on "the trail of tears" taking many names out west, why it is now in Kansas, when the French explorer D'Iberville saw all the oysters at the mouth, he renamed this river the Pearl river, it used to run down by Jackson island, which had held the volcanoe "Burning-mountain", that had fallen during this event, along with "Midnight" in Humphreys county, not "66mya", though that's currently what's in textbooks... ...this is how badly our #History has been falsified, but #Ourstory, it really is, so much more important, so much more amazing than all that nonsense we were instructed, "a key on a kitestring" really?!. https://lnkd.in/ew6f95JA "how the west was won" -bring back our lost #Antiquitech-"find the truths behind the myths" #shockdynamics #impactphysics #planetarydefense #educationreform https://lnkd.in/eqHA9R2W

In the spirit of “sharpening the saw”, I participated in a Design Thinking DC field session for the National Museum of American History this week. Question: How might we create a more inviting and engaging Constitution Ave entrance? So great to flex my DT muscles IRL with creative designers! #designthinking #smithsonian #creativity #brainstorming #prototyping

#grrf Special Day Update Global Records & Reference Organization 18 May- International Museum Day International Museum Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the fact that museums are a crucial means of cultural exchange, development of mutual understanding, and peace and cooperation among individuals. Museums are considered a heritage of humanity and hold plenty of information about history, science, and culture. They serve as an educational hub, fostering curiosity, critical thinking and creativity. From art and history to science and technology, museums are vital spaces where education and research meet to shape our understanding of the world. International Museum Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the fact that museums are a crucial means of cultural exchange, development of mutual understanding, and peace and cooperation among individuals. On May 18, International Museum Day is observed by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The inception of this day dates back to 1977. As the name suggests, the day is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of museums in society’s development. Happy International Museum Day! #grrf #museum #heritage #culture #history #icom #science #technology #people

Our $1 million investment in the museum community sparked a lot of change in 2023, including updates to help you better navigate and find resources that matter most to you and form deeper connections in the museum field! Here's some of what's changed in 2023: 📚 The new AAM Resource Library: We launched a redesigned library of thousands of resources, with new functions to help you find the guides, articles, and tools you need and the inspiration you want. We published 184 new resources, blog posts, and articles this year, powered by the thought leadership of museum professionals like you. 🌐 Museum Junction Upgrade: The vibrant online hub of more than 60,000 museum professionals got a major facelift, with a more interactive experience, easy-to-navigate feed, and over a dozen new peer communities to find the discussions that matter most to you. 🚀 Future of Museums Summit: We hosted this inaugural, virtual summit in November focusing on professional development and key issues for museums to face the future, like rapid digital evolutions and repatriation practices. Learn more about these changes and what's to come, or share your feedback here: https://lnkd.in/eSbXi5qP

A leap year occurs only once every 4 years. Well, not exactly. And the Smithsonian tells us why in the name of science. “The rule is that if the year is divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400, leap year is skipped. The year 2000 was a leap year, for example, but the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not.” In summary, the last time we had a leap year was 2020 so the rule has been in effect for this year. So….what’s the significance of this leap year concept in finance? 🤔 None really. I just wanted to write this in celebration of this exceptional day 😊 And the fact that I am embarking on a new career chapter that truly comes along once in a while (definitely more than 4 years have passed). Looking forward to making the “leap” forward this year and serving in a true finance transformation advisory capacity this coming March. What opportunities have come your way as a result of this leap year?    #leapyear #financetransformation #advisoryservices Article Credit Reference: The Science of Leap Year | National Air and Space Museum (si.edu)