Reimagining and Rebuilding: Visitor Studies After a Year of Change 33rd Annual Visitor Studies Association Conference Virtual • July 13-15, 2021 The past year has been one of rapid and significant change. A global pandemic that has affected the lives of billions. Protests in over 30 countries that have called for an end to police brutality and systemic racism. As a result of these worldwide events, the informal learning field has seen an immense amount of change, including loss of jobs, taking on new or different roles, and helping institutions address complex questions around equity and racial justice. Now more than ever, society demands that cultural organizations support anti-racist practices that establish more equitable spaces that ultimately benefit the communities they serve. Researchers, evaluators, and all museum professionals have been faced with the question of how we can create more relevant and socially conscious organizations, but given extensive layoffs and institutional restructuring, how can this work happen with fewer resources and competing priorities? This year, the Visitor Studies Association will not only reflect on current crises in the informal learning field but also look to the future. How can we confront and dismantle oppressive structures in our field; recover from months of closures, extensive layoffs, and lost funding; and re-envision our organizations and the visitor studies field at large, ultimately rebuilding them for a better and more just society? We invite attendees to consider how the past year of change has led (and might lead) to structural changes within their organizations and how they are re-imagining the fields of informal learning and visitor studies. This year’s conference will allow speakers and presenters to address questions like the following:
Registration Rates Student $40
Member $150
Non-Member $225
Institutional* $450 Not a member? During Early Bird, register for $225 and get a year of membership with you conference registration! *Must be a current VSA institutional member, includes up to 6 staff registrations Schedule at a Glance* Check out the Session Descriptions Here! Tuesday July 13th 11:00 am ET | Coffee Meet and Greet
12:00 pm ET | Opening Plenary
2:00 pm ET | Concurrent Sessions
5:30 pm ET | Networking Event Wednesday July 14th 11:00 am ET | Coffee Meet and Greet
12:00 pm ET | FIG and Committee Meetings
1:30 pm ET | Concurrent Sessions
6:00 pm ET | Networking Event Thursday July 15th 11:00 am ET | Coffee Meet and Greet
12:00 pm ET | Concurrent Sessions
1:00 pm ET | Poster Presentations
2:30 pm ET | Concurrent Sessions
4:00 pm ET | Annual Member Meeting *Schedule is subject to change
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