American Association of Museums President/CEO Dr. Ford Bell Details How ‘Museums Matter’ at San Diego Cultural Arts Leadership Symposium
Bell’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion featuring commentary from San Diego Museum leaders: Derrick Cartwright, PhD; Maruja Baldwin, executive director, San Diego Museum of Art; Stephanie de la Torre, executive director, Cultural De La Raza; Peter Ellsworth, president, The Legler Benbough Foundation; and San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria, District Three; Rick Bregman, San Diego market president for Bank of America, who provided the introductory remarks.
The Robert F. Smith, Jr. Cultural Arts Leadership Symposium is a signature event of the BPCP's Balboa Park Learning Institute. The Symposium and endowment were created in honor and recognition of San Diegan Robert “Bob” Smith, who was an inspiring civic and business leader who shaped strategic direction for several Balboa Park institutions.
The BPCP’s Balboa Park Learning Institute is a $1.3 million, three-year pilot program, which has received generous support from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Institute offers innovative and specialized learning opportunities focused on the cultural arts field to professionals and volunteers in Balboa Park and the greater San Diego community. In doing so, the Institute helps institutions such as museums, theatres, symphonies, and zoos better preserve, create, and share a unique and varied cultural heritage with present and future generations.
The 2009 Symposium was supported in part by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Robert F. Smith, Jr. Symposium Endowment Fund (held at the San Diego Foundation), the San Diego Natural History Museum and Bank of America.
ABOUT THE BALBOA PARK CULTURAL PARTNERSHIP
Established in 2001, The Balboa Park Cultural Partnership (BPCP) is the collaborative body and collective voice for 24 diverse cultural institutions in Balboa Park whose 500 trustees, 7,000 volunteers, and 3,500 staff serve more than 6.5 million members and visitors annually. The BPCP’s mission is to enrich the cultural life of San Diego by facilitating collaborative efforts among member institutions, as well as between the Partnership and the community; to enable Balboa Park cultural institutions to achieve their full individual and collective potential; and to preserve, enhance, and make accessible the cultural assets of Balboa Park for present and future generations. BPCP facilitates collaboration in education, collective business, governance and advocacy, marketing and PR, public access, and sharing and communication. For more about the BPCP, please contact Paige Simpson at 619.232.7502 or bpcp@bpcp.org, or visit http://www.bpcp.org.
