Muscatine, Iowa (May 12, 2014) - The Muscatine Art Center has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program (MAP). Through guided self-study and on-site consultation with a museum professional, participation in MAP will empower the Muscatine Art Center to better serve the citizens of Muscatine by facilitating its meeting and exceeding the highest professional standards of the museum field.

The program is funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and throughout its 30 years has been administered by the American Association of Museums (AAM). As part of the IMLS National Leadership program, MAP advances best practices and fosters improvement in museums.  MAP is a self-motivated program; application to and participation in MAP is initiated by each local institution, and those accepted invest considerable human and institutional resources into the assessment.

By completing the MAP study, the Muscatine Art Center hopes to better understand the audiences that it serves or could potentially serve through audience evaluations and learn how to better respond to the needs of these audiences. Other goals include increasing the visibility of the Art Center in the Muscatine area and within a 60-mile radius and improve the Art Center's ability to identify and develop community partners.

MAP is a confidential process of self-study, peer review and implementation.  Museums use the assessment process to strengthen operations, build capacity, and enhance communication throughout the organization and in response to community needs.  Participant museums choose one of three categories for its assessment: Collections Stewardship Organizational, Community Engagement. The Muscatine Art Center will take part in the Community Engagement assessment process.  Small and mid-sized museums of all types, including art, history, science and technology, children's, natural history, historic houses, nature centers, botanical gardens, and zoos participate in the program.

"Choosing to be part of the MAP program is indicative of the commitment to civic involvement, public service and overall excellence on the part of the Muscatine Art Center," said Ford W. Bell, president of AAM. "Studies have shown America's museums to be among the country's most trusted and valued institutions. MAP is designed to make them even better."

Since its creation in 1981, the MAP program has served over 4,300 museums. MAP is supported through a cooperative agreement with IMLS. For more information, including a complete list of museums participating in MAP, please visit www.aam-us.org/map, call 202/289-9118 or e-mail map@aam-us.org.

AAM is the only organization representing the nation's entire museum community and has been dedicated to promoting excellence within the museum field for over 100 years. For more information about AAM, visit www.aam-us.org. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.

For more information, please call Melanie Alexander, Director of the Muscatine Art Center, at (563) 263-8282 or e-mail malexander@muscatineiowa.gov.

MORE CAN BE DONE TO SUPPORT THE IOWA GREAT RIVER ROAD, RECENT MEETING IN DAVENPORT REVEALS

"We need to think about the time people have to spend in our area. It's not just about the marketing, the promotion, the Commissions, all the things we want to do. It's about making sure that our guests and our residents can easily invest their time in enjoying the Mississippi River along the Iowa Great River Road," remarked Joe Taylor, President and CEO of the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau at an Iowa Great River Road stakeholder meeting held at the Putnam Museum on April 10.

Stakeholders along the Iowa Great River Road National Scenic Byway recently participated in six stakeholders meetings where they shared their views on ways to enhance their Byway in the communities where they live, work, and play. These meetings, hosted by the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission-- the managing organization for the Iowa Great River Road--are part of a multi-year effort to develop a new Corridor Management Plan for this national treasure. The Iowa Great River Road runs through all ten Iowa counties along the Mississippi River and annually attracts visitors from across the United States and around the world.

Stakeholder meetings were held in six Great River Road communities - Camanche, Marquette, Burlington, Muscatine, Davenport, and Dubuque between April 2 and April 15. Nearly 200 people participated and each meeting featured a unique panel of local, state, and federal stakeholders discussing the future of this important travel destination.

Panelists at the meeting in Davenport included Shawna Lode, Manager, Iowa Tourism Office; Joe Taylor, President and CEO, Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau; Tim Huey, Director, Scott County Planning and Development; and Terri Applegate, LeClaire City Council.

Participants recognized the Iowa Great River Road as one of Iowa's greatest tourism and economic development resources, but one which may be underutilized and underfunded. A key need expressed was for improved access to digital information about the Iowa Great River Road and its resources - through an effective website, downloadable smartphone applications, and with social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. Meeting participants also voiced a need for more regular communications between stakeholder organizations along the route to share information, generate ideas and assign responsibility for projects which could support the current efforts of the 10-member Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission. Concerns were also expressed about how the Iowa Great River Road could reach its true potential without currently having any paid or dedicated staff and very little dedicated budget for projects and promotion. "The (Iowa Mississippi River) Parkway Commission can be an advocate and encourage local residents and governments to do a better job (at providing and protecting amenities for visitors and residents)," suggested Tim Huey, Director of Scott County Planning and Development.

Panelists and audience members also discussed what a powerful draw the Mississippi River is for tourism and how locals sometimes overlook the sheer majesty of the mighty river and its potential for growing local economies. Visitors coming to the area want to see the River via overlooks, want to sit along its banks, want to reach in and touch the current, and the Iowa Great River Road can become an even more powerful tool for providing those experiences. "The Great River Road is a major tourism asset in Iowa," said Iowa Tourism Office Manager Shawna Lode. "Every year it hosts millions of visitors from around the globe. Our challenge as Iowans is to appreciate its great potential as an economic driver and tell its story as a unique and memorable travel destination." Sharing the unique stories of the area was a prime goal advocated at the meeting. "I don't know if we can promote stories enough. There are many ways we can tell the stories of this Great River Road that we live on, whether it's in the past or in the future. It's a great heritage that we pass on to our families," remarked LeClaire City Councilperson Terri Applegate.

Supporting the completion of the Mississippi River Trail, the bike route which closely follows the Iowa Great River Road, was another need that was discussed. Participants also stressed the importance of quality signs to properly mark the route of the Iowa Great River Road and direct travelers to its wealth of resources. Integrating local, regional, and state maps with consistent marking of the route with the Great River Road pilot wheel symbol was cited as a critical need.

During the meeting in Davenport, David L. Dahlquist Associates, the byway consultant retained to prepare the updated Management Plan, also provided an overview of visitor and resident surveys conducted along the route in 2013 which indicate high levels of awareness and support for the Iowa Great River Road.

Following the last meeting held in Dubuque on April 15, Commission Chair, John Goodmann observed, "The discussions provided by the 34 panel members and all of the attendee comments and suggestions at the six meetings will provide highly valuable input as the Commission moves forward to consider options for future direction and action."

A full report of the 2014 Iowa Great River Road stakeholder meetings is being prepared. To request a copy of the report, please contact John Goodmann, Chair of the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission at (563) 599-4350 or David L. Dahlquist, Byway Planner, at ddahlquist@outlook.com or (515) 963-1989.

200th Birthday Observance Will be a Year-Long Celebration of State's Past With an Eye Toward the Future

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today officially started the planning for Illinois' 200th birthday in 2018, a year-long celebration that will engage residents and communities throughout the state and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. The Governor signed an Executive Order to create the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial Commission, a grass-roots organization that will plan a celebration that is meaningful to every resident and spur history-based tourism.

"Ever since becoming a state on December 3, 1818, Illinois has been a crossroads, a microcosm and a breadbasket for our nation," Governor Quinn said. "We have cultivated such leaders as Presidents Lincoln, Grant, Reagan and Obama. The Bicentennial is an opportunity to remind everyone of our rich heritage and pave the way to a bright future."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate Illinois' rich heritage," Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) Board Chair Sunny Fischer said. "The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency will do everything it can to help the Bicentennial Commission get people talking, learning, traveling and exploring 200 years of Illinois history."

The Bicentennial Commission will plan and coordinate events, activities, publications, digital media, and other developments and encourage citizen participation at all levels in every community in the state. It will use the highly successful 2009 Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial observance as a guide to make the state's 2018 birthday party a creative, comprehensive and all-inclusive celebration.

The all-volunteer Bicentennial Commission, which will be named in the coming months, will represent the diversity of the state. The Governor, each constitutional officer and the four legislative leaders will each name a member, as will the directors of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency; Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Office of Tourism; Illinois Arts Council; and Departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Transportation.

The Governor will also name 40 members from academia, historic preservation, business, labor, military, civil rights, community development, education, philanthropy and the arts. The commission's efforts will be coordinated by an executive director and support staff.

For Illinois' 1918 Centennial, the U.S. Mint issued a commemorative 50-cent piece and the Illinois Centennial Monument in Chicago's Logan Square was built, as was the Centennial Building in Springfield. A multi-volume history of Illinois was published, and the first re-creation of buildings began at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site. Pageants and celebrations took place across the state.

The U.S. Congress passed the Illinois Enabling Act on April 18, 1818 that allowed for the organization of state government, fixed the northern boundary of Illinois, and established a permanent school fund from a portion of the proceeds of public land sales. On August 26, the Illinois Constitutional Convention adopted a constitution and selected Kaskaskia as the first state capital. The first Governor, Shadrach Bond, was inaugurated October 6.  Illinois officially became the 21st state on December 3, 1818 when President James Monroe signed the congressional resolution admitting Illinois to the union.

For up to date information on the Illinois Bicentennial, visit www.facebook.com/Illinois200.