Episode 25: Attracting Visitors to All of the Wonderful Museums in New York State, with Erika Sanger

In this episode, you will learn about how the Museum Association of New York (MANY) is consistently growing their tourism efforts from Erika Sanger.

Erika Sanger joined MANY (Museum Assoc. Of New York) after serving twelve years as the Director of Education at the Albany Institute of History and Art. There she provided vision for the development of programs for adults, children, schools, and families, focusing on object-based learning and digital initiatives. She had led the institute’s digital renaissance, most notably with the launch of a new website and creation of interpretative strategies around hand-held digital devices and interactive media.

Erika has gained her extensive arts experience through positions held at renowned institutions including the International Center of Photography, the Jewish Museum, the New York Historical Society, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, NC. She served as Director of Development at Penland School of Crafts in Western North Carolina, where she was actively engaged in the region’s artists community, and participated in the design and implementation of campaigns for capital and endowment funds. She has also developed program assessments with Harvard University’s Project Zero, the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching, and with the education department at the University at Albany. Programs produced under her direction have received funding from major organizations, including the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities.

Erika holds a B.F.A. from Clark University, in Worcester, MA, and an M.A. from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

The Annual Conference of the Museum Association of New York will be in April 2018 in Rochester, NY, details to follow.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• How the Museum Association of New York encourages its members to stand out and appeal to visitors around the globe
• Collaborating with the strong cultural institutions throughout the state to attract visitors not just into New York City, but to all of New York state
• How legislators and local governments make a HUGE difference in our cultural institutions, and how to get them on your side
• Current challenges facing museums and cultural institutions today and how they are affecting visitors
• How the Museum Association is changing up their programs this fall to push tourism to new heights
• The interplay between different cultural institutions on a local level and what that means for a community
• Museum’s crucial role in New York tourism and economic development
• Leveraging partnerships to attract international travelers
• The importance of attracting visitors to other areas of the state and the usefulness of the I LOVE NEW YORK app

Ways to contact Erika:

• Website: www.manyonline.org
• Phone: (518) 273-3400