University of Arizona Museum of Art Director James Burns will speak about transformational leadership and institutional change in 21st century museums. He will discuss the need to make 21st century museums more pertinent, accessible, open, and essential to the public. Dr. Burns discovered his passion for working in museums here in Tucson 25 years ago and determined to forge a career as a museum professional. Recruited as a change agent, he has instituted changes at the UAMA to refocus the institution on audience engagement.
 
Dr. Burns will present a brief history of the UAMA and elucidate his vision for the UAMA to be recognized as a leader alongside its world-class peer organizations at the University.  The transformation of the UAMA is based on The Road to Results: Effective Practices for Building Arts Audiences, a report by Bob Harlow published by the Wallace Foundation last year, and Magnetic: The Art and Science of Engagement, an American Alliance of Museums book by Anne Bergeron and Beth Tuttle, also published last year. The UAMA’s new strategic plan, Connect, Collaborate, Create, focus on forming mutually beneficial partnerships, building a network of allies, expanding the Museum’s outreach, and creating opportunities for cross-disciplinary research.
 
Biography - Dr. James Burns
 
Dr. Burns assumed the directorship of the University of Arizona Museum of Art, in September 2014. Most recently he held the position of Executive Director for the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona, where he transformed a once small-town historical museum into a nationally recognized center for Western art, history, and culture.
 
Burns holds a B.A. in History from the University of Arizona, an M.A. in Public History from Arizona State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from Georgia State University. He is a graduate of the Getty’s Museum Management Institute, and has worked in history, anthropology, and art museums since 1990 at organizations in Arizona, Georgia, Virginia, and Louisiana. 
 
Burns has served on a number of state and regional museum association boards and currently serves as Chair of the Curators’ Committee of the American Alliance of Museums, Board Member-At-Large of the Western Museums Association, as a peer reviewer for the Museum Assessment Program, and as a reviewer for the American Alliance of Museums’ Accreditation Program.
 
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