All the way back in July I wrote a post about my attempts to find funding to get to MCN2011… at that point I had no money (PhDs are not super conducive to international travel twice in one year), and really didn’t hold out much hope for getting there. But since Koven Smith had asked me to be a part of his panel asking What’s the Point of Museum Websites? I knew I had to find a way.
I applied for both the MCN2011 Conference Scholarship and for an ArtsNSW Quick Response Grant. I also entered an art prize that had a first prize of a $1500 travelling scholarship.
A month or so ago I found out that I got the MCN Scholarship. Then I won the art prize. Suddenly it looked like MCN might be possible (although I was still going to be eating pretty cheaply).
Well about two hours ago, I found out that I have also been awarded the ArtsNSW Quick Response grant, which will give me $3000 to travel to the States to attend the conference – and also visit Washington or Colorado (maybe both!) to visit museums there.
I could not be more excited, or more humbled by the wonderful opportunities that this year has brought. There are lots of other exciting things coming up as well, which my next blog post will discuss (including a new Museum Professionals Networking group in Newcastle that I’m starting up, and three conferences in two weeks)… but right now, I just wanted to say thanks to ArtsNSW, MCN and everyone else that has invested in me. I cannot wait to meet so many of the amazing people I’ve connected with lately online, and to catch up with others that I met at MW2011.
I’ll keep you all posted on plans.
museum geek 
Congratulations! Make sure you rock MCN like it’s Philly and do sing some karaoke for me:-)
Ha. Any songs in particular that you think need to make the must-sing list? I’ll start warming up my singing voice (though I don’t think any other karaoke bar could beat Ken’s Seafood Restaurant).
Anything by Lady Gaga will do, of course 🙂
Great news and congratulations! Come out West first and come to THATCamp in New Mexico on November 2nd. It’s going to be in Farmington, which is right over the border from Colorado. There are fellowships available and honoraria for people leading workshops. The fellowship deadline is September 28th. We’re trying to convince Koven to come. Just sayin’ . . .
Haaaa. I love this. So far everyone I tell is inviting me to their state too… If I take up all the offers it starts looking less like a two state trip, and more like a ten state one… Having said that, the flights are still unbooked, so I’ll have a look at the options. I do hear that New Mexico is pretty… 🙂