For Immediate Release

Arlington, VA – March 6, 2019 – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has named William (Bill) Tramposch as the Aroha Senior Fellow for Museums and Creative Aging. Tramposch is a former member of the AAM Accreditation Commission and the recently retired director of the Nantucket Historical Association, which cares for twenty-one sites and interprets the history of the internationally significant island. He has led a more than 40-year distinguished career in museum leadership.

In 2014, Tramposch was awarded a position on the nine-member national Museum Accreditation Commission, which reports to the American Alliance of Museums and is responsible for setting and monitoring standards for museums nation-wide.

‘”In the United States alone, ten thousand of us turn 65 every day. This statistic implores us to redouble our efforts to engage and serve older populations in new and effective ways,” Tramposch said. “Happily, and with the generous support of Aroha Philanthropies, the Alliance is turning its attention to this matter. I look forward to working closely with colleagues as we extend our partnerships with kindred efforts in the ‘creative aging’ arena. The field of creative aging, while still relatively new, has much to offer us in the museum world.”

“Ageism is one of the many inequities in our society that museums are well-positioned to address,” said Laura Lott, President and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums. “I am pleased that, with the support of Aroha Philanthropies, the Alliance is including this important body of work in our focus on museums’ diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.”

“We are thrilled with the appointment of Bill Tramposch to serve as the Aroha Fellow in Museums and Creative Aging,” said Aroha Philanthropies’ Executive Director Teresa Bonner. “Bill brings an extraordinary depth of experience and knowledge about museums to this role, and he is passionate about this creative work with older adults. We believe he will make a huge contribution to the field and the future.”

In partnership with Aroha Philanthropies, AAM began a search last year for the two-year, non-residential senior fellowship. The fellowship’s objective is to explore how museums can deepen engagement with creative aging. The Aroha Fellow for Museums and Creative Aging will work with museums, organizations, and individuals in the creative aging sector in a variety of ways:

• Raise awareness about the pervasive and negative effects of ageism
• Instigate change by using the Alliance’s extensive network and diverse platforms to disseminate information and tools museums need to implement age-inclusive practices in all areas of operations, including programming, marketing, and hiring
• Promote evaluation and research that contributes to the growing body of knowledge on creative aging, and encouraging application of the latest research findings on the benefits of arts participation
• Foster partnerships between museums and organizations devoted to creative aging

The major components of the fellowship will include writing, speaking, networking, and organizing a multi-day symposium.

About Aroha Philanthropies

Aroha Philanthropies is devoted to the transformative power of the arts and creativity, inspiring vitality in those over 55, joy in children and youth, and humanity in adults with mental illness. We believe that learning, making, and sharing art enriches everyone throughout their lifetime. Aroha Philanthropies works to improve the quality of life of people 55+ by encouraging the funding, development, and proliferation of arts programs designed to enhance longer lives, and by advancing the development of professional teaching artists working with those in their encore years. More information is available at arohaphilanthropies.org.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.

Press Contact:

David Harrison
Phone: 410-804-1728
david@harrisoncommunications.net