by Kiren Marshall, Guest Blogger
Marybeth Kelley has worked with the Smithsonian Associates for over 33 years and is currently the Associate Director for Programs. She oversees the creative team responsible for developing over 1,000 educational and cultural programs annually which amplify the Smithsonian’s research, collections, and initiatives. After joining Associates as an Operations Coordinator for Studio Arts and Children’s and Family Activities, she was promoted to Program Curator (with a focus on Studio Arts) and then Program Manager. She has been in her current role for six years. Marybeth was kind enough to spare some time and talk more about her work with the Smithsonian Associates.
What’s in store for 2022 that you can share?
With such an innovative team, there is always something new and exciting on the horizon from new partnerships within and beyond Smithsonian as well as innovations in programming.
Programming is beginning 2022 with a collaborative series of Food History programs with colleagues at American History, a vibrant selection of in-person and virtual Summer Camps, in person study tours, studio arts, and some select lectures. Though our more intimate in-person programs will not be streamed to retain the collaborative formats that serve them best, several lectures will be both live-streamed and held before a live audience. We piloted two this past fall with Justice Breyer and author Jodi Picoult and have a few more on-deck for later this year including J. Kenji López-Alt with his latest cookbook, The Wok.
What changes were implemented to allow for hybrid programming? How will Ripley spaces be utilized this year?
All of our in-person programs will have COVID-19 protocols that we led the development of while working closely with Smithsonian’s Covid Safety team. They include everything from masking guidelines and self-health checks to proof of vaccination requirements to ensure the safe running of our programs and the comfort of staff, volunteers, and attendees. In each venue where Associates programs are held, we developed safely distanced seating arrangements. Until we are beyond the immediacy of the pandemic, concession sales at programs have been suspended.
What were some of the successes in 2021? What do you remember most about last year at the Associates?
I will always be grateful that everyone at the Associates pulled together to create, advertise, and deliver over 1,000 programs that resulted in an audience reach of over 200,000 individuals even though our staff and volunteers continued to be physically distanced. As a result of the pandemic, the Associates was catapulted into the streaming world and now Smithsonian content is accessible to communities nationwide and to numbers of people (both in rural and urban communities) that far exceed our in-person only days.
The Smithsonian Associates is off to a good start for 2022 with strong ticket sales and membership renewals that are outpacing those for the first weeks of January 2021. Excitingly, while we continue to attract audiences from the DC metro region, our reach into communities beyond the DC area continues to grow. As of January, 41% of ticket sales for winter programs are coming from individuals who live in areas beyond the DC metro region with especially strong responses from those in the mid-Atlantic region and on the West Coast.
Lastly, what would you like the volunteers and other readers to know about you?
I am incredibly fortunate to be part of a mission-driven organization that increases Smithsonian’s reach and relevance by producing engaging informative programs for learners of all ages. At the beginning of my 34th year with Associates, I am optimistic about how the year in programming is shaping up and the contributions we make to fulfill the Smithsonian’s educational goals.
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