Board proclaims Feb. 25, 2025, Museum Advocacy Day; museum alliance highlights student scholarship and volunteer‑run organizations

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors recognized Feb. 25, 2025, as Museum Advocacy Day and received remarks from the Museum Alliance of Tulare and Kings Counties about regional museum collaborations, volunteer‑run organizations and student internships.

Amy King, director of the Tulare County Museum, said the alliance began in February 2019 with 22 member organizations and has grown to 29, including seven in neighboring Kings County. King described a scholarship program—Cultural Connections—that pairs three students from the College of the Sequoias “Pathways to Museums” club with local organizations to complete projects such as cataloging collections, exhibit installation and a countywide Google Maps of public art. King said the Google Maps project generated about 50,000 views soon after launch.

The board read and adopted a proclamation recognizing Museum Advocacy Day (organized nationally by the American Alliance of Museums) and “recognized the importance of museums to our communities and the benefits of working together to preserve these valuable institutions for the future enjoyment of our residents.” The proclamation listed several local organizations and was signed by Supervisor Larry McCarrie, Chair Pete Vanderpool, Supervisor Valero and Supervisor Dennis Townsend.

Why it matters: many of the county’s museums and cultural organizations operate on small budgets and with volunteer staffs; the alliance and the scholarship program are intended to bolster organizational capacity and provide hands‑on experience to students pursuing museum work.

No formal board vote was recorded beyond adoption of the proclamation and public recognition; the item was presented as part of the board’s agenda and followed by a group photo of alliance members.

Speakers in the chamber included representatives from a number of local institutions King named during her remarks.