Mar Dixon Travel Scholarship
The Mar Dixon Travel Scholarship was established in 2026 in memory of 2019 Visitor Experience Conference Keynote Speaker Mar Dixon, who passed away in 2024. In partnership with Mar's family, the Visitor Experience Group will select one recipient each year to receive $1000 towards their travel, lodging, and meals during their time at the Visitor Experience Conference. The scholarship will also include free admission to the Monday evening event and one workshop.
In early 2019, the board of the Visitor Experience Group was working on their plans for bringing the annual Visitor Experience Conference back to Philadelphia after hosting the 2018 conference in San Antonio. VEX19 was quickly shaping up to be our biggest conference to date, and we needed the right person to welcome everyone with a relevant and memorable keynote address. We found the perfect presenter in Mar Dixon.
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We had first become acquainted with Mar on Twitter back when the platform had a robust community of museum folks sharing ideas and experiences with each other. Mar's work with #AskACurator, #WhyILoveMuseums, and #MuseumSelfieDay engaged museum workers and enthusiasts alike, shining a bright, happy spotlight on museums and the work that they do.
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The theme of the 2019 conference was "The Pursuit of Happiness," a perfect fit for Mar's work in the cultural field. It was in her own pursuit of happiness in museum spaces that she created #MuseumSelfieDay and encouraged others to share why they love museums. Her infectious energy and positivity was evident as she engaged with the audience, recalled visits to Philadelphia cultural institutions as a child,
Mar Dixon delivering the Keynote Address at the 2019 Visitor Experience Conference in Philadelphia.
heralded great examples of museum signage, and encouraged us all to think of ways we could be more inviting. All of this, of course, being delivered with an accent that was a delightful hybrid of Northeast Philly and Central England.
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Mar was excited to join us in Philly for the conference. Not only would she be getting to stay with family while in town, but she had fond memories of visiting that year's host institution, the Franklin Institute. "Franklin Institute is one of my first memories of a museum visit with my family - walking (ok running like a hyper child on red dye sweets) through the heart and then after my sister or someone talking about how the heart works and me getting upset because they ruined my fun day with facts and learning - but it taught me how you can learn without books which I then loved so happy ending." It speaks to the important work that museums do for learners of all ages - whether they are running laps through a Giant Heart or sitting in the audience as a part of a conference.
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It is in that spirit of learning and engagement that Mar's family and the Visitor Experience Group offer this scholarship. We know how hard it is to get funding for conferences, especially when your work is focused on the front line, and it is important to have the ability to gather with your people and share ideas.
A #MuseumSelfie from #VEX19 featuring, from left to right, VEX VP Pat Wittwer, Mar Dixon, and Brendan Ciecko of Cuseum.
The Mar Dixon Travel Scholarship includes $1000 to be used towards travel, lodging, meals, and other expenses related to the recipient's time at the Visitor Experience Conference. The recipient will also receive free admission to the Monday keynote and conference sessions, the Monday evening event, and one workshop. Applications for the scholarship will be accepted through Friday, June 26. Applications will be reviewed by Mar's family and VEX board members, with a decision being communicated no later than Friday, July 24. To apply for the scholarship, please fill out the form below. Recipients of the scholarship are encouraged to take as many museum selfies as possible during their time at the conference!