Emily Beshears

In serving my community through public outreach I have worked to highlight the unique communities that make up the fabric of Northwest Arkansas through its history and to preserve the journey we all have taken to make this area home. I have served on multiple boards and committees to ensure the smooth operations of the museums I served. In serving my community I have learned to value and appreciate the hard work of all those around me and seek to share the load when I am able.

Through teamwork and communication any task can be accomplished for the betterment of the community.

Museum Manager at Tontitown Historical Museum (2023– Present)

Sales Administrator at Quadrivium (2020 – 2023)

Lead of Service at Forever 21 (2018 – 2022)

Summer Internship at Shiloh Museum (2016-06 – 2016-08)

Library Aide at Linda Childers-Knapp Elementary (2016 – 2017)

Bookseller/Receiving Lead at Barnes & Nobel (2011– 2018)

Professional Development Coordinator at Arkansas Museum Association (2026 – Present)

• Curating a variety of professional development topics presented by museum professionals for the benefit of other Arkansas museum professionals via webinars.

Northwest Region Representative at Arkansas Museum Association (2024– 2026)

Working with one other representative to coordinate quarterly museum meet-ups within the Northwest Region at various museums throughout the area.

• Scheduling professional development for museum staff and facilitating workshops or lectures on specific topics either in person or via Zoom.
• Organizing food for each meet-up and facilitating announcements via email to allow all area museums to know what is going on at other museums each month.
• Coordinating with all AMA Regional Representatives to plan the annual Arkansas Museum Association Conference that travels throughout the state year to year.
• Performing tasks to ensure all museum professionals at any AMA sponsored event is in the know and has a lifeline should they need to ask for help or to connect with another area museum.

Humanitarian Scholar: "Cries from the Cotton Field" at Dr. Larry Foley (2023 – 2024)

Offering knowledge of Tontitown history to filmmaker Dr. Larry Foley during pre-production and post-production of "Cries from the Cotton Field".

• Working with the film crew to film on-site at Tontitown Historical Museum and off-site at the Morsani Home (Mantegani Rd.) and St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
• Artifact handling was performed to allow one actor to wear a historic vestment belonging to Father Pietro Bandini during a key scene of the documentary.
• Attending showings of the film to answer historical questions posed alongside Dr. Foley.

Museum Board Member, Secretary at City of Tontitown (2018 – 2023)

Monthly meetings for day-to-day management of the museum, with bi-annual board workshops for future planning of expansions to the museum, budgets, and programs/events.

• Collaboration with changing installations, determination and acceptance of all incoming artifact and archival material, management of volunteers, and filling in at the museum when needed.
• Working with local researchers, documentarians, and history enthusiasts to answer questions about the collection or the history of Tontitown, as well as working with various contacts to answer questions.

Board Member at Washington County Historical Society (2018 – 2022)

Monthly meetings to discuss the various events, budget planning, maintenance of the historic home of Headquarters House.

• Serving on multiple committees to host programs within all of Washington County on a variety of subjects ranging in subject matter and time period.

B.S in General History – University of Arkansas (2016)