Museum Association of New York (MANY) has announced they are seeking nominations for their 2019 Awards of Merit. MANY’s Awards of Merit recognize outstanding and innovative programs, staff, and volunteers who have enriched New York State museums with new and remarkable projects. Any organization or individual can nominate an organization, person(s), or project completed in 2019 at a museum, heritage, or cultural organization in the state of New York.
Awards of Merit Nomination Categories
Anne Ackerson Innovation in Leadership Award – This award recognizes a board member or staff leader that saw their organization through a critical challenge or significant opportunity in a creative, effective manner over a sustained period.
The Rising Star Award – This award recognizes a museum professional who is under the age of 35 and currently employed at a cultural institution. The Rising Star displays creative thinking and inspires institutional change.
Individual Achievement – This award recognizes devoted staff and volunteers who are instrumental in moving their organizations forward. Nominations are accepted for individuals or a team of staff and/or volunteers.
Development Award – This award recognizes institutions whose fundraising campaigns have been innovative, engaging, and successful. This award showcases teams or individuals who garner financial support creatively and effectively for the benefit of their organization and their community’s cultural economy.
Excellence in Exhibition Design Award Sponsored by NAME – This award recognizes an exhibition (physical and/or digital) produced by a cultural institution that articulates content through engaging design and creates a satisfying visitor experience. Supporting materials must include installation documentation and audience feedback. Awards may be made for both physical and digital exhibitions.
Innovation in Collections Access Award – This award recognizes exemplary projects (physical and/or digital) that broaden access, preserve, and catalog museum and heritage organization collections.
Engaging Communities Award – This award recognizes an organization that uses creative methods to engage its community and build new audiences. Projects can include collections interpretation, exhibitions, lecture series, educational or public programs, focus groups, strategic planning, or other community engagement effort.
For the Innovation in Collections Access Awards and Engaging Communities Award judges will consider making awards in the following four budget categories: Volunteer – $100,000, $100,000 – $500,000, $500,000 – $1,000,000, and over $1,000,000
Nominations will be reviewed on their own merit and will be evaluated on the basis of relevance, significance to the field, overall quality, and their unique or innovative character. Judges will consider the ways in which a project demonstrates the professional growth of an organization or individual, adherence to museum standards and best practices, level of risk and return on investment, and how the project enhanced the organization’s mission. Nomination of oneself or one’s organization is permissible and encouraged.
Completed Nominations Include:
- Completed Awards of Merit Nomination Form
- Nominated institution’s mission statement and brief description of organization.
- If you are nominating someone for an individual award, include a biography with relevant information of no more than 250 words.
- 50 words or less description of project or individual achievement for promotional materials.
Project documentation must be submitted as attached pdfs and may include digital images, powerpoint presentations, audio or video, press releases, newspaper articles, reviews, or other promotional materials. For exhibition catalogs or other museum publications, please mail a hard copy to the MANY office at 265 River Street, Troy, NY 12180.
- 500-750 word description that addresses the following as relevant to the category.
- How the project or person’s work benefited the public.
- How the project enhanced the professionalism of the organization/individual.
- How the project improved the organization’s ability to serve the public.
- How project an outstanding example in its category.
- How is this organization/person best utilizing their resources?
- How is this project relevant? Is it significant, innovative?
- How was this project/person ambitious?
More information and applications can be found online. Applications can be submitted via email to conference@nysmuseums.org.
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