Each year the Arkansas Museums Association presents awards to celebrate and encourage excellence within museums across the state. Please consider nominating an individual(s), an exhibit, a conservation project, or one of the other categories available. Successful award recipients will be honored at the 2025 Arkansas Museums Association Conference during the awards banquet.
After reviewing the categories outlined below, please fill out and submit the form below. We are excited and hope you will consider submitting nominations for one or more categories. All nominations must be submitted on or before February 15, 2025.
For children and/or adult programming (not a special event) that advances knowledge and understanding of a particular subject and demonstrates exceptional standards.
For temporary, permanent, or traveling exhibitions that effectively and distinctively contribute to public understanding of a subject. Note: There will be two awards—one for museums with a project budget of less than $150,000 and another for museums with a project budget of $150,000 or more.
For excellence in preservation and conservation which highlight the quality of work undertaken on restoration and conservation projects. Demonstrates project and conservation planning and processes of single objects to entire buildings that safe guard for the future generations its historical and/or cultural importance. Preservation and conservation practices may include but are not limited to paper, textiles, paintings (framed or unframed), photographs, ceramics, glass, metal, scientific specimens, bone, leather, and stone.
For outstanding achievement in all forms of media that is distinguished by quality of concept, content and design; effectively reaches the intended target audience; illustrates creativity, clarity, and consistent theme throughout; and exemplifies best practices in the use of graphics, layout, and organization. Media forms may include books and catalogues, brochures, flyers, newsletter (print or digital), guides, podcasts, audio tours, all forms of social media, blogs, interactive kiosks, multimedia installations (photography, video, sound, etc.), website, and any other form.
The outstanding volunteer will have worked with a museum at least two years. Current volunteer duties may include but not be limited to front-desk duties, interpretation, and conservation, processing of collections, tour guide, gift shop sales, inventory design, and grounds maintenance. This individual is non-salaried, volunteer, docent, trustee, and museum associate or similar title. The recipient of the award will have shown outstanding qualities in hospitality, dependability, reliability, trustworthiness, and dedication.
The distinguished museum professional award recognizes an individual who has worked for two or more years within the museum profession and who exemplifies professionalism, teamwork, creativity and vision. This individual collaborates with museum staff, but volunteers, visitors, other agencies and museums, the community, and with those who might pursue a museum career. This individual has made strides within the past year in interpretation, exhibit design, collections and archival management, administration, accounting, marketing, and/or others areas of museum operations.
For a graduate student in the area of museum, public history, archival management or related field who has shown academic excellence with a minimum GPA of 3.5 and has a minimum of 12 hours completed in the program. The successful nominee demonstrates initiative in museum and or public history studies and related projects. Has shown a willingness to collaborate with faculty, staff, and other graduate students and is committed to working in the museum, public history, archival management, or related field.
In recognition of significant and ongoing contributions to the preservation of Arkansas heritage through a lifelong involvement in, and commitment to, the museum community and other organizations
Award Nomination Information
Deadline February 15, 2024