ONmuseums: College Awards and OMA Webinar

Destination Ontario is developing marketing plans to help support the tourism industry and encourage safe travel to and around Ontario. Our approach will be in lockstep with the Government of Ontario's Framework for Reopening our Province. Destination Ontario seeking content for editorial consideration. 

Guidelines and criteria of what Destination Ontario is looking for:

• Finished content that tells a compelling story of an experience in your region (via owned written, video, or 3rd party sponsored content) that can be enjoyed now (experiences that are open and can be visited safely);
• Content for which you are able to grant 3rd party usage rights; 
• Content that features activities and operators that meet the Government of Ontario’s framework for reopening and are following public health guidelines; and,
• Content that is presented on a mobile-optimized website.

Please find the ‘Finished Content Intake Form’ HERE for you to use to identify storytelling content (owned written, video, or 3rd party sponsored) that is currently available for amplification. There is no limit to the number of content pieces you can submit and this is an open invitation  - as restrictions ease and as additional content becomes available, please reuse and resend the intake form. Destination Ontario will continue to amplify partner content and promote the expansion of travel experiences.

If you don’t have finished content at this time, but would still like to contribute products/experiences that might be used in Destination Ontario’s AlwaysON content work (e.g. organic social posts), please fill out and return the ‘General Content Intake Form’ instead HERE.

Destination Ontario wants to leverage what you do best: tell your stories. Share them so they can share them, too. Please send submissions to DO.info@ontario.ca.

Office of the Premier, Toronto, ON

The Ontario government is providing up to $4 million for the Seniors Community Grant Program, a significant increase over last year. This funding will help non-profit organizations, local services boards, or Indigenous groups develop programs for seniors that focus on combatting social isolation, promoting seniors' safety and well-being, improving financial security and making communities age-friendly.

This year's grants will range from $1,000 to $100,000 and will fund projects that will:

• Help older individuals and couples receive the support they need in their community;
• Ensure seniors are less at risk for neglect, abuse and fraud, and that their rights and dignity are protected​;
• Ensure more older adults are connected and engaged, reducing social isolation;​​ and,
• Provide more opportunities for older adults in employment and volunteering, achieving greater financial security and engagement within the community.

The application period for the Seniors Community Grant Program is now open and will close on August 7, 2020. Unincorporated and incorporated not-for-profit organizations, local services boards, or Indigenous groups must submit applications to Transfer Payment Ontario (formerly Grants Ontario) online at Ontario.ca/GetFunding.

Read more HERE.

The OMA will follow up as more updates become available.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of changes have been made to the Certificate in Museum Studies (CMS) course schedule for 2020-2021. We are excited to share these updates with our members and we thank all the CMS Course Directors for working with us to deliver courses safely and in new ways.

For the full updated schedule, CLICK HERE.

Education Programs 
New blended online and in-person format
Online: October 12 – November 29, 2020 (7 weeks) AND
In-person workshop: November 30, 2020 (1 day)
Location: Grey Roots Museum, Owen Sound (TBC)
Registration opens August 11, 2020
Course Directors: Meredith Leonard, Halton Heritage Services and John Summers, City of Hamilton

Exhibit Planning & Design
New blended online and in-person format
Online: October 12 – November 29, 2020 (7 weeks) AND
In-person workshop: December 1, 2020 (1 day)
Location: Grey Roots Museum, Owen Sound (TBC)
Registration opens August 11, 2020
Course Directors: Meredith Leonard, Halton Heritage Services and John Summers, City of Hamilton

Museums in Historic Buildings (Facilities Management)
New date
Date: November 4-6, 2020
Location: Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum, Kitchener, ON
Registration opens August 26, 2020
Course Directors: Marcus Letourneau and Gordon Robinson, Letourneau Heritage Consulting

Collections Management 
New format and date
Dates: January 25 - April 4, 2021
Location: Online
Registration opens November 18, 2020
Course Director: Janet Reid, Markham Museum

The safety of participants and instructors is our highest priority and the OMA continues to monitor public health advisories. Dates, locations, and formats are subject to change.

The OMA has ongoing relationships with many of the Heritage and Museum Studies post-secondary programs in Ontario and we are pleased to have named OMA awards at both Algonquin College’s Applied Museum Studies Program and Fleming College’s Heritage Programs.

We are delighted to profile the 2020 recipients of each of these awards. Congratulations Zane and Madison and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
 

A co-presentation of the Group of Ontario Emerging Museum Professionals Committee.

This session will consist of 3 key components in the style of “Ask Me Anything” format popularized on social media in recent years. “Ask” refers to questions posed by emerging museum professionals in the Ontario community. “Me” refers to Sarah Beam-Borg, who has generously volunteered to make her rich experience accessible through this platform. “Anything” references any topic that intersects with the museum sector, museum jobs, museum networking, etc… anything that may be of interest to EMPs who would benefit from this information at this stage in their careers! 

GOEMP Committee Chair Madeline Smolarz will join Sarah as moderator to keep track of and pose incoming questions on behalf of the EMP community.

Find out more and register HERE!

A co-presentation of the Ontario Association of Art Galleries and the Ontario Museum Association.

In this time of extreme uncertainty, scenario planning offers a methodology for thinking about what might happen so that organizations can prepare for a range of possibilities. Usually, when we plan for the future, we have a pretty good idea of what the world looks like: our purpose, our facility, our collection, our funding, our employees, our visitors are all at least somewhat predictable. The pandemic, social distancing and the resulting economic impacts, and the demands for true social change all require us to set aside those predictions and assumptions.

Judy Wolfe and Karen Wishart of Consulting Matrix will facilitate a small group of sector leaders while other participants observe the process. Observing participants will be able to ask questions of the panelists as they work through the agenda and scenario planning. 

Participants will learn how to plan for the long-term under extreme uncertainty and imagine possible futures. 

Panelists:
•    Demetra Christakos, Art Gallery of Sudbury
•    Alexander Gates, Canadian Automotive Museum
•    Brian Meehan, Museum London
•    Janis Monture, Woodland Cultural Centre

Read more HERE.

Canada's History is seeking nominations and applications for the Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Community Programming. This award recognizes community-based projects that promote public engagement in history. Applications are evaluated on their impact, innovation, and contribution to a greater public understanding of Canadian history. Two recipients (French and English) will receive $2,500 each.
 
If you know a community history project, you can submit a nomination or start an application HERE!

If you have any questions about the award or application, please contact Kylie Nicolajsen HERE.

Fellowship 2020 for Black Americans in Museums, Arts, and Cultural Spaces brings together talented African/Black American emerging leaders based on their leadership promise and work in museum, visual arts, and other cultural spaces.  The program connects fellows to positions of leadership in the field as well as highly accomplished national and international arts and cultural leaders. 

Fellowship 2020 addresses unconscious and conscious bias by offering museum professionals from the African American community a paid 1-year opportunity to work with Lord Cultural Resources, the Association of African American Museums and partner cultural institutions to foster sustainable change in arts and cultural spaces. The fellowship also provides existing and new cultural institutions with an opportunity shift the ways in which they work to unpack and address unconscious bias which can be a barrier to engaging diverse audiences, staff, and leadership. Each fellow receives a $50,000 stipend.

Read more HERE.

• Lori Fogarty, Director & CEO, Oakland Museum of California 
• Brian Carter, Executive Director, 4Culture
• Ben Morton Wright, President & Group CEO, Global Philanthropic

• Brendan Ciecko, CEO & Founder, Cuseum

Up to 10 curators will be selected as mentees for our full-year career advancement opportunity. The program’s goal is to advance the skills, experience and knowledge needed to succeed on a curatorial path.

The program incorporates three main pillars:

• Virtual Learning Residency;
• Digital engagement with a Mentor; and 
• Access to our Art Curators Conference (pending confirmation in early 2021 due to COVID-19). 
• Additional program details and benefits are outlined in detail HERE.

All applicants must:

• Be art curators at nonprofit organizations (this is an international program), with direct responsibility for works of art. In addition, independent curators and others that work a minimum of 50% of the time for/with nonprofit organizations will be considered.
• Have a minimum of 3-5 years of direct working curatorial experience in the field, excluding internships. 
• Commit to all program requirements at the time of application.

Apply HERE!

There is a direct relationship between high levels of vocational fulfillment and enhanced quality of service. In this webinar, learn strategies to help you tap into the capacity and creativity of your team members to create space for their unique contribution. You will explore mind-sets, approaches and tools that not only support the people in your organization, but also become a source of self-discovery for you. Walking the talk is one of the most powerful ways to lead.

Read more and register HERE.

"Archaic business models, outdated funding strategies, and a significant lack of diversity in our museums will not serve us as we manage through the impacts of the pandemic, nor as we recover. How we choose to move past this crisis will determine the future of our museums for years to come.

Envisioning a new future requires us to ask what decisions we can make that will not only help us overcome the immediate threat, but help us to rebuild a more sustainable, inclusive, and powerful museum field."

The American Alliance of Museum’s Virtual Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo theme focused on Radical Reimagining. Join the AAM by watching (or re-watching) the session recordings that can help us imagine a more vibrant museum field.

Read more and watch the recordings HERE.