CONTACT US:

The Ohio Museums Association
1982 Velma Avenue
Columbus, OH 43211

Phone: 614.297.2375
Fax: 614.297.2376
Email: oma@ohiohistory.org

Ohio Museums Association
Annual Awards Programs

Congratulations to the 2007 Ohio Museums Association's Annual Awards Winners!

Award winners were announced at the OMA Annual Conference March 9-10 in Dayton.

Click here for a complete list of the 2007 Visual Communication Award winners and to see their award winning material!

2007 Outstanding Achievement
Award Winners

Distinguished Museum Professional

Christie Lucco, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

Award for Institutional Excellence

Akron Art Museum

Cincinnati Museum Center's Learning Labs: "Cincinnati 28"

Lake County Historical Society: "Lake County Treasure Hunt"

Toledo Museum of Art: "Juneteenth Celebration"

The Ohio Museums Association Annual Awards Program proudly honors outstanding achievement and visual communication. The 2007 Ohio Museums Association Outstanding Achievement Awards will be presented March 9, 2008 during the keynote dinner at the Ohio Museums Association’s Annual Conference in Dayton. The 2007 Visual Communication Award winners will be recognized at the annual awards ceremony Monday, March 10, 2008, also in conjunction to the OMA Annual Conference. Nominations and entries from the field are considered by a distinguished panel of judges, selected to represent the diversity of the museum community. Eligible institutions include:

The Outstanding Achievement Awards, known as the OMA Awards, celebrate excellence in Ohio's Museums Community by honoring institutions and individuals whose achievements exhibit efforts above and beyond the day-to-day operations of their job titles and institutional missions, while also contributing to the museum profession in Ohio. Eligible nominees for the Outstanding Achievement Awards must be current members of the Ohio Museums Association. To find out if a nominee's membership is current, please contact OMA. Outstanding Achievement Awards will be presented during the evening event at dinner Sunday, March 9, 2008, held in conjunction to the Ohio Museums Association's Annual Conference.
The OMA Award category is divided into two groups: Distinguished Museum Professional and The Award for Institutional Excellence.

• Distinguished Museum Professional Award nominees will be evaluated for exceptional service to the museum profession in Ohio, exceeding the completion of their regular professional duties.

• The Award for Institutional Excellence is given to a deserving institution whose museum project, exhibit, special program or initiative merits special recognition. Awards are given for efforts that help accomplish the museum's mission, utilize the museum's collection, and surpass the museum's everyday operations. The museum's project should be completed between January 1 and December 31, 2007.

The Visual Communication Competition recognizes creative excellence in Ohio museums by its field professionals and organizations producing material for museums. Articles for submission can include, but are not limited to:: Annual Reports, Audio-Visual/Electronic Media, Books, Brochures, Catalogs, Campaign, Education Materials, Fundraising Materials, Institutional Identity, Invitations/Announcements, Newsletters/ Magazines, Posters and Press Packs. The entries must be published or distributed between January 1 and December 31, 2007. Visual Communication Award winners will be recognized at the annual awards ceremony Monday, March 10, 2008, held in conjunction to the Ohio Museums Association's Annual Conference.

Visual Communication Awards

 In a change from year's past, there will be no separate publication categories--i.e. Annual Reports, Catalogs, etc. For the 2007 Visual Communication Awards, entries will be judged against all entries in their respective budget category. Gold and Silver awards will be given in each budget category where merited, with one entry receiving the overall, Best of Show Award. Budget categories are based on each institution's operating budget for the year, not on the budget used to create the individual pieces. Budget Categories are as follows:

• Level 1: budgets less than $50,000
• Level 2: $50,000-$249,999
• Level 3: $250,000-499,999
• Level 4: $500,000-$999,999
• Level 5: $1 million-$5 million
• Level 6: $budgets over $5 million

There is an entry fee of $25 per entry for members, $35 per entry for non-members.
Fees can be paid by check, payable to The Ohio Museums Association, or by credit card by registering using OMA's secure, PayPal option. Scroll up for more information on how to use PayPal to enter the Visual Communication competition.

There is no maximum number of entries each institution can submit.
Two copies of each entry must be received by the deadline.  Once submitted, materials become the property of OMA.
 

Outstanding Achievement Awards

The Awards for Institutional Excellence nominations should include four copies of each of the following:

• Completed Nomination/Entry Form

• Two-Page Narrative
  • Describe the museum project, exhibit, special program or initiative including goals and expectations
  • Answer the question: What sets this museum project, exhibit, special program or initiative apart from others undertaken by your institution?
• Describe the outcome of the museum project, exhibit, special program or initiative
  • Describe what visitors experience (remember, the judges may not be aware of, or may not have seen the exhibit or program).
• Support Materials
  • Budget for the project/exhibit/program/initiative
  • Photos of project/exhibit/program
  • Related promotional materials or press recognition

The Distinguished Museum Professional award nominations should include four copies of each of the following:

• Completed Nomination/Entry Form
• Two-page Narrative
  • Answer the question: What has the nominee accomplished in his/her museums' career to merit recognition?
  • Answer the question: What has been the outcome of this individual's contribution to their institution and the museum profession in Ohio beyond the completion of regular professional duties?
• Support Materials
  • The nominee's résumé or curriculum vitae
  • Three letters of recommendation for the award
  • Any promotional materials or press recognition

There is no fee for entering an Institutional Excellence or Distinguished Museum Professional nomination.
Nomination material must be received by the deadline.
All materials sent will become the property of OMA .