Recognized Museum Program

What is a Recognized Museum?

A Recognized Museum is an institution that has demonstrated its commitment to public trust and service by applying to, and attaining accreditation from, the Recognized Museum Program. The AMA designates Recognized Museums so that museum visitors and supporters can find, enjoy, and contribute to institutions where the visitor is the top priority.

Look for the Recognized Museum logo during your next visit to an Alberta museum!

What is the Recognized Museum Program?

The Recognized Museum Program is an accreditation program for museums in Alberta. The program evaluates whether or not Institutional Members of the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) are operating as museums according to the AMA's member-approved Definition of a Museum:

A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment.

What is the Program's purpose?

The purpose of the Recognized Museum Program is to ensure the AMA is accountable for the public funds it receives by directing its programs and services to institutions committed to operating as museums. The program is also intended to have an educational purpose to ensure that all AMA members develop or reaffirm their understanding of what museums are and what their responsibilities are to the public trust. The process of applying to the program once every five years will ensure that the level of practice in the Alberta museum community improves.

For museum visitors, the Recognized Museum Program is intended to create awareness and understanding of the Recognized Museum logo and what it means, and eventually to influence their visitation decisions.

Finally, the Recognized Museum Program will provide Recognized Museums with a designation that they will use and leverage to help fulfill their own missions.

What are the benefits?

The entire museum community benefits from a process that helps to ensure that member museums develop or confirm their understanding of what museums are and what their responsibilities are to the public trust. This sends a clear message to our communities, supporters, elected officials, donors, and funders that they can have confidence and pride in Recognized Museums as organizations worthy of their support.

All applicants to the Recognized Museum Program benefit from access to the AMA's programs and services as well as the institutional learning that occurs during the application process. Museum staff, volunteers, and board members know that they are part of a community of museums and museum professionals that share common standards, ethics, and commitment to continuous learning and to community engagement.

The AMA undertakes marketing activities on behalf of Recognized Museums directed at the museum-going public that promote and showcase them as places that provide high quality visitor experiences. Most notably, the AMA partnered with Travel Alberta to develop a tourism marketing website profiling Recognized Museums. Recognized Museums are also eligible to purchase Tourism Oriented Directional Signs.