Latest News
Calls for Participation
Call for RMP Review Panellists - Deadline October
30, 2026
Our 2026 Award Recipients
The Alberta Museums
Association is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026
Lieutenant Governor's Award, Leadership Awards, and Robert R. Janes
Award for Social Responsibility. The AMA Awards Program
recognizes leadership, exceptional work, and innovative thinking
contributing to the social, cultural, and educational fabric of
Alberta. The Awards Program is grounded in the belief that
excellence, innovation, and creativity form the foundation of
outstanding museums.
2026 Lieutenant Governor's Award: Api'soomaahka (Running Coyote) - William Singer
III
2026 Leadership Award - Education: Athabasca University
2026 Leadership Award - Engagement: McDougall Stoney Mission Society
2026 Leadership
Award - Sustainability: TELUS World of Science -
Edmonton
2026 Robert R. Janes Award for Social
Responsibility: Jasper-Yellowhead Museum &
Archives
The
Awards will be presented at the Association's 55th Anniversary Gala
and Awards Ceremony presented by Know History on September 23,
2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Wyndham Edmonton Hotel and Conference
Centre, held as part of the Alberta Museums Association's 2026
Conference, The Adaptable Museum: Embracing Creative
Stewardship for a Sustainable Future.
AMA
Awards Program
Congratulations to the Recognized Museums
Attaining Designations for 2026
We are pleased to announce ten institutions have recently
attained their designation in the Recognized Museum Program.
The AMA congratulates the Alberta Aviation Museum on attaining the
Recognized Museum Leader designation for 2026 - 2034.
As a Recognized Museum Leader, the Alberta Aviation Museum
has demonstrated a long-term commitment to taking best practice
standards to the next level.
The AMA would also like to congratulate the following
institutions that have attained the Recognized Museum designation
for 2026 - 2031:
These institutions join more than 100 Recognized Museums across
the province that are meeting, maintaining, and modelling best
practice standards as leading contributors to the social, cultural,
and educational fabric of Alberta. Check out the Visit Alberta
Museums section to explore this vibrant community of Recognized
Museums across the province.
Visit Alberta Museums
Upcoming Grants and Bursary Program Deadlines
Operational Staffing Grant online applications
open on August 1, 9:00 a.m. MT and will be
accepted until October 1, 4:30 p.m. MT.
The Knowledge Development Bursary online
applications open on September 15, 2026, at 9:00
a.m. and will be accepted until September 28, 4:30
p.m. MT.
* Any new or returning Individual Memberships should be
purchased before August 31, 2026, to ensure they
are ratified and fully eligible for the bursary program prior to
the application intake date.
All submissions to the AMA Grants and Bursary Program are made
through the Members Only section of the AMA website. Under
each Grant or Bursary category, you will find resources to help you
complete your application. Specific eligibility criteria and
restrictions are listed in the Guidelines for each Grant and
Bursary Program category. Required supporting documents are to be
uploaded as attachments with your online form.
The Grants Program Lead is still available to address questions
prior to the grant deadline; however, they will not be able to
review full applications. Grant Writing Resources are available in
the Members
Only section.
Lauren Wheeler appointed Executive Director of the
CMA
The AMA is pleased to announce the appointment of Lauren
Wheeler as the next Executive Director of the Canadian Museums
Association (CMA). Lauren will officially join the CMA on Monday,
July 27.
Read More
Certificate in Museum Studies Program Application Closure for
2026 - 2027
Due to significant oversubscription in the Certificate in Museum
Studies (CMS) Program, the Alberta Museums Association is
closing new applications to the CMS Program for the 2026 -
2027 fiscal year. This closure will allow currently
enrolled participants better access to the CMS courses required to
complete their Certificate and graduate from the Program.
To read full details on this decision, visit the CMS Program FAQ
page linked below.
Temporary CMS Program Application
Closure
Grants Program Changes
In the 2024 - 2025 fiscal year, the Alberta Museums Association
(AMA) conducted a review of the Grants Program to help us better
meet the needs of our members. We hired a consultant to provide
independent feedback and recommendations on how to improve the
program. We held direct consultations with Individual and
Institutional Members, collected feedback from a broad AMA
membership survey, and researched best practices and emerging
trends in grant programs offered Canada-wide. We looked at where
the program had succeeded, and the challenges and needs of AMA
Members. Our goal was to update the AMA Grants Program to support
continuous and sustainable funding that is diversified and reliable
to meet the needs of our members.
The AMA is pleased to announce the launch of the revised Grants
Program, and the creation of the new Knowledge Development Bursary
Program in the 2025 - 2026 granting year.
To read more about the revised grants and bursary programs, click
the button below.
AMA Grants and Bursary Programs
AMA's Advocacy Policy
In spring 2025, the AMA Board of Directors approved the External
Advocacy Policy for the Association. This policy serves as a guide
for how the AMA will manage advocacy that addresses community or
social issues beyond the direct needs of the AMA and our
members.
The AMA is committed to being adaptable, responsive, and
innovative in an environment of constant change, and this
necessitates that the Association is responsive to issues affecting
the museum sector and the broader community. As part of its
commitment to organizational adaptability, the AMA is working to
implement best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion;
accessibility; environmental sustainability; and
reconciliation.
This policy outlines the AMA's commitment to non-partisan dialogue
that addresses issues in a collaborative way, and our ability to
act as support for affected communities in their advocacy work
around social issues impacting the museum sector.
AMA's External Advocacy
Policy