Alberta Museums Association

Latest News

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.

Register for Conference 2026 - The Adaptable Museum: Embracing Creative Stewardship for a Sustainable Future

Registration is officially open for the AMA's 2026 Adaptable Museum Conference in Edmonton from September 22 - 24, 2026. Now is the perfect time to secure your spot and save. Early bird pricing is available until June 17, so register soon to take advantage of the discounted rate.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of the AMA, founded in 1971, and we wish to celebrate this milestone event with AMA members, partners, and collaborators.

Call for AMA Board Nominations

Members are invited to submit names of candidates for the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) Board of Directors for the 2026 - 2029 term.

The AMA Board is looking for individuals who have a shared belief in the AMA's core values, knowledge of policy governance, and an understanding of provincial government.

All nominees must review the following documents: Board Director Duties & Responsibilities, Policy Governance Overview, Board Governance Process Policies 6: Code of Conduct and 7: Conflict of Interest, and then complete and return the Nominee Questionnaire and Board Nomination Form.

All nominees must be Individual Voting Members of the AMA in good standing. The AMA Board will prepare a slate of qualified candidates from the nominations received and solicited. In the event that there are more candidates than positions to be filled, an election, by secret ballot, will be held at the AMA's Annual General Meeting on September 24, 2026.

The AMA does not accept nominations from the floor at the Annual General Meeting. The selection of candidates best suited to lead the AMA requires thoughtful planning and attention to skills and areas of expertise currently required by the Board, and nominations from the floor do not give nominated candidates a fair chance to have their names placed before the membership.

The deadline for nominations is Thursday, July 2, 2026.

For more information, please contact the AMA Board of Directors, at board@museums.ab.ca.

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