Reconsidering Museums

What do Canadians see as the value of museums for them, their communities, and for Canada?

Reconsidering Museums, a national project, sets out to answer the question, what do museums mean to Canadians? Through a rearticulation of the value of museums and a rebrand of the sector, this project aims to support museums with the tools and language necessary to better connect with and serve their communities, deepening their relationship, and therefore their relevance, to the Canadian public.

As a sector, we understand the significance of museums and museum work. By generating dialogue about how and why museums matter to Canadians, Reconsidering Museums empowers museums with a shared language to express our value, to increase meaningful engagement, and to create a more sustainable and relevant sector.

The resources developed through this project will provide adaptable values-based messaging that bridges the gap between museums and their publics, substantiates the value of museums with data-driven insights, and helps shape public dialogue around the vital role of museums in our society.

Find the website and toolkit at reconsideringmuseums.ca.

Launched in 2020,Reconsidering Museumswas undertaken in partnership with a consortium of provincial and territorial museums associations and the Canadian Museums Association, led by the Alberta Museums Association.

The Alberta Museums Association gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Cultural Investment Fund and the Province of Alberta through the Community Initiatives Program for the Reconsidering Museums project.