OMA Submission to Budget 2023
We need your support! Join us in advocating for the future success of the museum sector by sending a letter to your MPP.
The Ontario Museum Association has made recommendations to Ontario's Budget 2023 for our museum sector in a submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs:
- A Digital Response Fund (valued at $10 Million over three years)
- Increased support for community museums by $10 Million per year to reach 300 communities across the province
- Property Tax Exemption—all museums need a consistent property tax exemption
- Infrastructure Recovery Fund—$10 Million—to build capacity post-COVID
Read OMA's submission HERE.
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- Step One: Find the contact information of your MPP HERE
- Step Two: Download OMA's pre-written member letter to your MPP HERE.
- Step Three: Email your letter to your MPP! Use our pre-written email.
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Nonprofit Appreciation Week
February 13-19, 2023
A new recognition of Ontario’s nonprofit sector based on legislation to recognize nonprofit workers and organizations by the Government of Ontario, Bill 9, Nonprofit Sector Appreciation Week, 2021.
"The third week in February each year is proclaimed as Non-Profit Sector Appreciation Week"
It celebrates the vital role nonprofits and workers play in creating and maintaining healthy, vibrant and inclusive communities in Ontario.
- Nearly 850,000 nonprofit workers are dedicated to serving, connecting, and supporting all Ontarians.
- Ontario’s 58,000 nonprofits help to create healthy and thriving communities, and contribute $65 billion to the economy.
- The innovative ways nonprofit workers support Ontarians with creative, local solutions.
Join the conversation and amplify messages HERE.
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In the more than 700 museums, galleries, and historic sites across Ontario 11,000 museum workers and 37,000 volunteers contribute 2.5 million hours to our heritage institutions per year—a value of $68 million
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OMA Professional Development
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Upcoming Webinar:
Actionable Online Accessibility
Small Bytes Webinar Series
Wednesday February 22, 2023
11:00AM - 12:30PM ET
Online
There are simple steps we can take today to make our online communications more accessible for those of all abilities. Join us on Wednesday, February 22 at 11am ET when our speakers will take us through how to increase the accessibility of websites, online exhibits, online programs and social media to ensure that digital transformation also builds greater inclusion.
Speakers:
- Shelley Boden works as an independent access consultant ‘joining the dots’ and working with organizations, digital developers and test participants with access needs. Over a 30-year career-span, she has developed a unique perspective on museums, access and all things digital.
- Francis Tomkins (they/them), Tangled Art + Disability, is an accessible communications professional, accessibility consultant and arts educator based in Toronto.
- Sean Lee (he/they), Tangled Art + Disability, is an artist and curator exploring the assertion of disability art as the last avant-garde. Sean is also an independent lecturer, speaker, and writer.
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Get started thinking about disability inclusion! The OMA hosted a session at OMA Annual Conference 2022 to discuss practical advice on how cultural institutions can bring the voices of disabled people into their spaces in ways that respect and align with disability communities coming out of the pandemic. Watch the session recording HERE.
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OMA Annual Conference 2022 Recordings
Members can watch Nov. 7 & 21 session recordings now!
Thank you for your participation in OMA Annual Conference 2022! We are excited to share with our members the recordings of Conference sessions - including livestreamed sessions from the plenary room on Nov. 7 and all sessions on Nov. 21).
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Museum Funding as Critical Practice
Speakers: Camille-Mary Sharp Faculty Fellow, Program in Museum Studies, New York University and Samantha Summers Manager of Individual Giving, Toronto International Film Festival
Positing that museum funding should be reformed with the same rigor as other museum practices, this presentation invites attendees to reflect on their own institutions and to imagine what fundraising frameworks might look like when they exist not only to serve the institution’s operations, but are an integral part of its mission.
Watch the recording HERE.
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Heritage Week
February 20-26, 2023
Each February, Ontarians are invited to participate in Heritage Week. This week provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the vibrancy of the heritage and culture sector in Ontario. Many community objects, collections and stories are preserved and interpreted in museums and heritage buildings. Museums build strong communities, making them vibrant and vital places to live, work, visit & invest!
Join the Ontario Museum Association in celebrating Heritage Week! Get Involved!
- Invite your MPP to visit your museum! Tell them why you celebrate heritage and how it enriches your community. Use our letter template HERE. Find your MPP HERE. Be sure to CC the OMA at community@museumsontario.ca (Christopher Shackleton) on your email.
- Engage through social media! Share graphics and messaging. Be sure to tag us @MuseumsOntario and use the hashtag #ONHeritageWeek and #MuseumsConnectON. Don’t forget to tag your local MPPs. Find your MPP on Twitter HERE. Find information on sample posts and corresponding graphics in our toolkit.
Learn more in our Ontario's Heritage Week Toolkit HERE
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Sample post - Museums are a vital part of Ontario’s education landscape, with school visits and programs linked to provincial curriculum. February 20-26 is #ONHeritageWeek! Join us in celebrating Ontario’s museums and their community contributions. #MuseumsConnectON
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Black History Month Events
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Museums across Ontario are recognizing February as Black History Month through numerous exhibits, programs, and special events. We look forward to sharing more events in the coming weeks!
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Exhibitions
Feb. 1 – 28 Kuumba - Black Futures Month Celebration at Harbourfront Centre
Feb. 1 – May 28 Dis/Mantle, art exhibit inspired by the efforts of Black abolitionists, at Spadina Museum, Toronto History Museums
Feb. 2 – Mar. 4 Black Families & Historic Settlements at Black Artist's Network & Dialogue (BAND) Gallery
Every Saturday & Sunday in February Rarely Seen: Art from the Amherstburg Freedom Museum Collection
Opens Feb. 4 Our Stories. Our History. Our Heritage by the Guelph Black Heritage Society at the Wellington County Museum and Archives
Feb. 8 Black and Free: New Art | Moko Jumbies, THEMUSEUM
Until Feb. 28 Unearth Uncover with Cawthra Park Secondary School, Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives and Museums of Mississauga
Until Dec. 2025 Freedom, Opportunity and Family: Oakville’s Black History at Oakville Museum
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Events
Feb. 20 Beyond the Underground Railroad: The living legacy of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, Ontario Heritage Trust (video series)
Feb. 23 Public Launch of New McDougall Street Corridor Murals, Essex County Black Historical Research Society
Feb. 24 Celebrating Black Excellence, City of Mississauga
Feb. 24 Black History Month Market, Small Arms Inspection Building
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Black History Month In the Media
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2023 National Conference: Moved to Action
Canadian Museums Association
Online
February 27-28, 2023
10:00am - 5:00pm ET
The 2023 National Conference is inspired by and in support of the CMA’s recent report, Moved to Action: Activating UNDRIP in Canadian Museums, which centres the activation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Canadian museum practice.
This conference seeks to deepen understanding of the report by actualizing its recommendations in museum practice, and by determining as a sector how we can build on our work and continue prioritizing Indigenous self-determination in Canadian museums and abroad.
Learn about speakers and programming HERE.
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Upcoming Webinar: Youth-Inclusive Hiring Practices
WorkInCulture & CivicAction
Free to attend and open to the public
Thursday, February 16, 2023
1:00PM - 2:00PM ET
CivicAction and WorkInCulture host a free, interactive webinar that will help you better attract young, diverse talent, including a real-time assessment of your organization's entry-level job postings! Attendees will leave the webinar equipped with:
- Youth-inclusive strategies and tactics that can be applied across all HR stages
- New and improved job postings that will better attract next-gen talent using the HireNext Job Posting Assessment
- An expanded network of like-minded individuals facing similar HR challenges
This is an interactive webinar where participants are encouraged to contribute and engage! Who should attend:
- Those with accountability for some aspect of human resources in their organization (e.g., HR Managers, HR Specialists, Recruiters, etc.)
- Those hiring for entry-level roles
Read more and register HERE.
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Upcoming discussion: Looking Towards the Next 50 Years
Woodland Cultural Centre
Tuesday February 21, 2023
1:00PM - 2:30PM ET
Online
Hosted by Janis Monture, Executive Director of Woodland Cultural Centre, this dialogue will share on Woodland's history which focuses on the Save the Evidence campaign and the interpretation of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School. Janis will be joined by guest speakers,Tim Johnson and Amos Key, Jr.
The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project brings together a network of communities to support the development of Indigenous sovereign creative spaces across Ontario. Guided by an Indigenous Advisory Circle and supported by ArtsBuild Ontario, the project aims to build a framework of knowledge and experience from an Indigenous cultural and historic perspective, and determine the needs, recommendations and sustainability for future Indigenous infrastructural development within the arts ecology of Ontario. As part of this project, a series of online dialogues have taken place within Indigenous communities across Ontario.
Speakers:
- Janis Kahentóktha Monture
- Tim Johnson
- Dehaeho:węhs - Amos Key Jr.
Read more and register HERE.
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Upcoming webinar: Three Things Every Leader Should Know: Practical Insights to Overcome the COVID Retention Crisis
Charity Village
Thursday February 23, 2023
1:00PM - 2:00PM ET
Online
Based on extensive research into recent exit data from 30+ businesses and nonprofits across 16 industries Allen Leigh has identified three accelerators that top talent are looking for to stay engaged and grow, and the results might surprise you. This webinar will explore the current trends in recruitment and retention from a real-life lens and offer some practical tips and tools for your leaders to deploy in-house to ensure that your culture is adjusting to the new requirements of work.
In this webinar, you will learn about:
- Current Trends in Hiring & Retention
- Foundation and Accelerators for Retention
- Tools for Impact
- Exit Data Research
Speakers:
Read more and register HERE.
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Upcoming webinar: Where Did Everyone Go? Volunteerism and Civic Engagement in the Nonprofit Sector
Presented in partnership with Keela and Imagine Canada
Tuesday March 7, 2023
2pm ET
In this free webinar, subject matter experts Megan Conway, President & CEO of Volunteer Canada, and Bruce MacDonald, President & CEO of Imagine Canada, will discuss what’s transpired over the past few years and look ahead at ‘what comes next’ for volunteering and civic engagement. Organizations of all sizes will learn about changing trends and fresh perspectives that can help them think about their own strategies for running a volunteer program.
Read more and register HERE.
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ICOM Canada's International Achievement Award
Deadline: March 15, 2023
ICOM Canada's International Achievement Award honours a Canadian museum professional who has demonstrated and promoted excellence in Canadian museology on an international scale. This award recognizes the outstanding contribution of knowledge and expertise towards the advancement and support of museology worldwide.
To be eligible for this award, the nominee must be an ICOM member in good standing and must have worked in a Canadian institution. An ICOM member who is familiar with the nominee’s achievements must make the nomination.
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Upcoming webinar: Preparing for Year-End Audits Including 2023 Updates
Charity Village
Thursday March 16, 2023
1:00PM - 2:00PM ET
Online
It’s that time of year again! This webinar is designed to help nonprofit organizations better navigate the year-end reporting and audit processes, with a special section on what’s new and different in 2023. During this webinar, Christine Kecser, Director of Enkel’s NPO Division, and Shirley Wolff, Senior Controller at Enkel, will share tips on how nonprofit organizations can tackle the challenges of preparing financial statements and how they can utilize technology tools to streamline their year-end reporting process. They will also cover updates in Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations that will be relevant to your upcoming audit.
Speakers:
- Christine Kecser
- Shirley Wolff
Read more and register HERE.
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Heritage Planning for Practitioners Course
Algonquin College
Perth Campus.(in-person)
April 26 – April 29, 2023
Cost of the course is $625 + HST
Instructor: Marcus Letourneau
This intensive 4-day course is designed for those interested in the theoretical and practical aspects of heritage conservation planning in Ontario. Study a variety of topics including the history, legal aspects, and evaluation processes in heritage planning. The course also covers how to integrate concepts of sustainability, accessibility, practical management challenges in the field, and changes following the adoption of Bill 108. Learn through lectures, readings, in-class and online activities, discussions, group work, and walking tours. Suitable for all knowledge and experience levels.
Read more and register HERE.
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Webinar recording and resource: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Museums
British Columbia Museums Association
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in museums has been a topic of much discussion and speculation in recent years. From virtual tour guides to digitization projects, it seems that there is no limit to the potential uses of AI in the museum sector. However, it is important to approach the subject with a critical and reflexive mindset, taking into account both the potential benefits and potential drawbacks of using AI in museums.
It is also worth acknowledging that having an AI write this introduction may feel like a well-worn cliché. While the use of AI in museums is a relevant and important topic, it is important to be mindful of the ways in which AI is being used and to consider the potential consequences of these uses. With these considerations in mind, this resource outlines the potential uses and impact of AI in museums.
Read more HERE.
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Support Ontario’s Museums: Donate Now!
As museums across Ontario face the challenges of reopening safely and renewing relationships with your communities, the OMA is here for you. Your support, participation, and membership make our work possible.
If you are already an OMA member, thank you! Please renew your membership when you receive an email reminder. If you are not yet a member, please consider an individual, institutional, or commercial membership for yourself, your colleagues, or your institution. You can find information about member categories and benefits on our website.
You can make a donation to the OMA on our website or through Canada Helps. Every contribution adds to the collective strength of our sector. Thank you for your support!
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As an organization of provincial scope, the Ontario Museum Association recognizes that its members and community live and work on the lands and territories of Indigenous peoples. Toronto, where the OMA offices are located, is the territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Haudenosaunee and the Huron Wendat. We wish to express our gratitude for the resources we are using and pay respect to the rich and ongoing Indigenous history of what is now Ontario and Canada.
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