Take the MacKenzie Art Gallery public survey

Regina’s MacKenzie Art Gallery is seeking input from the public. The gallery is interested in how the public views it, and what they would like to see at the gallery for their next 60 years.

Please visit the MacKenzie Art Gallery website to take the survey.

MAS Office Closed for Victoria Day

The MAS office will be closed on Monday, May 20 for Victoria Day. The office will re-open Tuesday, May 21 at 8:00am.

Honouring History in Canada's Museums

The Canadian Museums Association (CMA) is pleased to partner with Canada's History Society to present the 3rd annual Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Museums: History Alive! The CMA is now accepting nominations for this year's award which will be presented in November 2013 by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston during a special ceremony at Rideau Hall.
 
The Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Museums: History Alive! recognizes excellence and innovation in the public programming of museums and related heritage institutions. Generously supported by Ecclesiastical Insurance Ltd., the award honours significant achievements in the historical field and encourages standards of excellence specifically in the presentation, preservation and interpretation of national, regional and local history.

Museums, art galleries or individuals wishing to submit nominations for the 2013 History Alive!award are invited to complete and forward the application form and all required documentation supporting their nomination to the Canadian Museums Association by Friday, August 16, 2013. The nomination form and evaluation criteria are available on the CMA website and Canada's History Society website.

SCAA Call for Institutional Grant applications

As part of a budget increase from SaskCulture, the SCAA’s Institutional Grant Program (IGP) was substantially bolstered in its ability to fund archival projects of its members.

After two completed rounds of the IGP there is still a pool of available funds.  The SCAA has therefore decided to open-up a 3rd round of applications to the IGP.

The SCAA will follow a similar procedure as in the previous rounds, with a deadline of May 31, 2013.

The possibility of joining a joint application between several institutions to have Conservation Assessments completed has been suggested and if you are interested please contact Cameron Hart at scaa.advisor@sasktel.net

Visit http://scaa.sk.ca/services/grants/scaa_institutional_funding.html, for the application, criteria and the new dates.

Please review your institution’s SCAA membership status to assure you are eligible for funding.

These funds will be for this current fiscal year of 2013-14, so the funds would need to be expended before MARCH 31, 2014.

EMC Announces 2013 "Heritage Trust" Contest Now Accepting Nominations

EMC is now accepting applications for 2013 EMC Heritage Trust Project grants. Grant funds have been used for a range of projects preserving important pieces of Canadiana including: digitizing old films of the Canadian National Exhibition; digitizing the largest collection of Canadian businesses' annual reports; and digitizing valuable community photographs and audio tapes.
 
Applications will be accepted from May 8 - June 14, 2013.

The EMC Heritage Trust Project grant recipients are selected based on the following criteria: potential size of the audience that would benefit from access to the information they are seeking to protect; the at-risk status of the information and why it is urgent to digitize; and how beneficial the EMC grant would be to the overall success of the project.

MAS Digitization Workshop

Join us on 28 June for a digitization workshop with Saskatchewan History Online (SHO). This workshop will lead you through the digitization process to help you create processes that are efficient and sustainable for your museum. You’ll learn about setting up or sustaining a digitization program, best practices and guidelines for digital collections, building a support network, and fostering a community approach to digitizing Saskatchewan collections.

This workshop is part of SHO’s mandate to train and support galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) interested in digitization to develop an engaging research experience and useable data and digital files. Learn more about SHO at saskhistoryonline.ca .

Digitization Workshop
9:30 AM, 28 June 2013
Craik Eco-Centre, Craik, Saskatchewan
Cost $20 (includes lunch)

Cuts to Motherwell Homestead

Due to federal cutbacks, visitors to the Motherwell Homestead will see changes this season. Some of the changes to the site include reduced public hours, and the loss of guided tours and costumed interpreters.

To read the full article visit the Leader-Post website.

Industrial Heritage course at UVic with instructor Lorne Simpson

Industrial Heritage (HA 489A)
June 17-22, 2013; on-campus offering
Instructor: Lorne Simpson

Industrial plants can bring with them a series of challenges both from a technical and philosophical perspective. This course will examine the nature of industrial sites and review the various approaches to their conservation.  It develops a technique for analyzing and understanding the processes and products of an industrial plant to allow the establishment of their appropriate values and significance - the underpinning of preparing a conservation program.  The course will examine the issues surrounding industrial sites through the use of case studies and a field trip to provide firsthand experience.

Registration deadline: May 20, 2013

For more information, including registration information, please visit:
http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/Course/Industrial-Heritage/HA489A001/

New Sask First Nations Biography

• who grew to manhood before the settlers arrived in the Battleford area
• who attained the position of Head Warrior in the Rattler Society
• who successfully defended Cut Knife Hill against Canadian soldiers in 1885
• who adapted to life on the Sweetgrass Reserve without surrendering his Cree identity
• who defied the Dept. of Indian Affairs and held 8 Thirst Dances
• who protected his Cree culture
• who earned the praise of anthropologist Dr. D.G. Mandelbaum
  

• Saskatchewan History
• Western Canadian History
• Pre-settlement Prairies
• Cree culture
• the Battleford area
• Sweetgrass and Poundmaker Reserves
• Native Studies
  

International Museum Day 2013 is this Saturday!

International Museum Day is this Saturday, May 18, 2013!

MAS would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and successful International Museum Day. We would love to here your experiences of what your museum or gallery is doing to celebrate.

Please send us an email or visit our facebook page.

Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC) 11th Annual Conference

Calgary, Alberta
June 13-15, 2013
TELUS Spark

Registration Now Open!

The CASC 2013 Conference is an exploration of risk. This three-day conference will delve deeply into how science centres and museums address, leverage and mitigate risk.

The Goal: Exploring how we can learn and grow as an industry to ensure we thrive and remain relevant in our communities now and for the future!

For more information please visit the casc2013 website.

SaskCulture Requesting Contest Prize Items

SaskCulture is putting together a provincial contest that will run all summer long, culminating in a series of electronic displays around the province during Culture Days at the end of September 2013. People will be invited to submit a photo, poem, story, recipe, video, that represents what they love about Saskatchewan and our culture. Every submission will get one entry to the draw that will take place during Culture Days.

They are trying to pull together a great prize package, called the “ultimate Saskatchewan cultural experience”. STC has already contributed two bus passes for 2014 to get people where they need to go, and it would be great to include two passes from various museums and galleries in the province. Even if you don’t charge admission, you can still participate by sending a brochure about your cultural experience to include in the prize package, to encourage people to get to your event or attraction.

If you would like to contribute please email Marian Donnelly, Culture Days Coordinator, MDonnelly@saskculture.sk.ca.

Museums and Education Course Online

Starting June 3, our Museums and Education course will be offered online!

In this course, you’ll learn about the role of the museum as an educational institution. Find out how to

• plan and design audience-appropriate education and public programs
• facilitate object-centred learning
• incorporate current issues in your programming
  

write an education and public programming policy

and more

You’ll also get credit towards your Certificate in Community Museum Studies. Cost is $60 for members, $80 for non-members, $40 for students.

Register now! You can register by filling out our online form. If you have any questions or concerns please call 1-866-568-7386 or email MAS at mas@saskmuseums.org.

Cultural volunteer presented with Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal

Saltcoats resident, Joan Wilson, was one of eight citizens awarded last month with the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal. Over the past 30 years, Wilson has dedicated her time to volunteer work, which include: Provincial Executive Member of the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils; Chair of the Irish Dance Association; Member of the Yorkton Arts Council and volunteer work with children’s activities at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery; and Nature Saskatchewan membership.

Visit Yorkton This Week for more information.

MAS Mini-Conference and AGM and Educating for Sustainability Symposium!

MAS will be holding our 2013 Mini-Conference & AGM on May 24, 2013 in Saskatoon. The days events include the member forum, AGM and presentations from Dean Kush, Assistant General Manager of SaskCulture on Demographic Changes and from Dr. Glenn Sutter on Ecomuseums.

The Educating for Sustainability Symposium will also be held in Saskatoon the day prior on May 23, 2013. Attendees will participate in two sessions, both of them designed to share information while demonstrating a unique approach to community engagement.

Marni Gittleman will be leading a session called "Values: A Starting Point for Sustainability". You'll explore the role values make in decision making and community engagement. You'll explore case studies, examine your own museum's values, and engage in creative group activities, including storytelling and building with repurposed materials.  

Dr. Glenn Sutter will be leading the "Greenburg session". You’ll take on the role of a stakeholder in an imaginary community, and participate in creating a plan for building a more sustainable community. You’ll learn community engagement and sustainability planning skills, and see how this kind of roleplay approach can make sustainability education fun, engaging, and productive.

Both events will be held at the Saskatoon Inn Hotel and Conference Centre.

Don't miss out! Fill out the registration form or call 1-866-568-7386 or email MAS at mas@saskmuseums.org.

MAS Environmental Monitoring Loan Program

MAS is pleased to offer environmental monitoring equipment for all institutional members! Want to know about the conditions in which your artifacts are living? Borrow equipment to determine temperature, relative humidity, UV, and visible light levels! Call May-Lin for details or to borrow one! (306) 780-9266

Canadians celebrate Asian Heritage Month in May

May is Asian Heritage Month. This month is an opportunity to acknowledge the long and rich history of Asian Canadians and their contributions to Canada. This year’s theme, “A Proud History, A Promising Future,” provides an opportunity to recognize the many achievements made by Canadians of Asian origin towards the building of our country. For more information, please visit: Government of Canada.

Culture Days team ready to engage and inspire creativity across Saskatchewan

SaskCulture has assembled an outstanding team to lead the Culture Days preparations and celebrations in Saskatchewan.  Four “Animateurs” will travel to communities across the province in the months leading up to this year’s national Culture Days celebration taking place September 27-29, 2013.  The Culture Days Animateurs bring a wide range of artistic and community activation experience and are eager to help activity planners brainstorm ideas, hold workshops and come up with innovative ways to engage the public in the cultural life of their communities. Check out this year’s Culture Days Team here , and contact them directly to set up a workshop or presentation in your community this summer!  For more information, contact Marian Donnelly, Culture Days Coordinator at SaskCulture, at 306-780-9295 or mdonnelly@saskculture.sk.ca.

MacKenzie Art Gallery - Tourism Award

Congratulations to the MacKenzie Art Gallery for taking home the Event of the Year award (Budget Under $20,000) at the 24th Annual Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence. The award was won for Bazzart 2012, the MacKenzie's annual arts & crafts show and sale. The awards were held April 26 at the Conexus Art Centre in Regina. Jeremy Morgan, Executive Director of the MacKenzie Art Gallery accepted the award on behalf of the MacKenzie.

Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery Takes Home Publishing Prize

The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery took home the top publishing prize at the 20th Anniversary Saskatchewan Book Awards on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

The ministry o Parks, Culture and Sport Publishing Award was presented to the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery for Hansen-Ross Pottery: Pioneering Fine Craft on the Canadian Prairies by Heather Smith, Alan C. Elder, Julie Krueger, Folmer Hansen and David Ross. The publication was described by one juror as "A stunning book, with excellent design, photography and writing, showing not only amazing pottery but also tracing the history of arts and arts education in Saskatchewan."

For more information please read the following release: MJAG

Congratulations to Frances Westlund

Congratulations to Frances Westlund (former MAS Pres & honorary Lifetime Achievement award recipient) retiring from the City of Saskatoon as Arts and Grants Consultant since 2005. Frances oversaw the administration of the City’s sports, recreation and culture grants – that over 7 years added up to about $4.5 million. In addition, Frances represented the City provincially and nationally and was on the Board of Directors of the Creative Cities Network of Canada. Frances was also one of the key players in the development of Saskatoon’s first ever culture plan, and was the City’s lead for Saskatoon’s 2006 Cultural Capitals of Canada designation, an initiative that changed the face of arts and culture in our city.

Happy Museum Project Report

A recent report by the "Happiness Economist," Daniel Fujiwara, of the London School of Economics, measures and values people's happiness as a result of visiting or participating in museum activities. The analysis concludes, among other things, that museums improve people's happiness and perception of good health. Also, people who don't visit museums as adults say it's due to the fact that they were not introduced to museums during their childhood.

To access the full report, visit the Happy Museum Project website.

Charities and Giving - Canada Revenue Agency News

Budget 2013 proposes a new temporary First-Time Donor’s Super Credit

For first-time donors, the budget proposes to introduce a temporary supplement to the existing non-refundable tax credit for charitable donations by individuals. The new credit can be claimed once from the 2013 to 2017 taxation years.

For more information please visit the CRA website.

Resources for charities about political activities

The Canada Revenue Agency has developed a series of Web pages to help charities understand and comply with the requirements regarding political activities.

For more information please visit the CRA website.

Travelling dinosaur exhibitions on the move in Saskatchewan

Dinosaurs are on the move yet again in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan museums are shaking up the locations of the travelling skeleton exhibitions so people can view them outside of the big cities.

“These exhibits travel to facilities every few months enhancing the quality of life for people outside our major centres,” parks, culture and sport minister Kevin Doherty said in a release on Friday.

The three big dinosaur attractions — Scotty’s skull, marine reptile Omaciw and Big Bert — will all be moving locations around Saskatchewan.

Where will they be roaming?

Scotty’s skull, the 65-million-year-old T-rex

One of the most complete skull skeletons in the world, Scotty was discovered in Eastend in 1991.

Scotty travelled from the Rusty Relic Museum in Carlyle to the Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw and will be on display until October.

Omaciw, the 72-million-year-old Tylosaur, a kind of marine reptile

Omaciw was discovered on the south shore of Lake Diefenbaker in 1994.

Omaciw has been on display at the the Alfred Jenkins Field House in Prince Albert and will be travelling to the Humboldt and District Museum and Gallery in the next month. It will be on display from May to August.

Big Bert, the 92-million-year-old Terminonaris, a crocodile-like creature 

One of the most complete crocodile skeletons in the world, Big Bert was found on the Carrot River in 1991.

The six metre long skeleton has been in the Royal Saskatchewan Museum until February and is still looking for a home. It is not currently being displayed.

Call for Papers: Taking it to the Streets, international symposium, Glasgow May 2014, Commonwealth Association of Museums

CALL FOR PAPERS
Taking it to the Streets
Commonwealth Association of Museums (CAM) and Glasgow Museums
Scotland Street School Museum, Glasgow
May 14-17, 2014

Museums are increasingly engaged in civic debate and developing exhibitions
and programs to extend the reach of the museum beyond four walls throughout
the community and, by extension, increasing their benefit to the society.
Some museums are encouraging deeper community engagement - participatory
governance - in which citizens are involved in all aspects of
decision-making. There is a commitment to enabling individuals and groups to
engage more fully in political issues, in public policy and in the
governance of the museum at all levels. These relationships pose challenges
for museums committed to sharing authority whether on a project basis or
considering sustained changes. Join us for an international symposium, the
opportunity to visit community outreach programs and tour Glasgow Museums,
and an invitational workshop on Museums and Participatory Governance.

CAM and Glasgow Museums invite proposals for papers, panels, roundtables,
Ignite! sessions, workshops, posters, and presentation forms such as
performance art, that deal with community engagement and outreach.
Interested participants, whether panel chairs or individual presenters,
should send a proposal of 300-500 words and a 200-word biography by
September 15, 2013.

There will be an application and selection process for all delegates to
ensure solid participation from Commonwealth nations outside of the United
Kingdom. Funding assistance may be available for participants from
Commonwealth developing countries. Please advise whether funding is
required.

For further information or to submit a proposal, contact: Catherine C. Cole,
Secretary-General, Commonwealth Association of Museums, 10023 93 Street,
Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA, T5H 1W6; 1-780-424-2229;
CatherineC.Cole@telus.net;
http://www.maltwood.uvic.ca/cam/activities/upcoming_conferences/index.html

To join CAM go to:
http://www.maltwood.uvic.ca/cam/about/membership_info.html

Love Birds sculpture settles in at Western Development Museum

Love Birds will roost at the Western Development Museum until Sept. 2.

The contemporary Canadian sculpture by Kim Adams is a BMO Financial Group gift to the Mendel Art Gallery.

The two-part sculpture, valued at $175,000, increases the value of the Mendel’s permanent collection to $35.7 million.

The sculpture fits well at the WDM, said Lisa Baldissera, chief curator of the Mendel. “This is an opportunity to feature the work of an artist who considers later 19th and early 20th century technologies in his work. The context of the WDM’s dioramic displays speaks to the social conditions of objects, and Adams’ work continues the conversation through a surprising reconfiguring of materials.”

Love Birds playfully re-imagines everyday materials, the Mendel says in a release, like many of the items that can be found in the collection of the Western Development Museum. Adams uses farm machinery, grain silos, automobile parts, toys and model train parts to create fictional worlds and imaginary landscapes.

Read the full article on the Star Phoenix website.

Windscape Kite Festival needs your art for exhibit!

We know you visit Windscape Kite Festival to be part of something special.  And there is nothing more special than you, inspired by the potential energy of our abundant prairie breezes, adding a little piece of yourself to the collection of activities that get more than 10,000 visitors thinking about wind in terms of both art and sport.  
 
We need your contributions!  Some of our most popular exhibits in the past have been created using found objects and things from around the home and yard.  The sky is the limit!
 
Do you need ideas for your project? It's all around you.  Hear how the wind moves across objects and spaces.  See how everyday things react to it.  What do you have to catch the energy?  How do you want to interact with the wind?
 
For more information about the Kinetic Wind Sculpture Garden, go to the website.
 
Make it a family project or your own creation, and have fun with it!  If you would like to participate, contact Shann at 306-778-2686 or email

Parks Canada heritage buildings in poor shape

Parks Canada is warning that deteriorating heritage buildings, visitor centres and other assets in Canada's national parks and historic sites are at "significant risk" and in desperate need of repair.

The federal government is boosting some user fees in 2013 to cover increasing operating costs and to help address the infrastructure backlog, at the same time it cuts millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs from the agency.

The eroding infrastructure also means Canadians can expect temporary closures of facilities and highways, and reduced levels of service in national parks across the country, according to a new Parks Canada report.

Parks Canada - which administers 44 national parks, 167 historic sites and four national marine conservation areas - will also establish two new national parks by 2015 (in Nunavut and Labrador).

But it must do so with significantly fewer resources. The 2012 federal budget cut Parks Canada's funding by $29.2 million over three years, resulting in potentially 600 job losses across the parks system.

This article is from The Province.

Regina Plains Museum is Now the Civic Museum of Regina

After half a century of being known as the Regina Plains Museum it has officially changed its name to the Civic Museum of Regina and has moved into the warehouse district.

The museum has moved from its Scarth Street location to its new location for a couple reasons. One was to find a permanent location that was big enough to showcase all of its displays and that was easily accessible. In its Scarth Street location, the items that were not displayed were held in a storage facility on Winnipeg Street.

The new 5,000-square-foot location will be home to three permanent exhibits such as the Jackie Berting glass wheat field. The 2nd permanent space being installed is the Capitol Theatre space to show film initiatives. The third will be dedicated for temporary exhibit space for local artists, travelling exhibits or seasonal exhibits. The museum will house a resource centre, library and reflection area.

The new museum is undergoing construction and is set to open in August.

Industrial Heritage course at UVIC - June 17-22, 2013

The Cultural Resource Management Program at the University of Victoria, British Columbia is pleased to offer the following learning opportunity for professionals and volunteers working in the heritage sector.
 
Please join us on-campus in June for:
 
Industrial Heritage (HA 489A)
 
June 17-22, 2013; on-campus offering

Industrial plants can bring with them a series of challenges both from a technical and philosophical perspective. This course will examine the nature of industrial sites and review the various approaches to their conservation.  It develops a technique for analyzing and understanding the processes and products of an industrial plant to allow the establishment of their appropriate values and significance - the underpinning of preparing a conservation program.  The course will examine the issues surrounding industrial sites through the use of case studies and a field trip to provide firsthand experience.

Registration deadline: May 20, 2013; late registrations accepted if space permits.
 
For more information, including registration information, please visit:
 
http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/Course/Industrial-Heritage/HA489A001/

MAG - Artist Resource Listing

The Mann Art Gallery is creating an Artist Resource Person Listing!

If you are a VISUAL ARTIST and are interested in teaching workshops and being involved in arts activities
and celebrations, please submit your information to our Resource Person Listing.
 
The MAG receives a number of requests from schools, community groups, parks and individuals looking for artists to lead workshops, ArtSmarts programs, special initiatives and events. Once you are added to the Resource Person Listing, your information will be shared with these groups and you may be contacted by them directly.
 
If you are interested in joining the list please fill out the MAG Resource List Form and forward to:
Email: educator@mannartgallery.ca
Mailing Address:  142 – 12th Street West | Prince Albert, SK | S6V 3B5
 
Questions?  Contact Twyla at 763-7080 or educator@mannartgallery.ca

Call for Submissions - Mann Art Gallery

The Mann Art Gallery welcomes proposals from artists and curators in all media for exhibitions or special projects for the years 2015-2016.  The gallery presents a diverse program of exhibitions, lectures and meetings with artists, and is involved in the production of curated exhibitions connected to themes developed by the Centre.  Together, the programmes propose a critical reflection on today's art and culture.

The gallery has two exhibition spaces and provides professional technical services for the selected projects. The MAG pays fees to artists and curators in accord with CARFAC/CARCC standards. Submitted projects are assessed and recommended for program inclusion by the curator.

Deadline for Submissions: October 15th and April 15th
Applications must be postmarked by these dates to be considered for the 2015 -2016 programming year.

Applications to the April 15th, 2013 deadline will be assessed during the summer months.  Correspondence will be issued to all artists who have applied to exhibit at the Mann Art gallery.

Submission Requirements

Updated Curriculum Vitae (Resume)
Statement of Intent or A Specific Project Description
Artist Statement
10 - 20 Digital Images* (cd-rom or USB Drive) or Photographs or 35mm slides of relevant works
(Video Tapes or DVD's - if applicable)
Image Identification Page (Title, Medium, Size, Year | optional - paragraph describing image)
Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (if necessary)
*For digital images submit only .jpg files in RGB format at a resolution of 72 dpi, with a maximum size of 1.5 MB and a maximum of 1024 x 768 pixels.

• Email Submissions will not be accepted.
• CV, Statement, Project Description and Image Identification Page must be sent as a hard copy.
• Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.
• If you do not include a S.A.S.E. we will assume that you do not want your materials back and they will be kept on file for one year at which point they will be destroyed.
  

WDM to Reopen on Mondays

Effective April 1, 2013, the Western Development Museum's (WDM) four exhibit locations in Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Saskatoon, and Yorkton will reopen on Mondays throughout the year, with the exception of January, February and March.

Last spring, the WDM announced that it would close Mondays in an effort to maintain a balanced budget. This cost-savings measure, along with several other initiatives, succeeded in addressing the Museum's budget shortfall. As of the end of this fiscal year (March 31st), the WDM will have managed to absorb costs associated with inflation and eliminate its deficit.

Call for Nominations - HCF's Top Ten Endangered Places List

Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) is seeking nominations for their annual Top Ten Endangered Places List. The list is released annually to bring national attention to sites at risk due to neglect, lack of funding, inappropriate development and weak legislation. Nomination deadline is May 24, 2013.

Please visit HCF website for more information.

Reading Artifacts Summer Institute 2013

This week long intensive session held at the Canada Science and Technology Museum introduces participants to the use of artifacts as a documentary source for their museum work. Learn how to look at the three dimensional objects that provided the underpinnings for much of our history and in particular our technological development so you can better use of them as research resources and make use of them in exhibits and programming. Learn to dissect an artifact so it can tell you the sometimes hidden story of its use.

Registration is limited.

For details, please see the following links:

http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/whatson/2013-reading-artifacts-summer-institute.cfm

http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/francais/whatson/2013-l-histoire-racontee-par-les-artefacts.cfm