Charles Redd Award

 

2012 Redd Award was presented to the Utah State University Museum of Anthropology. Elizabeth Sutton, Deputy Director / Curator, accepted the Award. Picture with Mike Nelson and Redmond Barnett of the WMA Board.

 

Charles Redd Center for Western Studies Award for Exhibition Excellence

The Western Museums Association is pleased to consider applications for this annual award honoring excellence for an exhibition that furthers the study and understanding of the American West. The award is funded by the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University.

The competition recognizes outstanding achievement of a temporary exhibition (i.e. one with a specific closing date) from all types of museums as defined by the American Association of Museums (AAM), without regard to geographical location, size, budget, discipline or age. The exhibition must have as its principal subject some aspect of the American West, defined as that area west of the Rocky Mountains, including Alaska and Hawaii. General subjects include, but are not limited to: the arts and humanities, social/historical studies, ethnic/native studies, and natural/ecological studies. The exhibition must have opened to the public in the year prior to that in which the award is given. A representative designated by the honored institution will be presented with an award at the Annual Meeting.

In order to qualify for the award, nominees must meet the following criteria:

1. Eligibility is not limited by geographical location, size, budget, discipline, or age.

2. The exhibition for which the museum is nominated must be a temporary exhibition (i.e. with a defined closing date) that opened in the calendar year previous to that in which the award is given, that has as its primary display and interpretive emphasis some aspect of the American West: i.e., west of the Rocky Mountains, including Alaska and Hawaii. Subjects include, but are not limited to the arts and humanities, social/historical studies, ethnic/native studies, and natural/ecological studies.

3. Preference will be given to those exhibits that foster the American West as a legitimate study for museums and the general public, that utilize innovative exhibition and public programming possibilities, that result from creative collaboration with communities or organizations (including museums and universities) beyond the sponsoring institution, and that engage audiences in the subject of the exhibition in compelling ways.

4. The exhibition must have a physical location open to the general public. The exhibition may be supplemented by film, website, and publications, however, at this time, these alternative media do not qualify as “exhibition” on their own for the purposes of this award.

The exhibition will be judged by the Western Museums Association Awards Committee using the above criteria and utilizing the exhibition standards adopted in 1997 by the Standing Professional Committees Council of the American Association of Museums, “Standards for Museum Exhibitions and Indicators of Excellence,” written by Beverly Serrell. These standards can be download here.

TO NOMINATE:

To nominate an exhibition for the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies Award for Exhibition Excellence, please download the Charles Redd Award form and return it by July 15 (postmark date) to:

Western Museums Association
Awards Committee
PO Box 2854
Redmond, WA 98073-28542

Or email the nomination to wma@westmuse.org.

You will receive a confirmation upon receipt of your application, and you will be notified of the final award results no later than August 15.

Any questions should be directed to WMA.