CMA Outstanding Achievement

Social Impact

The CMA Outsdanding Achievement in Social Impact Award recognizes the significant contribution of a museum in advocating for the advancement of an important social cause such as reconciliation, sustainable development, climate action, better standards of living together, inclusiveness, wellness, etc.

Winnipeg Art Gallery — Qaumajuq (Inuit Art Centre)

Visible Vault, Qaumajuq, the Inuit art Centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Photo —Lindsay Reid

Following Quamajuq’s completion in 2021, the WAG is now one of Canada’s largest museums, and home of the world’s largest collection of contemporary Inuit art, housing an astonishing 14,000 pieces with a strong commitment to community access. Drawing formal inspiration from the landscape of the North and visible from the street, the Visible Vault, includes almost 5,000 pieces organized geographically, some which were only previously accessible through private appointments. This is complimented by their digital platform that allows the collection to be viewed anywhere, anytime. Quamajuq’s goal is to connect North and South, inviting people to come together and celebrate Inuit art and storytelling and advancing the vision of what more museums will become in the future

“Thank you to the Canadian Museums Association for recognizing Qaumajuq, the Inuit art centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, for Outstanding Achievement in Social Impact. With Qaumajuq, we are reaching further and deeper, to create spaces where everyone feels welcome, at home, and represented. This is the purpose of Qaumajuq: to create a platform for the voices and stories in each artwork, and to build bridges of understanding across our community. This project would not have been possible without the many artists, advisors, groups, and individuals who believed in the vision of a new art museum—a place for us to meet and share, a centre for learning and discovery, and a place to connect with each other through art.”

Photo — Galt Museum & Archives

Honourable Mention

Galt Museum & Archives — Voices of the Land

Making a notable effort to reimagine the role of museums as the keepers of knowledge, the Galt Museum’s digital content initiative, Voices of the Land, is a skillfully produced addition to the museum collection. Consisting of a number of short documentary style videos, Voices of the Land is an Indigenous led project and part of the museum’s larger effort to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The initiative strives to not only reach a primarily Blackfoot audience, but it also aims to educate a non-Indigenous audience in a way that gives agency to Blackfoot people to teach their own history.

“We are encouraged by this honourable mention as it supports our commitment to truth and reconciliation. Only through Indigenous voices, actions and ceremonies are we able to learn and comprehend their rich and vibrant culture, history and connection to this land.”

— Darrin Martens, CEO/Executive Director