Award for Distinguished Service
The Award of Distinguished Service recognizes significant contributions by individuals to the Canadian museum sector throughout the course of their careers. This year we are fortunate to honour four outstanding individuals.
John Tate, Nova Scotia Museum
John Tate is the Nova Scotia Museum’s homegrown version of TV’s famously resourceful McGuyer, and is perhaps the only person to have made both casts of mastodon molars and redesigned donation boxes for easier use. He’s so creatively resourceful that staff refer to “the wizardry of John Tate.” It’s no surprise that staff appreciate him so, says Christine Sykora, Manager, Interpretation Nova Scotia Museum with Nova Scotia’s Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. “John’s team spirit and work commitment is unflappable (and he) truly embodies excellence in museum practices.”
His innovative mounts may support a timelessly solid, 55-pound quartz, or a breathtakingly fragile and tiny Mik’maw basket made of black ash. He does repairs, reproductions and, occasionally, small miracles of economy. To turn a support post into a “tree,” John used a second-hand blender and “innovated a paper mâché process to create a bark covering that would usually cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.”
Jurors said John’s work was important and “above critique.”
“I was speechless when I got news of this presentation! An excellent pre-retirement surprise and totally unexpected.To the Association of Nova Scotia Museums, the Nova Scotia Museum, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Dartmouth Heritage Museum and anyone who had a part in this nomination, many thanks.”— John Tate
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