About the Outstanding Museum Practice Award
About the Award
The CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award recognizes the incredible work being done in museums around the world, giving visibility to initiatives that lead to structural transformation within modern and contemporary art museums and are relevant and connected to people, communities, and their specific contexts
The OMPA is dedicated to promoting excellence in innovation, encouraging public accessibility and exchange, and sustainability within the sector.
Launched in 2021, the Award is based on nominations from the contemporary art museum sector. It aims to give greater visibility to those practices that, independent of scale and level of resources, inspire us through their influence and meaningful contribution to individuals, communities, and their unique environments. Nominating an outstanding practice is an opportunity to celebrate the possibilities of museums that are making a real difference.
Who can submit a nomination?
The CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award is open to modern and contemporary art museum professionals and individuals working in the field who wish to nominate an outstanding museum practice or program to be recognized by CIMAM.
Museum professionals may nominate their own museum practice or program or propose another particular museum practice.
CIMAM membership is not required for a museum to be nominated or to submit a nomination.
Why submit a nomination?
In submitting a nomination, you will contribute to the identification of museum practices that have the potential to inspire the transformation of museums into more empathic, accessible, and inclusive institutions. These initiatives can set examples of best practices and position museums as leading examples of a more responsible and interconnected relationship between human beings, art institutions, and the environment.
Nominations received from all parts of the world help CIMAM gain a deeper understanding of the diverse socio-political, economic, and cultural contexts in which museums operate. Your nomination helps showcase examples of outstanding practice in addressing challenges that may resonate across different regions. The OMPA nomination process fosters a spirit of shared learning, collaboration and resilience, offering valuable insights that support museums in navigating both national and international contexts.
What are the criteria for nomination?
Exemplary practices and programs for achieving the mission of the museum or collection through innovative approaches to core activities such as conservation, education, collection, exhibition programs, publications, research, public access, communication, governance, and sustainability.
Museum programs that provide relevant, sustainable, and collaborative content to create meaningful and lasting connections with people, communities, and their context, contributing to lasting structural change within museum operations.
Practices that reflect an institutional purpose rooted in ethical and sustainable values, which seek to provide significant value to people, communities and their specific contexts.
Nominations should demonstrate practices and programs committed to contributing to the arts and their communities with a medium- and long-term vision.
Institutions eligible for nomination are committed and dedicated to modern and contemporary art and comply with the Museum Definition of ICOM: “A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible, and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”
Examples of best practices include:
● Governance practices that reinforce the value of the museum’s people and culture and consistently support the museum’s mission, vision, and purpose.
● Innovative acquisition policies and ways of presenting modern and contemporary art collections and exhibitions that are relevant to the audiences they serve, their scale, and context.
● Innovation in public, educational, communication, and accessibility programs for different age groups, community diversity, and narrative approaches.
● Innovation in national and international partnership programs between museums to promote more sustainable museum practices regarding the itineracy of exhibitions and the education and outreach of audiences.
● Innovation in interpreting current standards of museum practice with a vision of a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable future.
● Innovative museum practices that address changing social and cultural realities to ensure relevance to the public for museums of the future.
Excluded from the eligibility criteria are:
● Exhibitions, awards, and one-time events.
How are nominees selected?
The winner(s) of the OMPA go through a thorough selection process involving the OMPA steering committee of the CIMAM Board. The steering committee is composed of directors and curators of contemporary art from different continents who carefully evaluate all the nominations and propose a shortlist. The shortlist is then presented to the full CIMAM Board, which includes 15 museum directors, artistic directors, and independent curators representing CIMAM's international community.
The CIMAM Board collectively decides which museum practice or practices should receive international recognition. If the CIMAM Board finds that none of the nominated museums' practices are suitable for recognition in a particular year, no candidates will be selected.
How to submit your nomination?
A nomination form will be available online for completion with the following information:
- Name of the practice, project or initiative
- Description and explanation of max. 500 words that detail the outstanding nature of the nominated practice.
- Images of the project
- Provide links to the website and other relevant supports.
- Submit your nomination here (the next nomination period will start in 2024)
What happens to selected museums?
The museum programs selected will receive public recognition from CIMAM and its members during the CIMAM General Assembly held every year during the last day of the Annual Conference. The awardees’ nominated practices are widely disseminated on social networks, the CIMAM website, and through the world press.
The awarded institutions or organizations will be offered a place at the forthcoming CIMAM Annual Conference in Torino, dates 28-30 November 2025
*Please note that this ticket only includes entrance to the conference for one person from the museum and does not cover transportation and accommodation."
In addition, throughout the year, the winning institutions are actively involved in CIMAM programs, participating in webinar sessions to promote awareness of their recognized exemplary practices.
The CIMAM website will feature information highlighting recognized outstanding museum practices, which will serve as a reference for the sector in its drive toward more responsive operating models.
Meet the members of the Outstanding Museum Practice Award Committee