Awards and Recognition
We love celebrating our amazing colleagues and museum supporters.
Every year, at our Annual Meeting, we announce awardees in our field — all of whom have been nominated by colleagues and museum staff.
Nominations open every August before our Annual Meeting. Save the date and remember to recognize the colleagues, museums, volunteers, and donors that go above and beyond for your museum and our field.
Excellence in the Field
Organizations or Individuals
Nominations may be made for exceptional exhibits, collections care, planning, marketing, publications, significant improvements to physical plant, conservation, etc.
Award: Museums receive a plaque. Individuals receive an award created by an Alaskan artist.
Outstanding Volunteer Award
Individuals
Nominations acknowledge the crucial roles volunteers perform in our museum and cultural center communities. Help us celebrate their importance to our success by nominating any volunteer, whether docent, a community supporter, or a member of your Board of Directors.
Award: An award created by an Alaskan artist.
Museum Champion
Organizations or Individuals
Nominations recognize any donor, advocator, or contributor for outstanding support of museums and cultural centers in Alaska, in funding, advocacy, or other “above and beyond” support for a museum, cultural center, or the field. Nominations may be for individuals, foundations, corporations, cities, or other supporting entities.
Award: An award created by an Alaskan artist.
Award in Honor of Lifetime Achievement
Individuals
Nominations recognize the contributions of an individual over a career. Help us celebrate their contributions by nominating an individual who is departing the field, from all sectors of the field.
Award: Varies.
Midnight Sun Award
Organizations or Individuals
The Midnight Sun Award is an optional award that may be awarded for extraordinary achievements. It will be awarded the discretion of the awards committee based on the nominations of the above awards. If the committee feels that multiple nominees are deserving of one of the above awards, they may choose to award a Midnight Sun award to one of the year’s nominees.
Award: An award created by an Alaskan artist.
2024 – “Mana: The History We Inherit” Exhibition Team – Excellence in the Field
Mana: The History We Inherit is a groundbreaking exhibit enriching our knowledge of Alaska’s heritage and history. The exhibit has a profound effect on Alaska’s cultural landscape, particularly how it reshapes the narrative around Filipino American history in the state. By illuminating stories seldom shared or forgotten, the exhibit fills a significant gap in historical […]
2024 – Ron Inouye – Museum Champion
This year’s Museum Champion award went to Ron Inouye of Fairbanks, Alaska. Ron has volunteered on the board of the Friends of the University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAMN) every year since 1991, serving as the Friends of UAMN president since 2012. Ron’s genuine devotion, endless enthusiasm, unwavering reliability, and passion for knowledge […]
2024 – Diana Wasson – Outstanding Volunteer
This year, the Outstanding Volunteer award went to Diana Wasson, a board member and volunteer of the Eagle Historical Society and Museum (EHS&M). Diana has been assisting EHS&M on a multi-year project to preserve and restore the St. Paul’s Mission church in Eagle. As part of this bigger project, in 2023 she applied for a […]
2023 – Sue Deyoe – Award for Lifetime Achievement
Our Lifetime Achievement awardee is Sue Deyoe, former executive director of Talkeetna Historical Society! Christine Carpenter presented the award: “When Sue was hired by the Talkeetna Historical Society, the museum was on the verge of folding. With Sue’s guidance and vision, not to mention tenacity and passion, she has brought the museum to be a much loved part of the community. […]
2023 – CJ Jones – Midnight Sun Award
We have a new award this year. We received several nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award and both were extremely worthy. Our next awardee is still very active in the field, so we have decided to award her our Midnight Sun Award! The Midnight Sun Award is an award that may be awarded for extraordinary achievements. Our very first Midnight Sun Awardee is […]
2023 – Faith Revell – Award for Excellence in the Field
This year’s awardee is Faith Revell, Curator of Education and Public Programs, Valdez Museum and Historical Archive! Patty Relay presented the award: “In 2011, I hired Faith Revell as the Valdez Museum & Historical Archives first Curator of Education & Public Programs. Since that time, Faith has embraced the role of Community Connector. In addition to working with the schools […]
2022 – June Simeonoff Pardue – President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement
The President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement, went to June Simeonoff Pardue, an Alutiiq and Inupiaq Master artist born in Old Harbor. She has worked with museums across the state and country, and her Alutiiq basketry, grass woven socks and beadwork can be viewed at the Alutiiq Museum, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, the Palmer Museum […]
2022 – Randall Lamb and Carvel Glenn – Museum Champion
This year’s Museum Champion award went to Randall Lamb and Carvel Glenn—two amazing supporters from Texas who visited Alaska on a cruise. When they stopped in Sitka, they were so inspired by their visit to the Sheldon Jackson Museum that they not only gave several generous gifts over the years, but in 2021, they also […]
