OMA Award Spotlight - Massillon Museum
Recognizing excellence in Ohio museums during Arts and Humanities Month
To help celebrate October as Arts and Humanities Month, and to kick-off the call for nominations for this year's OMA awards, we'll be highlighting our 2018 OMA Award of Achievement winners throughout the month with our OMA Award Spotlight. Originally published in May, we are featuring these Award Winner Spotlights again during Arts and Humanities Month to help champion the amazing projects, programs and professionals that make Ohio's museum community strong.
The Awards of Achievement are presented to reflect the outstanding quality and caliber of work by Ohio museums and their professionals in two categories: Institutional Achievement Awards and Individual Achievement Awards.
Nominations for these awards are incredibly detailed. This in-depth process helps to illustrate how these institutions and individuals have gone “above and beyond” the normal call of duty to support their institution, serve their public and advance the cause of the museum community.
Each year, the review panel is overwhelmed by the outstanding projects, innovative programming and dedication to our field as exhibited in each of the institutional and individual nominations. Congratulations again to each of our 2018 award winners!
Today, we'll be featuring our winner for the 2018 award for Best Exhibition Catalog over $500,000.
Massillon Museum - Moniker: Identity Lost and Found
Moniker: Identity Lost and Found was an unprecedented documentation and exploration of mark-making and monikers – grassroots movements which began in train yards in the mid-19th century and continue today.
Through this exhibition and catalog, the Massillon Museum investigated the deeper meaning of these unique symbols and words on the side of rail cars.
More than just a companion to the exhibition, the catalog works as a standalone piece with value for anyone interested in railroads, history, or ephemeral artworks.
Combining more than just essays and art, accessibility initiatives allowed audiences of all abilities to join the conversation, engaging with the content through smell, touch, and auditory elements.
The catalog clearly illustrates the value and importance of the easily overlooked moniker art form and captured the underlying ethos of the exhibition by blending academic underpinnings with relevant artistic details.
As one reviewer noted, “the exhibition and catalog brought the regularity of trains into the wondrous.” The public seemed to agree – within five days of being available to purchase, the catalog sold out.
Did your museum have a spectacular exhibit catalog during the 2019 season? Be sure to nominate it for the 2019 award for Best Exhibition Catalog! Learn more here.