Our museum services' mission is to advance the value of museums within Utah and to enable the broadest physical, intellectual and emotional access to collections and programs. We assist Utah museums in improving their ability to:
You can search for museums on the Utah Museums Association website, a directory fueled by data from Utah Arts & Museums. Whether you are planning a day trip to a museum or a longer road trip, this is the source of information about the museums that you want to visit. Always confirm with the museum before traveling and please inform us of any corrections or additions.
Museum Day at the Legislature
The Utah Museums Association and the Advisory Board of the Office of Museum Services host Museum Day at the Legislature in the Capitol Rotunda. Click HERE for more information or to see the 2012 slideshow and video. Mark your calendars for next year's Museum Day which will be held February 12, 2013.
Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums offer free admission to active-duty miliatry personnel and their families from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Click HERE for more information.
Celebrate Your Museum Day
Communities across the United States will celebrate their museums September 29, 2012. Participating museums provide free or reduced admission and other special activities during this event which is organized by the Smithsonian Magazine. Many of Utah's museums are free every day.
CLICK HERE for more information on Utah's Celebrate Your Museum Day.
Museum Certification
The 2008 State Legislature enacted a bill that requires the Utah Office of Museums Services to establish a program creating a Certified Utah Museum designation. Museums must be certified to be eligible for Arts & Museum grants. For those museums that register with the Commerce Department to solicit funds (charitable solicitations permit), the Certified Utah Museum designation reduces the annual registration fee from $100 to $65.
Performance Goals
The museum performance goals program encourages museums to become more professional through a self study that covers eight vital museum programs: purpose and stucture, staff, finance, facilities, collections and conservation, exhibitions, education and public relations.
Museum Grants
Grants are awarded to nonprofit Utah museums for collections care, exhibition, marketing, and education projects. Scholarships to attend the Utah Museums Association Conference are awarded to small museums for staff and volunteers.
For information on Utah Arts & Museums grants programs, please click HERE.
Museum Training Scholarships
Scholarships are available for distance education museum studies classes.
Museum professionals, volunteers and board members can apply for tuition scholarships towards Certificate of Museum Practice courses. Fall 2012 courses are Governance & Leadership and Collections Care . The process is simple, a resume and letter of support from a museum, and applications are due July 20, 2012. Classes begin August 27, 2012. Contact Wendi Hassan for more information.
The Certificate of Museum Practice courses are being made available through a partnership between Utah State University Regional Campus and Distance Education and Utah Arts & Museums Office of Museum Services. Participants chose four of eight university level courses to earn this stand alone museum studies certificate recognized by Utah Arts & Museums and the Utah Museums Association.
Museum Interpretation Initiative
This grant and educational program aids Utah's museums in telling their story and strengthening their interpretive programs. In the context of museum work, to interpret an artifact means to tell a story through labels, brochures, docent tours, public programming, and other means. Interpretation workshops that cover methods of gathering information about museum objects, interpretive exhibits, and interpretive tours by docents and volunteers are being offered throughout the state. This is a partnership of Utah Arts & Museums Office of Museum Services, the Utah Humanities Council and the Utah Museums Association.
Utah Museum Services Survey
Utah Arts & Museums Office of Museum Services conducts surveys to gain information on museums' growth, development and value in the State of Utah. The surveys are directed toward attendance, budgets, professional development, collection/records, information technology and museum priorities.
The results will help Museum Services better represent museums’ needs and concerns to Utah Legislators. It is also intended to help Arts & Museums best serve Utah museums with technical assistance and future development.Survey Results
Museum Guide
This guide is designed to address the needs of two audiences: those who are interested in starting a new museum but who are not museum professionals; and those who have been involved in the museum profession but have questions regarding specific museum issues. Therefore, some may choose to read each chapter in the guide to get an overview of all aspects of museum operation; while others will find that a specific chapter will address their concern.
Toolkits
Visit our museum resources for a list of museum education opportunities and on line resources that can help museums learn about professional standards and collections management.