About the OMA

Established in 1972, the Ontario Museum Association serves the province’s museum sector at both the institutional and individual levels. Its role is to enhance the position of museums as significant cultural resources in the service of Ontario society and its on-going evolution.  The Mission of the OMA is to build capacity among institutions and individuals active in Ontario’s museum sector.   It does this by providing leadership in the discussion and development of strategies for the evolution of museums; serving as a central source of information that meets the needs of museums and museum workers as they face the challenges of today and the future; and advocating for museums and museum workers.

Vision: The Ontario Museum Association is the leading cultural organization ensuring a relevant and sustainable museum sector in the province for the benefit of Ontario residents and our global community.

The organization maintains two active Websites: one with resources for members and museum workers, volunteers, students and related stakeholders found at www.museumsontario.com, and this Website dedicated to the visitors of Ontario’s museums, galleries, historic sites and heritage organizations.  

The OMA’s activities include:
• workshops, symposiums and colloquia across the province for the benefit of its members and the museum community;
• technology-related training in The Learning Lab (both in-Lab and online), and onsite at museums across the province;
• annual promotional campaigns such as May is Museum Month, which coincides with International Museum Day, and Ontario Museums at Queen’s Park;
• an annual conference;
• a Professional Development program for museum workers (including the Certificate in Museum Studies) offered at a variety of locations throughout Ontario and online.
• and a variety of communications activities (two websites, a listserv, newsletters, email blasts, print publications, and social media campaigns).

The OMA has a total membership of over 1000 comprising approximately 300 institutional members (which includes museums, art galleries, libraries, archives, historic sites, colleges and universities with museum-related programs, and various other heritage organizations), 700 individual members (which includes museum workers, volunteers, colleagues, supporters, stakeholders and students), and 50 commercial members who provide products and services to Ontario’s museum community.  
OMA Institutional Members comprise approximately half of the museums, heritage sites and related cultural attractions in the province and in the Discover! Ontario Museums Website.

Visit www.museumsontario.com to learn more about the OMA.

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