Nominate an Artifact

PROGRAM GUIDELINES 2020
Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts: Collecting Diversity

Instructions

  • Nominations open November 9 - December 17, 2020.
  • Nominations will be submitted through an online form or PDF application. 
  • Applications, photographs, support materials, and other media will be used for administration, review, press and promotional purposes, and will be afterward archived at the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM).
  • Selected Honorees will be required to complete an Awards Agreement and Progress Report.
  • Failure to follow these guidelines will result in disqualification from future program participation.
  • Questions: Contact Christina Newton, assistant director at cnewton@vamuseums.org

Review & Award Process

  • Nomination forms will be reviewed by a volunteer independent Selection Committee comprised of representatives from partner organizations, including: Library of Virginia, Preservation Virginia, Virginia Conservation Association, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and private conservator.
  • Through a thorough review process by the independent Selection Committee, ten (10) organizations and their artifacts will be chosen for inclusion in the “Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts” program. 
  • The selected ten artifacts, and their nominating organizations, will be featured in an online public voting competition to take place January 11-20, 2021. The artifact that receives the most votes in the online voting competition will receive the People’s Choice Award of $1,000 for conservation and/or preservation of the item.
  • Following the public voting competition, the Selection Committee will bestow one conservation/preservation award in the amount of $1,000 to the item deemed most deserving. The remaining eight organizations will receive awards in the amount of $250 for conservation and/or for use of professional development training.
  • All Top 10 Honorees will be recognized in a virtual event in February. 

Eligibility

  • Nominating organization must be located in the Commonwealth of Virginia or District of Columbia.
  • Nominating organization must be an institutional member in good standing of the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM). *Participation is a member benefit. 
  • Nominated artifacts must be of historic or cultural significance to the nominating organization, and for the 2020 competition, relate to underrepresented communities to demonstrate the broad diversity of the collections found in Virginia’s museums and to share and celebrate these lesser known stories.
  • Objects on loan are not eligible.
  • Structures and land are not eligible. (Learn more about Preservation Virginia's Most Endangered Historic Sites.)
  • Nominees receiving any award must have artifact assessed (if not done so previously) and provide a progress report of the conservation/preservation project to VAM by December 31, 2021.
  • Artifacts selected as a Top 10 Endangered Artifact Honoree cannot be nominated again.
  • Institutions represented on the Selection Committee are not eligible to apply.

Apply Now!