TOLEDO, OHIO.- The Ohio Museums Association (OMA) recently announced that the Toledo Museum of Art’s 2004 exhibition, The Unseen Art of TMA: What’s in the Vaults and Why?, will receive one of only two Institutional Excellence Awards given this year at the OMA Outstanding Achievement Awards.

A panel of six museum professionals judged this year’s entries based on the nominated projects’ descriptions, goals, unique aspects, and outcomes. The judges then evaluated how well each project helped accomplish the museum’s mission, utilized the museum’s collection, and went above and beyond the museum’s everyday operations.

According to OMA Executive Director Terri Potenzini, the Institutional Excellence Award is most noteworthy because it is awarded by a panel of industry peers, including museum directors, marketing and public relations professionals, and educators. “I always feel it’s an accomplishment for any institution, because our judges don’t give these awards easily. They know what it takes to put an exhibition together, so they can really appreciate when a museum’s efforts go above and beyond,” she said. Ms. Potenzini added that The Unseen Art of TMA: What’s in the Vaults and Why? was “an innovative way to display and make use of the type of objects that most museums keep in storage.”

TMA Director Don Bacigalupi credits the collaboration of the Museum staff and the enthusiasm of Museum visitors for the exhibition’s success and recognition. “We wanted to engage people with the aspects of collecting that aren’t normally discussed: conservation, changing tastes, and even questionable attributions. By showing our patrons a behind-the-scenes look at their Museum, we succeeded in strengthening our connection with the community through our collection.” Dr. Bacigalupi will accept the Museum’s award at the OMA’s awards ceremony in Columbus on Monday, April 18, 2005.

The OMA is a nonprofit organization that serves the museums of Ohio, including art museums, aquariums, zoos, botanical gardens, science and technology centers, and historic parks and sites.