Museum Association
of Arizona

2016 Professional Recognition Awards

Institutional Award of Excellence University of Arizona Museum of Art

The 2016 Award is given to the University of Arizona Museum of Art for the significant transformation it has recently undergone.    With a new director, mission and vision statements, as well as its first strategic plan in over 10 years, the University of Arizona Museum of Art is fostering new relationships and strengthen existing ones, preparing itself to meet the needs of 21^st century audiences.  

The Museum uses its world-class Western Art collection in concert with the varied departments and programs of the wider University and its community, creating, in the words of one of its supporters, multiple innovative “inter, trans and multi-disciplinary projects”.

Here are just a few examples:

Fires of Changes focuses on the effects of climate change on Southwestern forests.  By adding interpretative material and programming from scientists across the campus to an existing exhibit organized by the Coconino Center for the Arts in Flagstaff, the museum has  provided a forum for the intersection of University’s arts and environmental networks.

The Mapping Q program is an innovative community arts education program for which Curator Chelsea Farrar won the MAA 2015 Individual Award of Excellence.   The project invites LGTBQ youth to explore representations of self within art, museums and the wider community.   A collaboration with the Tucson Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation and the Univeristy of Arizona School of Art, Mapping Q creates a community-wide dialogue among organizations working with LGBTQ youth.

Finally, in a new and innovative partnership with University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix the Museum is working with the Art in Medicine Program to help medical students sharpen their skills in observation and description, foster critical think and improve communication skills to ultimately enhance patient care.

Roger Lidman Distinguished Service Award  Holly Young    

The 2016 Award is made to Holly Young, recently retired as the Curator of Collections at Pueblo Grande Museum.

Holly’s professional summary on her LinkedIn page only tells part of the story:

Over 30 years of experience working with museum collections. Currently responsible for the preservation, curation and management of museum artifact and documentary collections. Primary duties include improving storage conditions and documentation for collections; exhibit development and installation; refinement and implementation of museum policies and procedures on collections issues and related topics, including ethics, access, wise use, security, disaster preparedness, and records management. Responsible for the professional development and supervision of Collections staff and volunteers.

Holly has involved with MAA since 2005, serving as Treasurer and Annual Conference Chair, in addition to setting up the Association’s first website and overseeing the Ken Evans Memorial Scholarship Fund.  Holly has also been our regular host at countless committee meetings at Pueblo Grande.   On the national level, she has been involved with the American Association of Museums as a Museum Assessment Program Surveyor, and served on the Registrars Committee as Vice Chair, on their Awards Task Force, and as part of the Mentoring Program.   She has also served as an informal mentor to dozens of current Museum professionals.

Holly has a heart for animals and has been involved in multiple animal welfare volunteer efforts including the Arizona Golden Rescue and the Arizona Maine Coon Cat Rescue. She is also known as a fabulous baker.

In the words of one of her friends and colleagues, “Holly is a treasure…a gifted, knowledgeable and dedicated museum professional; and a compassionate, caring and inspirational person.”