INITIATIVES

Over the years, the Board of Montreal Museum Directors (BMMD) has undertaken and actively promoted a number of initiatives.

SERVING CITIZENS

MONTREAL MUSEUMS DAY

Every year since 1986, MONTREAL MUSEUMS DAY (MMD) has been held on the last Sunday in May. It is a BMMD initiative, held to mark International Museums Day decreed by UNESCO. On this special day, museums throw their doors open wide so Montrealers and others can explore all their diversity and wealth and will be encouraged to come back to visit them again throughout the year. For museum professionals, it is a way to reach out to the public and make them aware of some of the challenges museums face.

Free bus transportation and free admission have made MMD a real celebration, and one of the city’s most popular cultural events. Thousands of Montrealers respond to the invitation from the approximately thirty participating museums.

The BMMD invites you to celebrate MONTREAL MUSEUMS DAY on the last weekend in May!

SERVING TOURISTS

MONTREAL MUSEUMS PASS

The MONTREAL MUSEUMS PASS was created in 1994, with the goal of offering more cultural attractions for tourists and serving Montreal museums by making their treasures accessible to as many people as possible. It is an inexpensive “discovery card,” easy to obtain and use. The option of paying one fee to visit several museums of their choice is an attractive idea for tourists.

The pass also includes public transit, thanks to a partnership with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM). The initiative called for collaboration by some sixty partners, co-ordinated by the BMMD.

The MONTREAL MUSEUMS PASS can be obtained from participating museums, tourist information centres, some Montreal hotels and other tourist service outlets. Montreal is one of the few cities in North America that offers anything like it, but we’re sure the idea will catch on!

SERVING MUSEUMS

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS CENTRE

The MUSEUM COLLECTIONS CENTRE is a BMMD initiative intended to solve problems faced by Montreal museums with inadequate conservation and storage space for their collections. The centre, designed by architects Provencher Roy and associates, is housed in a four-storey building and measures 13,000 square metres (140,500 square feet), including over 10,000 square metres (100,000 square feet) devoted to storage. It is equipped with a dynamic wall and electromechanical systems offering optimal conservation conditions in keeping with international museological standards. The steel structure is covered with concrete cladding, and features have been added to ensure proper seismic protection.

The MUSEUM COLLECTIONS CENTRE (French) rents storage space to museums, companies, public and private organizations and collectors wishing to protect their art, anthropology, ethnology, archaeology and scientific collections and archives. Tenants have a whole range of specialized and highly secure facilities for handling their collections.

The original building dates from 1929, and is in fact one of the leading elements in the renewal of southwest Montreal, and a prime example of how an industrial building can be converted for other uses. It boasts a monumental piece by stained-glass artist Pierre E. Leclerc, entitled Les déclins de verre, and is showcased with special nighttime lighting.

The creation of the MUSEUM COLLECTIONS CENTRE and the quality of the services it offers clearly illustrate the original forms that inter-museum co-operation can take.

RECOGNIZING ACHIEVEMENTS

BMMD AWARDS

Each year, the BMMD pays tribute to individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions, their commitment to different museological sectors, the importance and impact of their actions, and their innovation. Since different people support Montreal’s museums in different ways, the Board presents awards in four categories: the Montreal Museums Distinguished Friend, Distinguished Partner, Distinguished Sponsor and Distinguished Volunteer awards.

The Montreal Museums Distinguished Friend award celebrates an individual’s philanthropic contribution to one or all of Montreal’s museums. The Distinguished Partner award acknowledges the valuable relationship between an association and one or all of Montreal’s museums. The Distinguished Sponsor award recognizes outstanding commitment by a private company in supporting the operations of one or all of Montreal’s museums, while the Distinguished Volunteer award spotlights the remarkable personal contribution and commitment of a volunteer to one or all of Montreal’s museums.

ENSURING VISIBILITY

THE ESTATES GENERAL ON MONTREAL MUSEUMS

The ESTATES GENERAL ON MONTREAL MUSEUMS, organized by the BMMD and held from March 5 to 7, 2003, was devoted to examining the part museums play in the city. Professionals from museums and their partners drew on local and international experiences to identify current and future issues for Montreal museums.

The summary proceedings of the event, entitled MONTREAL, A CITY, ITS MUSEUMS, and the APPENDIX are now available. The event was a tribute to the vibrant nature of all Montreal museums and their essential contribution to the city’s cultural life.

WORKING FOR SOLIDARITY

A FORUM FOR DISCUSSION, ACTION AND CO-ORDINATION

The BMMD also provides an opportunity for the heads of Montreal museums to meet, discuss and make decisions. It is a round table where they can decide on common initiatives that benefit everyone, from the preparation of briefs as part of consultations on matters of general interest to more specific interventions regarding programs or policies affecting museums, studies that will be of use to all members, joint promotional activities or developing new projects.