PROJECT GOALS AND IMPACT

The Canmore Museum Re-Imagined Strategy focused on:

Community Engagement: Foster inclusive policies and practices, ensuring all visitors and partners have equal opportunities for participation.

Cultural Preservation: Incorporate diverse voices, including Indigenous perspectives, into exhibits and programs to enrich Canmore's cultural heritage.

Innovative Visitor Experience: Create a dynamic, story-centric visitor experience that encourages visitor engagement and contribution.

Organizational Growth: Expand staff, volunteers, and financial resources to ensure long-term sustainability and growth.

Technological Integration: Enhance the visitor experience and efficiency with digital tools, app updates, and interactive exhibits.

Strategic Partnerships: Build strong partnerships with local organizations, government, and Indigenous communities to support the museum’s mission.

The Canmore Museum realized six transformative shifts as outcomes of the implementation of the Social Museum framework between 2020 and 2023.

1. The Canmore Museum has a new social contract with the community, The new social contract outlines four key engagement areas to create mutually meaningful impacts:

   • Build Community

   • Build Place

   • Build Memory

   • Build Sustainability

2. The Canmore Museum becomes a nimble and responsive organization, able to discern changing needs and and devise responsive strategies.

3. The Canmore Museum embraces technological advances as tools to deepen community engagement and create operational efficiencies.

4. The Canmore Museum embraces cultural innovation to navigate periods of society or organizational uncertainty.

5. The Canmore community has restored its trust in the organization's capacity to fulfill its mandate and create positive impacts, and has confidence in the organization's leadership.

6. The Canmore Museum shifts from transactional to relational engagement.

Documents and Frameworks:

• Strategy Documents: A 24-page designed summary, a 160-page detailed strategy with appendices, and a community engagement summary report.

• Social Museum Framework: Adapted specifically for Canmore Museum.

Governance and Operations:

• Policies and Procedures Manual: 2021 edition, work in progress.

• Annual Business Plans and Reports: For 2021, 2022, and 2023, including related budgets and annual reports to inform the community of progress.

Branding and Visitor Experience:

• Visual Branding and Messaging: New branding that communicates our visitor experience and unifies messaging across all channels.

• Visitor Experience Strategy: Realigned to share diverse lived experiences using a multi-modal approach under the tagline "One Community, Many Stories." Updated annually based on audience research and community needs.

Curatorial and Collections Management:

• Curatorial Plan: A 3-year plan for the temporary gallery and an artifact rotation plan for the core exhibit.

• Collections Reassessment: Staff and a community-led committee reassessed the collection using Re-ORG principles, reflecting the diverse experiences of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. The core collection is rehoused according to current museum practices, and the database is accurately maintained.

Retail and Digital Initiatives:

• Museum Shop and Art Consignment Program: Re-imagined and redesigned.

• Digital Storytelling Tools: Including the Canmore Museum app and the "Stories that Matter" website.

I was employed by the Board of the Centennial Museum Society of Canmore as the Executive Director and Curator of the Canmore Museum at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. I served in this role from July 6, 2020 to May 19, 2023.

Tasked with developing a strategic plan and operational frame work, I was responsible for leading the Board and small team of 3 people through the strategic planning process and for managing its implementation. This included:

• Leadership and Vision:

  • Provide strategic leadership and articulate the vision for the Re-imagined Strategy, ensuring alignment with the museum’s mission and community needs.

• Stakeholder Engagement:

  • Foster strong relationships with community members, Indigenous partners, government entities, donors, and other stakeholders to garner support and collaboration for the strategy.

• Operational Oversight:

  • Oversee the development and execution of operational plans, ensuring that all initiatives align with the strategic goals and are executed efficiently.

• Financial Management:

  • Manage budgets, secure funding, and allocate resources effectively to support the strategy’s initiatives, ensuring financial sustainability and accountability.

• Team Leadership:

  • Lead and inspire the museum staff, promoting a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, and excellence. Provide professional development opportunities to enhance their skills in alignment with the strategic goals.

• Performance Monitoring:

  • Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly monitor progress towards achieving the strategic objectives. Adjust plans as necessary based on performance data and feedback.

• Community Communication:

  • Communicate the strategy’s progress and successes to the community and stakeholders through various channels, ensuring transparency and maintaining trust and engagement.

• Innovation and Adaptation:

  • Encourage innovation and adaptability within the museum’s programs and initiatives, ensuring that the strategy remains responsive to evolving community needs and technological advancements.