Arthur H Wolf Impact Award

The Arthur H Wolf Impact Award recognizes an individual or group whose work on a specific project or program brought about organizational change; supported diversity, social justice, and/or leadership; or had a significant, positive effect on their museum, their surrounding communities, and/or the museum field. 

(On February 14, 2021, Art Wolf walked on ahead of us. Read WMA’s Executive Director’s remembrance.)

WMA 2025 Impact Award Applications open MAY 19th.

Application Deadline is Friday, July 18th

Eligibility Requirements

Any museum professional or group of individuals affiliated with a museum, library, historical society, or other cultural organization is eligible to apply. Nominations may be submitted by any museum professional, museum peer, or community member, or may be self-nominated. Applicants do not need to be a current WMA member. Past Impact Award nominees are welcome to apply, however, previous awardees are not eligible.

All nominees must meet the following criteria.

1. Working in any museum discipline: administration, collections management, community engagement, curatorial, development, editorial, education, exhibitions, human resources, marketing/public relations, museum studies, etc.
2. Developed or implemented an innovative project, program, or exhibition that creatively addressed an issue or subject matter and has had a positive impact on members of a community and/or the public at large
3. Demonstrates the impact of their specific project or program and how it brought about organizational change, supported diversity, social justice, and/or leadership
4. Shows a commitment to fostering open and respectful discussion among colleagues and members of a community and/or the public to help create a more inclusive and just society
5. The individual nominee, or if a group, at least one member, must be available to attend the Annual Meeting in Pasadena, California on October 5-8 to receive the award and present on the project during a session

** Nominations can be submitted by a museum professional at any level.

** Individuals can self-nominate.

** Current board members of the Western Museums Association may only be eligible if they are nominated as a member of a group and not as an individual. If nominated as part of a group, they must recuse themselves from the decision-making process.

How to Apply

1. Review the eligibility requirements (see above)
2. Download and fill out the application form (coming soon!)
3. Submit the application to proposals@westmuse.org

Applicants will receive a confirmation upon receipt of the application, and will be notified of the final award results.

Applications are now closed.

Previous Impact Award Recipients

Funding for the IMPACT AWARD is provided through the Arthur H. Wolf and Holly M Chaffee Volver Trust.

If you have questions, please email wma@westmuse.org

or call WMA at (707) 433-4701