The Richard Martin Exhibition Award

Purpose The Richard Martin Exhibition Award annually recognizes up to two institutions for outstanding achievement in the area of costume exhibition. Awards will be presented at the National Symposium, where a representative from each of the award winning institutions will present a slide talk on their institution's costume exhibition. Each presenter receives an honorarium to apply toward travel and symposium expenses. Description Exhibitions are the public face of museums and other select cultural institutions. It is through the effective interpretation and presentation of costume collections that the vast majority of people encounter the field of world dress. Costume exhibitions are by their nature complex, and even modest ones require the time, energy and expertise of many people. They are collaborative efforts and represent the synergy of the curator's scholarship, a conservator's skill, the designer and preparator's artistry, the development department's fund raising success, the promotional skills of marketing, educational programming, and frequently the devoted efforts of docents and other volunteers. The Richard Martin Exhibition Award is named for Richard Martin (1947-1999), curator of costumes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Fashion Institute of Technology. An elegant and gracious man, Richard Martin was an outstanding scholar, lecturer, critic and curator of many critically acclaimed costume exhibitions. A Fellow of the Costume Society of America, Richard Martin served on its board of directors for six years. He also served as editor of Dress, the society's scholarly journal, and as president of the Mid-Atlantic Region. This award annually recognizes up to two institutions for excellence in the exhibition of costume. These exhibitions exemplify the standards of excellence established by the late Richard Martin. Eligibility The Richard Martin Award annually recognizes up to two institutions for outstanding achievement in the area of costume exhibition. The recipients of this award are recognized for a costume exhibition mounted either at a museum, historical society, historic house, an academic department within an institution of higher learning, or at a site where museum standards are applied. If the exhibition combines costume with other materials, such as paintings, decorative arts, etc., at least sixty percent of the objects on display must be costume. At least one member of the exhibition team must be a member of the Costume Society of America. Institutions are not eligible to receive the award more than once in three consecutive years. Note: The Costume Society of America recognizes that exhibition size is not necessarily an indicator of excellence. It also acknowledges that large institutions with large exhibition budgets may have an unfair advantage over smaller institutions with less funding. In order to balance competition between exhibitions of different size and funding, up to two Richard Martin Awards may be awarded each year. The committee reserves the right to withhold one or both awards if submissions do not attain the excellence outlined in this document. Deadline Only those exhibitions presented in the fifteen months prior to the January 15 entry deadline will be considered. Entries must be postmarked on or before January 15th and mailed to the national office of the Costume Society of America. Award The awards will be presented each year at the spring symposium of the Costume Society of America. At the following year's symposium, each institution's designated recipient of the Richard Martin Exhibition Award will present a slide talk and introduction to his/her institution's exhibition. Each presenter receives an honorarium to apply toward travel and symposium expenses. How to Apply Click here for details on how to apply. The CSA Richard Martin Exhibition Award Committee Chair - Michaele Haynes