The Roland-Arpin Award recognizes the quality and excellence of graduating students in Museum Studies. The award was named after Roland Arpin, acclaimed museologist, who place the Musée de la civilisation as a leader in museology in the province of Quebec.
Since 2001, this award has been offered to the best essay or thesis written by a student enrolled in a Museology program in Quebec. The 4,000$ award is granted in partnership with Université Laval, Université du Québec à Montréal, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Université de Montréal and Société des musées du Québec.
Management Framework
The Roland-Arpin Award is administered by the Collections Department.
Partners for the Roland-Arpin Award are:
- Musée de la civilisation
- Société des musées du Québec
- Université de Montréal
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- Université du Québec en Outaouais
- Université Laval
Together, they form an evaluation committee, which meets once a year in September
Decisions must be taken by unanimous vote, no party has a right of veto.
Candidacy selection and evaluation
Eligibility
Candidates must have completed all requisites of their Museology program (ABD, accepted) and be fully registered within the faculty at the time of application. The essay or thesis must have been chosen and recommended by the university's museology program director.
Candidacy selection
Each partner university selects and proposes up to three candidates. Each museology program director sends a copy of the selected applications to the Collections Department.
Applications
All applications must include:
- A copy of the essay or thesis
- A short summary (10 lines)
- The intership report (if required)
- A copy of the academic transcript
- A short curriculum vitae
- A letter of recommendation from the thesis supervisor
Evaluation
The evaluation committee consists of the following five members:
- Two representatives from the Musée de la civilisation (the Roland-Arpin Award Secretary and a representative of the Collection Department)
- A university representative in a related fiel, but outside museology programs, invited by the Musée de la civilisation
- A representative of the Société des musées du Québec
- A representative from the network of Québec museums, designated by the Société des musées du Québec
The work submitted to the committee is evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
- The quality of its writing (style, structure, logic and communication skills).
- The topic must be relevant to the museum field and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in museology.
- The perspective proposed must clearly demonstrate the candidate's ability to bridge theory and practice.
- The text must clearly identify the mandate or the problem to resolve and suggest solutions, treatments or strategies.
Award Ceremony
The Roland-Arpin Award will be presented by the Executive Director of Musées de la civilisation at the annual meeting of the Société des musées du Québec in fall. The laureate of the Roland-Arpin Prize is then honored and receives a one-year subscription to the magazine Musée.
Informations
Inquiries about the prize should be addressed to collections@mcq.org.
Laureates
2018
The Roland-Arpin Award was presented to Marina Smyth, a graduate of the Master's degree in Museology at University of Montreal, under the direction of Professor David Meren.
« Hidden Collections : The Relationship between Nationalism and Ethnographic Collections at the Museum of Ireland »
Roland-Arpin Award ceremony during the Société des musées du Québec Soirée on octobre 3rd, at Hilton Quebec.
Photo: Marion Desjardins © SMQ 2018
Past Recipients (only in French)
