In 2008, awards were presented at the Opening Reception of the Upstate History Alliance/Museum Association of New York Annual Conference held at the Albany Institute of History and Art in Albany, NY. For information about how to submit a nomination for an UHA Award of Merit, please click here.

Awards of Merit

Awards of Merit are given to institutions or individuals whose project/work represent outstanding contributions in their category and excellence compared to similar activities throughout New York State. This year, Award of Merit winners were presented with a $50.00 Gift Certificate from Gaylord Brothers.


Image and Identity: One Hundred Years of Schuyler Family Portraits
Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site
Albany, NY

"Image and Identity: One Hundred Years of Schuyler Family Portraits" gathered over 20 Schuyler family images in an intriguing and thought provoking exhibit.

Curated by Deborah Emmons-Andarawis, this exhibit focused on the intent beneath having a portrait painted and how portraits can "speak" to us today through the material culture depicted in the pictures and what which surrounded the paintings in the period home itself.

Reviewer Remarks:

‘I loved how this project provided access through multiple sensory modalities, integrated multi-generational programming, and provided a space for visitors to respond creatively to the exhibit.’


National Memorial Day Museum
Waterloo, NY

In 2006-2007, the National Memorial Day Museum in Waterloo, NY underwent a complete make-over of its interpretive exhibits in an effort to better tell the story of the origins and history of Memorial Day to a national audience.  With a tight budget and many hours of work, curator Tanya Warren and a dedicated team of volunteers transformed the museum from a fading local institution to, what Board of Trustees president Lynn Patti called, "a real museum."

Visitors are now immersed in a story that was born out of the unimaginable death toll of the Civil War. Instead, they are taken, room by room, panel by panel, through the story of the birth of Memorial Day, those responsible for its founding in Waterloo in 1866, and the changing face and meaning of this somber holiday down to the 20th century.

Reviewer Remarks:

‘If you told me National Memorial Day Museum I would not have been interested, but after reading this nomination I was hooked! This is a great example of involving volunteers and creative use of materials to tell a compelling story with limited funds.’


Summer in the Finger Lakes Collaborative Project
Headed by the Geneva Historical Society
Geneva, NY

"Summer in the Finger Lakes" is a collaborative exhibit project of six local historical organizations, led by the Geneva Historical Society.  The project, which was conceived in 2001 and debuted in 2007, consists of six 10-panel exhibitions and associated program materials exploring the history of vacationing in the Finger Lakes. 

Partner organizations for this collaborative project are the Ontario County Historical Society, The History Center in Tompkins County, the Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society, the Cayuga Museum of History and Art, and Chemung Valley Museum.

Reviewer Remarks:

‘These organizations are doing a great job of combining tourism and the history of their region!’


Volunteers of The W!ld Center
Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks
Tupper Lake, NY

One of the most important lessons that visitors learn at The Wild Center, is that the Adirondacks are a model for the world, where people and nature successfully live together.  The volunteers of The Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks/The Wild Center are the heart of the Museum.  They are great representatives of a region known for its stewardship and wilderness spirit.  There is a true sense of community within our institution that we feel is unique to The Wild Center and one of the many ways in which this Museum is a treasure for Upstate New York and the genre of the natural history museum.

Reviewer Remarks:

‘[The WildCenter] provides a model of a thriving volunteer program that is mutually beneficial for both the volunteers and the museum.

Edward Frisbee Center for Collections & Research
Historic Cherry Hill
Albany, NY

In 2003, Historic Cherry Hill completed construction of a state-of-the-art facility, The Edward Frisbee Center for Collections & Research. Since then, Curator Erin Crissman has undertaken the monumental task of relocating the museum's thousands of artifacts, manuscripts and other materials. Her efforts have enhanced the long-term preservation of the house, the professional care of the collections, and access to them by internal and outside researchers.




Certificates of Commendation