THE BARBARA A. TYLER AWARD FOR MUSEUM LEADERSHIP

Barbara A. Tyler, FCMA, 1938-2007

April 17, 2007


The museum community lost one of its strongest members in late March, with the passing of Barbara A. Tyler, FCMA. Since her retirement as director of The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, she fought cancer. She passed away at her retirement home in Patagonia, Arizona.

Barbara was CMA president from 1987-89, and one of our strongest advocates. She was also made a Fellow of the CMA. She worked in senior positions at the National Museum of Man (now the Canadian Museum of Civilization), the National Museums Corporation, the Glenbow Museum, the McMichael, as well as the US National Park Service, and the Amon Carter Museum in Texas.

She also taught an annual course on museum management at the Banff Centre, and served as an advisor to many museums across Canada. During her term with CMA she strengthened our advocacy role during a challenging time over the restructuring of the national museums, a revised museums policy, copyright legislation, and many other issues.

At her request, the CMA has created the Barbara Tyler Award for Museum Leadership in her honour. We would like to make this a lasting endowment in her honour and we are inviting your support for this special remembrance of Barbara. I would like to invite you to contribute to this award, using the donation form .

A memorial tribute will be held in Ottawa in the near future. If you wish to receive notice of this please contact Monique Proulx at mproulx@museums.ca or 613-567-0099 x227

Truly we have lost a real leader and a good friend of so many.

Sincerely,

John G. McAvity
Executive Director
Canadian Museums Association