A bill amending the Museums Act has now been passed by the Althingi. It provides for a uniform term of office for directors of major museums and for the Museums Council, which oversees museum work in the country, to convene an annual consultation meeting with the minister and representatives of major museums and professional associations involved in the work of the museums. One of the main changes to the Museums Act, …
The Icelandic Section of ICOM, FÍSOS and the Museum Council are hosting a symposium on the eve of International Museum Day under the title Museums, Sustainability and Well-being, which is also the theme of Museum Day in 2023. The symposium will be held in the lecture hall of the National Museum of Iceland on Tuesday, May 16, at 1:00 PM-4:00 PM, followed by light refreshments in the museum's Photo Gallery. The program will include talks that …
At the Museum Council meeting on December 14, the Council approved a proposal for the main allocation from the Museum Fund 2023, which was sent to the Minister of Culture for approval. According to Section 7 of Article 22 of the Museum Act, the Minister allocates grants from the Museum Fund after receiving proposals from the Museum Council. The Minister has now decided on the allocation of grants from the fund. The total grant amount from the main allocation from the Museum Fund 2023 is ISK 153,010,000. It has therefore …
Museum Night begins on Friday evening, February 3. Numerous museums in the capital area will offer a colorful program from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM. This year, the emphasis is on unconventional events. Museum Night is an ideal family event that gives visitors of all ages a unique insight into museum work into the evening and is free for everyone. You can see the full program …
After receiving the Museum Council's opinion, the Minister of Culture has now allocated 17,923,000 ISK from the additional allocation of the Museum Fund 2022. From the additional allocation of 2022, 58 grants were allocated to 38 recognized museums, 35 grants are for continuing education projects and courses, and 23 grants are for other projects. The total allocation for the year 2022 from the Museum Fund is therefore 224,413,000 ISK, which is also the fund's second highest allocation since its inception …
At the end of last year, two new handbooks were published, the second in November and entitled “Preventive Conservation of Textile Works” by Curator Þórdís Anna Baldursdóttir. In December, a “Handbook on Exhibition Preparation and Conservation of Artifacts” was published in two parts by Curator Nathalie Jacqueminet. Both projects received grants from the main allocation of the Museum Fund. Numerous museums in Iceland conserve works of art made …
The Museum Council wishes all museum members and citizens a Merry Christmas and thanks them for the year that is passing. The Museum Council office will be closed over Christmas and will reopen on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
On 12 December 2022, Iceland ratified the 1954 UNESCO Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The ratification of the convention was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Now almost all European countries have ratified the convention. A press release from the Government of Iceland dated 13 December 2022 states: “The 1954 Hague Convention is an important tool for the protection of cultural property in …
A new definition of a museum was adopted at the ICOM World Congress held in Prague, Czech Republic, 20-28 August 2022. The Icelandic translation of the definition is as follows: “A museum is a permanent, non-profit institution that serves society through the study, collection, conservation, interpretation and communication of tangible and intangible heritage. Museums are open to the public, accessible and inclusive, and contribute …
On November 2nd, the museum board went on a day trip to the South of Iceland and visited three museums. First, the Árnesinga Museum was visited, where the museum director Lýður Pálsson welcomed the group and gave a brief overview of the history of the museum. The museum board was then given a tour of the magnificent storage facilities of the Árnesinga Museum, accompanied by Linda Ásdísardóttir and Ragnhildur Sigfúsardóttir. The Hunting Museum in Stokkseyri was next …