UNESCO Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict

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 …

Icelandic translation of a new museum definition

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 …

Museum Council day trip to South Iceland

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 …

Open for applications for additional allocation 2022

The Museum Council would like to remind you that applications are open for the 2022 additional allocation of the Museum Fund. The application deadline is 4:00 p.m., December 5, 2022. Grants from the additional allocation are only available to recognized museums. See the application form here: https://safnarad.eydublod.is/Forms/Form/22-UMS-AUK-UMS INFORMATION The following grant categories are available: a) Grant for digital promotion Recognized museums can submit one application for grants at a time in …

FÍSOS 2022 Travel School – Museum Professional Conference

The FÍSOS 2022 field trip took place last September in the beautiful autumn colors of Hallormstaðarskógur. The field trip is an annual professional conference for museum professionals in Iceland and this year its theme was Museums at a Turning Point. This time, the program was full of very interesting speakers, exciting seminars and excursions throughout the region, where diverse aspects of museum work were discussed. The Museum Council …

The Museum Council is advertising for applications for the 2023 main allocation of the Museum Fund.

Applications are open for the main allocation of the Museum Fund 2023. The application deadline is 4:00 PM on Thursday, October 20, 2022, and applications can be made on the Museum Fund's application website. Grants for one year. Recognized museums can apply for grants for one year, in addition to other museums, main collections, museum guides, centers and exhibitions can apply for allocations from the Museum Fund in collaboration with …

New museum definition approved at ICOM World Congress

A new definition of a museum was adopted at the ICOM World Congress held in Prague, Czech Republic, 20-28 August, with a standing ovation from the participants after a several-year approval process that involved all ICOM divisions. The new definition is as follows: “A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets …

Application for recognition of a museum according to the Museums Act

The Museum Council would like to remind you that the last date for submitting applications for recognition according to the Museums Act No. 141/2011, in order for the application to be reviewed before the application deadline for the museum fund for the year 2023 expires, is September 15, 2022. The application form for recognition of a museum can be found here, the following documents must be included with the application: Confirmation from the owner and/or board of the museum that a request is made for …

Museum Council Annual Report 2021

The Museum Council's Annual Report 2021 has been published on the Museum Council's website. The report can be found here

From Statistics Iceland: museum visitors decreased by 45% between 2019 and 2020

The Museum Council collects information about the activities of recognized museums in Iceland and submits this information to Statistics Iceland. Statistics Iceland then processes the data further and collects information about other museum activities in its annual data collection. The news report states that the number of museum visitors in general decreased by 45% between 2019 and 2020 at 112 museums …