Delores Cutler of Carlyle was honoured by her provincial peers when she received the Museums Association of Saskatchewan's (MAOS) Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony in Regina on Friday, May 26.
Cutler's decades-long contribution to building, growing and maintaining Carlyle's Rusty Relics Museum and her efforts and example in preserving the province's history made her an obvious candidate for the award, according to MAOS officials.
“It was a complete surprise to me,” says Cutler of the honour. “I was on my way home from Regina about a month before, when I received an email from the Executive Director of the Museums Association informing me that I was named the receipient of the Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award.”
“I never thought my work was worth that, so as I said, it was a complete surprise.”
Cutler's decades devoted to the preservation of the province's history began in 1992, when she became the supervisor of Carlyle's Rusty Relics Museum.
“I was the supervisor for seven years,” says Cutler. “And In 1999, I became a board member and volunteer, which I continued to do until 2016. I was also secretary of the Rusty Relics Board for nine years.”
As the Rusty Relics Museum grew, so did Cutler's influence and expertise within Saskatchewan's preservation and heritage communites.
“I learned as I went along,” says Cutler. “I achieved my certificate in Community Museums Studies and I served one year on the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Museum Association.”
“I was a networker and co-networker for southeast Saskatchewan Museums for a number of years and I was involved with the Museum Gallery Grant program for a number of years.”
Cutler was also part of a transformation working group and a trainer for the Introduction to Museum Standards (Saskatchewan) at museums in the province.
“It is an effort to implement display and preservation standards in all of our musuems, whether they are large or small or urban or rural,” says Cutler.
Cutler credits the success of her career with “time to connect and the desire to learn.”
“Twenty-five years ago, when I first became the Rusty Relics Museum supervisor, I never would have imagined that things would turn out this way - for the museum or for my career.”
“I have a lot of people to thank - especially the Museums Associations staff who worked with me, guided me and helped me through all those years.”
“And of course, my husband, Bob (Cutler). Without him, I couldn't have been a part of any of these things.”
