Curators have a primary responsibility for the acquisition, care, display, and interpretation of works of art. The Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) was founded in 2001 to support the role of curators in shaping the mission of art museums in North America. The goals of the AAMC are to:

• Serve as an advocacy group for the curatorial profession
• Articulate the standards for the profession
• Promote research and scholarship through an annual meeting and educational programs on selected themes held at venues throughout North America
• Exchange information through a website and monthly newsletter
• Facilitate online discussions addressing a wide variety of relevant topics
• Recognize distinguished achievement in the field through annual awards
• Facilitate the exchange of information about traveling exhibitions
• Provide a collegial forum for discussion about museum issues in North America
• Accomplish these goals in cooperation with museum directors, trustees and other staff