The Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) and AAMC Foundation’s 2018 Annual Conference & Meeting was held May 5 - 8, 2018 in Montréal, Canada. A vital part of our mission, and our largest singular program, our Annual Conference gathers art curators from every discipline and type of organization together, providing a unique opportunity to connect across borders, fields and affiliation. AAMC & AAMC Foundation ensure that the topics and discussions around them stimulate innovation as a core value in the curatorial field, and address inclusion and access within the arts. 

The 2018 Annual Conference & Meeting, May 5 - 8, 2018 in Montréal, was our first Conference outside the United States, and presented a program focused on collaboration, cooperation, engagement, and interpretation, which built upon and continued our discussions of inclusion and access throughout all our programming. 

The program began on Saturday, May 5, with tours and visits to eleven local arts organizations and a welcome reception at Parisian Laundry. On Sunday, May 6, we held tours and activities, at four organizations, as well as our Board Meeting at Canadian Center for Architecture / Centre Canadien d’Architecture and Mentorship Program Alumni reception at Phi Center / Centre Phi. Sunday concluded with our Awards for Excellence Ceremony and Reception, at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (MAC). Additional events included our Members’ Reception at the McCord Museum / Musée McCord and our major donor dinner, the Circle Dinner, at Montréal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. Through our activities and tours, highlighting the immense cultural landscape in Montréal, we will broadened the curatorial view of how organizations can collaborate with communities, embrace new projects and buildings as vehicles for change and reimagine historical sites and collections as public resources.

Our main session days, Monday, May 7 and Tuesday, May 8, were held at Montréal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. Monday began with a First Nation welcome from Nadine St-Louis, Founder of Sacred Fire Productions. Sessions focused on the scholarly commitment to the investigation of race in art and visual culture within museums; ethical responsibility in collaborations with artists from outside the considered financial center-points of the art world; shift in art institutions and curatorial practice away from colonial legacies; collection sharing amongst organizations; Latinx identity and representation in our art organizations looked at through official and unofficial mentorship opportunities; and status of experience with digital initiatives and curatorial/digital team collaborations.  

Keynote Dialogues, between leading voices in the field, focused on cultural preservation, research, and artistic creation in developing inclusive and equitable exhibitions, collections, audiences, and networks. Our Keynote speakers included:

• Lisa Ackerman, Executive Vice President, World Monuments Fund

• Cara Krmpotich, Director and Associate Professor, Museum Studies, iSchool, University of Toronto

• Ruth Phillips, Co-Director of GRASAC & Canada Research Professor, Carleton University

• Skawennati, Artist and Co-Director of Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace

Additionally, we are grateful for the welcome addresses from the following local leaders at our session days, Members’ reception and Awards for Excellence ceremony:

• Nathalie Bondil, Director General and Chief Curator, Montréal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal
  
  
• Suzanne Sauvage, President and Chief Executive Officer, McCord Museum / Musée McCord
  
  
• John Zeppetelli, Director and Chief Curator, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) 

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Awards For Excellence Sponsor

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ABOUT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE & MEETING

The Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) & AAMC Foundation hosts an Annual Conference & Meeting, attracting over 400 curators and guests from around the world. It is the only conference of its kind where are curators from every discipline and field meet to discuss important issues facing the profession. The multi-day event includes mentorship opportunities, networking, professional development workshops, panel discussions, receptions, award announcements, receptions at host city cultural institutions, and a full membership meeting.

The Annual Conference & Meeting, open to all members, and invited guests, fosters the profession's cohesiveness by addressing relevant issues, by assisting in professional development, and by promoting dialogue and exchange among curators.

All information regarding the AAMC Annual Conference & Meeting is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by AAMC and the AAMC Foundation. AAMC and the AAMC Foundation assume no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. In no event shall AAMC and the AAMC Foundation be liable for incidental or consequential damages arising from use of this document or other conference related material. This document and parts thereof must not be reproduced or copied without AAMC and the AAMC Foundation providing written permission, and contents thereof must not be imparted to a third party nor be used for any unauthorized purpose.