New York, NY, March 9, 2022 - The Curatorial Digital Leadership (CDL) program will support up to 32 curators from 16 organizations, applying and working as pairs, from nonprofit art organizations located in the cities directly supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which are Akron, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Macon, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Jose, California; and St. Paul, Minnesota. Through a competitive application process, the selected teams of curators will embark on a ten-month cohort engaged series of online learnings and peer-to-peer support, along with an in-person multiple day network building and deeper learning activities in Philadelphia. Full funding to participate in all aspects of the program has been generously provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
“Curators play a pivotal role in the digital transformation of art museums,” said Koven Smith, senior director for Knight Foundation’s arts program, “The Curatorial Digital Leadership program will train curators at museums on how to best integrate technology into their day-to-day work and will ensure that participating museums leverage tech to make their content more accessible to broader audiences.”
The CDL will center on the curator as museum team member to nurture and advance wide-ranging digital literacies and leadership digital skills. By building confidence, particularly around digital storytelling and audience engagement, participants will become agents of change within their own organizations and throughout their career.
“Since 2016, AAMC Foundation has been an advocate and leader in digital education and integration within the curatorial field, including through our earlier Networked Curator initiatives. We are delighted to begin the next step in our journey with Culture24 and the Knight Foundation, respected and experienced leaders in the sector, ” noted Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, AAMC Foundation, “This pilot program will move our efforts to a new level engaging the curator in an empowering knowledge building process with direct peer support a key aspect of the experience.”
Together Culture24 and AAMC Foundation look ahead to sharing data, resources, and experiences to further connect the program to the wider museum sector audience and advance the impact of the pilot CDL program. The organizations aim to have this first iteration lead to continued programs for curators to expand their skills and experiences, and become digital leaders in the arts community.
“Now is the perfect moment for this program as digital literacy and understanding have never been so vital in helping arts organizations to recover and reflect on the lessons from the pandemic,” added Jane Finnis, CEO, Culture24, “Culture24 is really excited to be working with AAMC and Knight Foundation on this vital and creative topic.”
Applications for the program will open in late May/early June 2022.
This program is generously funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
 About AAMC & AAMC Foundation
Founded in 2001, the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) & AAMC Foundation celebrate the curatorial narrative by supporting and promoting the work of art curators at all stages in their career through opportunities for networking, collaboration, professional development, and career advancement. With a network of over 1,500 members from over 500+ institutions around the globe, the organization is the leading organization and flagship voice for curators in the nonprofit sector. The organization ensures that the curatorial perspective on art, museums, and educational issues is furthered and advanced in critical issues within the art community.
About Culture24
Culture24 is a UK-based independent charity that helps arts and heritage people to understand the impact of digital transformation on their sector and learn how to survive and thrive in the digital era. They help people develop the confidence, imagination and skills to drive positive change inside their organizations, building resilience and capacity so they can respond to the challenges and opportunities of the next decade. Along with their own long-established training and action research methodology, they bring the latest thinking around digital in museums through the One by One project, in which they are a founding partner. To learn more, visit: https://www.culture24.org.uk/
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
As social investors, Knight Foundation, supports democracy in America by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Learn more at kf.org and follow @knightfdn on social media. |
Print Page
Email to a Friend