​ART CURATORS CONFERENCE CONCLUDES

ART CURATORS CONFERENCE CONCLUDES

Association of Art Museum Curators Hosted Global Gathering of Curatorial Leaders

New York, NY, May 9, 2023—On Tuesday, May 8, the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) and AAMC Foundation concluded its 2023 Art Curators Conference, the largest annual gathering of curators and the only Conference dedicated to an international dialogue amongst all nonprofit curators.  A full listing of Conference programming and information can be found here.

Attendance surpassed 350 curators and guests from ten countries.   AAMC Foundation helped support complimentary Conference attendance for fellows within the AAMC Foundation’s Propel Program, Professional Alliance for Curators of Color, and Engagement Program for International Curators.  

“I am so inspired by the diversity of voices and ideas that came together in dialogue at the Art Curators Conference this year - AAMC & AAMC Foundation is such an essential space for the conversations that are guiding the curatorial field forward. I am excited to be assuming the role of President just as we have introduced a new strategic plan that will lead us to even greater promise for the organization and the community of curators we engage,” noted Michelle Jacques, Head of Exhibitions and Collections/Chief Curator, Remai Modern; President, Board of Trustees, AAMC and AAMC Foundation (2023 - 2025).

Centered on the theme of Empowerment, this Conference bought together a myriad of voices, places, and efforts to investigate the theme, forging a way forward rather than conducting a state of the field.  Through this Conference and across all of AAMC & AAMC Foundation events, programs, and fellowships, the organization seeks not to report on the status quo but rather lead the way ahead, working together toward a vibrant, vital, and inclusive visual arts world. The primary location for the Conference was the Prince George Ballroom, which is owned and operated by Breaking Ground, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides affordable housing for homeless and low-income New Yorkers, with 100% of net proceeds from event rentals supporting their mission.

Keynotes talks highlighted: Teresita Fernández, artist; Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Director, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum; Angie Brice, Founder & CEO, Brice Consulting Group, LLC; and Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy, President of the Eikenberg Academy for Social Justice and Director of the Eikenberg Institute for Relationships. Featuring over 40 speakers, formal sessions included: Curating Across/Between Departments, Latinx Art in New York, Best Practices Guide for Artist Demographic Data Coordination, The Curator in Public Art, Outside/Inside, and Local Voices: Culture @ 3 Building Community. Pre and post Conference events include Trans-regional Conversations on Indigenous Practices, a webinar held in April, and TEFAF Talks with Art Curators (AAMC): Leadership Now, organized by AAMC and scheduled at TEFAF NY on May 13.

On Sunday, May 7, the AAMC held its annual  Awards for Excellence Celebration, which paid tribute to exhibitions, publications, and digital format programming, publications and exhibitions:  African Modernism in America; El Corazón Aúlla (Heart Howls): Latin American Feminist Performance in Revolt; Joseph Urban: Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom; Masterpieces from the Clowes Collection: Paintings; Myths of the West: Narrating Stories of the Land and People through Wichita Art Collections; On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America; Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971; Storied Objects: Métis Art in Relation; Talking Back to Power: Projects by Aram Han Sifuentes; Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen; and Unpacking the Universe: The Making of an Exhibition.  A video of the full Awardees is available here.

Additional major special events included the Members’ Party at The Morgan Library & Museum and the Program Alumni Reception, gathering and connecting fellows from the organization’s Propel Program, Engagement Program for International Curators, Curatorial Digital Leadership training, and Professional Alliance for Curators of Color.

The 2023 Art Curators Conference sponsors and supporters are, (listed by level, alphabetically): Schoelkopf Gallery, Bard Graduate Center, Sotheby’s, Hauser & Wirth, Lehmann Maupin, R & Company, Freeman’s Auction, James Howell Foundation, UOVO, Anthony Meier Fine Arts, Armstrong Fine Art Services, Betty Krulik Fine Art, DIETL International, International Society of Appraisers, Jonathan Boos, Kasmin Gallery, Masterpiece International, Miles McEnery Gallery, Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers, Absolute Museum & Gallery Products Ltd., Cristin Tierney Gallery, Debra Force Fine Art, Hutchinson Modern & Contemporary, Jessica Silverman Gallery, TEFAF; and individual donors (listed by level, alphabetically): Evelyn and David Lasry, María Eugenia Maury, El Museo del Barrio & Karla Harwich, El Museo del Barrio, Rosa Lowinger, and Cole Rogers.

The 2024 Art Curators Conference will be held in San Francisco, California, May 4 - 7, 2024.

ABOUT AAMC & AAMC FOUNDATION 

The Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) & AAMC Foundation supports, values, and advances the work of nonprofit art curators at all stages of their careers through leadership and connectivity. The organization’s work is grounded on diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging (DEIAB) and seeks to recognize the full breadth of a person’s lived experience, self-identification (gender, ethnic, racial, and ability), and socio-economic background. We are a compelling leader and resource for those who care about the role of curators as agents of change, social impact, and multicultural understanding. Founded in 2001, the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) today has over 1,500 members from over 500+ institutions in over 40 countries. 

CONTACT

Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, judith.pineiro@artcurators.org

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