2026 ART CURATORS CONFERENCE CONCLUDES

Friday, May 22 2026

2026 ART CURATORS CONFERENCE CONVENES LEADING CURATORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE FIELD

New York, NY - The AAMC & AAMC Foundation successfully concluded its 24th iteration of the Art Curators Conference as the largest annual conference bringing together international curatorial voices across pressing and enduring issues Held April 30 - May 1, 2026 in New York City, the 2026 Art Curators Conference convened more than 240 curators and arts leaders from across the globe encompassing 7 countries including Canada, Australia, and Ireland as well asn30 U.S states that spanned the Northeast, West, South, and Midwest. 

The two-day conference opened with a rare Curatorial Keynote Conversation, followed by nine compelling panels. Designed to represent a cultural moment and advance the curatorial field, panel topics and moderators were selected through an AAMC Foundation-led Open Call submission process from members and non-members alike,. Programming was hosted across New York City at two architecturally distinct art venues – Powerhouse Arts and the Guggenheim New York – whose partnership provided a dynamic backdrop for these essential dialogues.

"The 2026 Conference has highlighted the profound impact curators have as agents of change within our institutions of all scales and communities across a spectrum," said Christina Yang, Executive Director, AAMC & AAMC Foundation. "From exploring the radical potential of joy to navigating the complexities of Artificial Intelligence, the insights shared this week will shape the trajectory of our field for years to come." 

Conference Highlights

The 2026 program was anchored by a featured keynote conversation between Thelma Golden, Ford Foundation Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, and Thomas (T.) Lax (Curator of Media and Performance at The Museum of Modern Art). Gracefully moderated ed by T. Lax  as an urgent, highly personalized conversation between longtime curatorial colleagues, Ms. Golden provided candid, witty, and incisive commentary on curators simply doing their “work” in supporting art and artists, her decisive transition to becoming a dynamic museum director, and the interdependent interconnectedness she has created amongst generations of cultural practitioners in her decades of curatorial world-building.  

The complete list of panel sessions addressing a wide range of current, responsive, continous  and critical topics is listed below:

• Reimagining the Art Museum Canon in the 21st Century

• Artificial Intelligence in the Museum

• Repair or Exit?: Museums In The Aftermath of 2020

• Joy as Method: Curatorial Futures of Collective Worldbuilding:

• Beyond Suspicion: Curators Building Strategic Partnerships

• In and Out of the Box: Self-Taught Art in Contemporary Museum Practice

• Curating with Community on Enduring Projects

• Curators and Archives in Community

• How To Do Things With Performance: Approaches, Options and Perspectives

Please see here for the complete schedule and additional information on the speakers and moderators. Conference recordings will be available at the end of May 2026 to all Conference registrants. 

“It was a proud moment to hear our visionary speakers speak on the concept of audacity in our work. By grounding our efforts in bold commitment and fearless reflection, we ensure the AAMC Foundation remains a catalyst for a future where, as Brooklyn Museum’s Andrew W. Mellon Curator of American Art Stephanie Sparling Williams put it, transformative change is irresistible,” said Megan Fontanella, AAMC Board Member. 

Lifetime Achievement Award

The 2026 Art Curators Conference closed with a unique event presenting the AAMC Foundation Lifetime Award For Curatorial Excellence to longtime Metropolitan Museum of Art curator, heralded Studio Museum in Harlem and Museum of Art + Design director, independent curator and art historian Lowery Stokes Sims. Made possible by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the award honored Sims for her transformative contributions and sustained legacy within the global curatorial community. 

“From exploring the radical potential of joy to honoring the incomparable Lowery Stokes Sims, the 2026 Conference showcased the intellectual rigor and heart of our profession. Presenting Lowery with the Lifetime Achievement Award was not just an honor, but a defining moment that bridges our foundation’s history with the bold future we are collectively building,” said Marianne Lamonaca, Acting Board President, AAMC Foundation.

2027 Silver Anniversary Conference

The 2027 Silver Anniversary Art Curators Conference will take place in New York City on May 6-7, 2027—venues to be announced.

Support & Sponsorship

The 2026 Art Curators Conference was made possible through the generous support of our lead sponsors and co-hosts, Powerhouse Arts and Guggenheim New York. 

CommonSpace Studio, founded by Jon Santos, created the 2026 Art Curators Conference graphic and product design suite. 

We are deeply grateful to the following organizations and individuals for their commitment to the curatorial community: Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, Tuliza Fleming, Hutchinson Modern & Contemporary, Betty Krulik Fine Art Ltd., D. Wigmore Fine Art, del Rio | Byers, Berry-Campbell, Jack Shainman Gallery, White Cube Gallery,  Al Held Foundation, Bonhams, Anthony Meier Gallery, Bernard Goldberg, Marsh & McLennan Insurance Agency LLC, Sotheby's, Amy Cosier and Lehmann Maupin, TEFAF, Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers. 

ABOUT AAMC & AAMC FOUNDATION

Established in 2001, the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) serves as a leading voice and international resource for curators and those invested in the role of curators as agents of change, social impact, and multicultural understanding. The AAMC Foundation creates opportunities for critical networking, professional development, and career advancement through a broad range of in-person and online programs, fellowships, and its annual Art Curators Conference. To learn more about the AAMC & AAMC Foundation, visit www.artcurators.org.

Media Contacts: 

Alexis Gostelow

Senior Manager of External Affairs 

development@artcurators.org 

Christina Yang

Executive Director

director@artcurators.org

Registration Opens for the 2026 Art Curators Conference in New York City

AAMC Foundation to Convene Global Curatorial Leaders April 30–May 1, 2026 at Powerhouse Arts and Guggenheim New York. 

February 24, 2026, New York, NY - The AAMC Foundation announces that registration is now open for the 2026 Art Curators Conference, the premier global event for the curatorial profession. Taking place from Thursday, April 30–Friday, May 1, 2026, across two of New York City's most dynamic cultural institutions—Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn and the Guggenheim New York in Manhattan—this year's conference arrives at a pivotal moment for museums and curators.

Established in 2002 with its inaugural gathering at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Curators Conference has grown into the field's most essential annual forum. In addition to New York, it has convened in major cultural hubs including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Montréal, bringing together the thinkers and practitioners shaping the future of art institutions globally.

"As a long-term AAMC member and advocate, I am thrilled to be part of the 2026 Art Curators Conference," said Marianne Lamonaca, Acting Board President of the AAMC Foundation and Director of the Humanities Edge at Florida International University. "The Conference brings together an incredible roster of panels addressing the most pressing and consequential issues in curatorial practice today."

"Our 2026 Art Curators Conference lays the groundwork for enduring ideas and new directions at the AAMC Foundation," said Christina Yang, Executive Director. "I am proud to showcase the incredible work our membership and the curatorial field have done to bring together original, inventive panelists and speakers who authentically present and discuss the questions curators face today."

2026 Featured Keynote

The 2026 Conference honors Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, following the institution's landmark 2025 reopening.

2026 Program Highlights

The two-day conference will tackle the evolving museum landscape with fresh perspectives, including forward-looking sessions on: 

• Artificial intelligence in museums

• Joy as Method: Curatorial Futures of Collective Worldbuilding

• In and Out of the Box: Self-Taught Art in Contemporary Museum Practice

• Beyond Suspicion: Curators Building Strategic Partnerships

• Repair or Exit? Rethinking the Museum in the Aftermath of 2020

The conference opens April 30 at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, followed by a private evening reception for all attendees at the inaugural Conductor Art Fair of the Global Majority. On May 1, the program moves to the Guggenheim New York’s Peter B. Lewis Theater, where the day culminates with the announcement of the AAMC Foundation Lifetime Award for Curatorial Excellence, made possible through the generous support of the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation.

2026 Event & Registration Details

Dates: Thursday, April 30–Friday, May 1, 2026
Locations: Powerhouse Arts (Brooklyn) and Guggenheim New York (Manhattan)
Registration Deadline: April 20, 2026
Registration: https://www.artcurators.org/page/annual_meeting

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the AAMC Foundation is also offering a limited-time $100 Silver Anniversary Membership level to inspire and deepen community engagement.

About AAMC & AAMC Foundation

Established in 2001, the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) serves as a leading voice and international resource for curators and those invested in the role of curators as agents of change, social impact, and multicultural understanding. The AAMC Foundation creates opportunities for critical networking, professional development, and career advancement through a broad range of in-person and online programs, fellowships, and its annual Art Curators Conference. To learn more about the AAMC & AAMC Foundation, visit www.artcurators.org. 

Media Contacts: 

Alexis Gostelow

Senior Manager of External Affairs 

development@artcurators.org 

Christina Yang

Executive Director

director@artcurators.org

NEW YORK, NY — The Governance and Nominating Committee of the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) and AAMC Foundation announced new appointments to its Board of Trustees. Marianne Lamonaca, who served as AAMC Foundation Board President from 2019 through the end of 2022, will assume a one-year appointment as Acting President, and Arabella Bowen, Megan Fontanella, Paul C. Ha, C. Griffith Mann, and Siddhartha V. Shah will join as Trustees-at-Large in January 2026 for a three-year term.  

At a time of field-wide transformation, the one-year appointment of Lamonaca ensures continuity and a smooth transition as AAMC’s new Executive Director Christina Yang begins her tenure. Current Board President Michelle Jacques will continue her impactful service in a new capacity as the new Co-Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee. 

“Our Board’s collective expertise, ranging from curatorial practice, institutional innovation, and executive leadership, strengthens the Foundation’s ability to champion and connect curators across the field,” said Michelle Jacques, President, Board of Trustees. “As I take on my new role, I am honored to welcome Marianne Lamonaca as Acting President of the Board of Trustees and look forward to collaborating with her to further advance our shared vision for a vibrant and connected curatorial community.” 

Alongside the new trustee appointment, current trustees have been elected to the following leadership roles as part of the Board’s Executive Committee:

• Isabella Hutchinson (Director and Founder, Hutchinson Modern & Contemporary) as Vice President of Fundraising

• Michelle Jacques (Director of Exhibitions & Collections / Chief Curator, Remai Modern) as Co-Chair of Governance and Nominating

• Betty Krulik (President, Betty Krulik Fine Art, Ltd) as Co-Chair of Fundraising

• Marianne Lamonaca (Director of The Humanities Edge at Florida International University) as Acting President of the Board of Trustees

• Emily Lenz (Director and Partner, D. Wigmore Fine Art, Inc) as Vice President of Finance & Audit

• Tanya Odom (Global Consultant/Advisor and Leadership Coach) as Vice President of Advocacy

“I am delighted to welcome our newly elected members to the Board of Trustees and our new Executive Committee members, whose collective expertise and perspectives will help shape the future of the AAMC Foundation,” said Christina Yang, Executive Director. “I am also proud to highlight the dedication and vision of our current Executive Committee members, whose ongoing leadership has been instrumental in advancing the Foundation’s mission. Together, this extraordinary group of curatorial leaders embodies a shared commitment to innovation, collaboration, and excellence, and I am deeply grateful for their tireless advocacy and unwavering support.”

These appointments reflect AAMC Foundation’s continued commitment to advancing curatorial leadership, fostering collaboration, championing mentorship, and promoting excellence across the curatorial field.

More information about the newly appointed Trustees follows below:

Arabella Bowen, Digital Strategy Consultant, AB & Co. 

Arabella Bowen is an award-winning strategist, entrepreneur, and writer whose career bridges art, travel, media, and technology. She’s known for shaping digital platforms and editorial initiatives that inspire audiences to experience art, culture, and place in new ways.

Her leadership spans the art world, publishing, and digital innovation. At Christie’s, she helped define coverage of NFTs at a pivotal moment in the art market while also spotlighting artists working sustainably. At AFAR, she launched cross-platform storytelling that elevated the role of art and design in travel. At Fodor’s, she deepened museum and arts coverage for millions of readers and was among the first to forecast Los Angeles’s rise as a global arts hub. More recently, she's contributed behind the scenes at The Winter Show, New York’s leading non-profit art fair.

Megan Fontanella, Curator, Modern Art and Provenance, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Megan Fontanella is a strategic leader, art historian, and curator whose research encompasses late 19th- and early 20th-century European and U.S. avant-gardes, with a particular focus on dealer networks and collecting patterns. Since joining the curatorial staff at the Guggenheim in 2005, she has organized or co-organized over thirty exhibitions for the Guggenheim’s extended constellation of museums in Bilbao, New York, Venice, and formerly Berlin, as well as led traveling exhibition projects in Australia, Canada, and Europe. Major exhibitions in New York include 'Gabriele Münter: Contours of a World'; 'Vasily Kandinsky: Around the Circle'; 'Visionaries: Creating a Modern Guggenheim'; and 'Giacometti.' Among her focus presentations are 'Young Picasso in Paris' and 'Away from the Easel: Jackson Pollock’s Mural.' She organized the first European tour and edited a comprehensive publication on the Thannhauser Collection. Fontanella graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in art history modified with history, and received her MA in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. She formerly served on the Board of Advisors for the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth, and co-Chaired the Mentorship Program (now Propel Program) for the Association of Art Museum Curators.

Paul C. Ha, Director, MIT List Visual Arts Center

Paul C. Ha is the Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) List Visual Arts Center. The List Visual Arts Center is the contemporary art museum at MIT. Artists exhibited during Ha’s tenure include Edgar Arceneaux, Rosa Barba, Thea Djordjadze, Joan Jonas, Kapwani Kiwanga, Tala Madani, Kambui Olujimi, Hans Op de Beeck, Amalia Pica, Katrin Sigurdardottir, Adam Pendleton, Anicka Yi, and Heimo Zobernig. Ha was the commissioner and co-curator of the United States Pavilion at the La Biennale di Venezia 56th International Art Exhibition in 2015, presenting artist Joan Jonas. 

Previous to the List, Ha was the inaugural director of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM), 2001-2011. Prior to joining the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Ha was the Deputy Director of Programs and External Affairs at the Yale University Art Gallery and Executive Director of White Columns in New York. At CAM, Ha raised more than $40 million for the institution and established a $5 million endowment. In 2007 Ha completed a $20 million capital campaign leaving the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis debt free. While Executive Director of White Columns, Ha curated more than 50 solo and group exhibitions and exhibited artists such as Sarah Sze, Christoph Büchel, Rachel Feinstein, Michael Rakowitz, and Aïda Ruilova early in their careers, often presenting their first solo exhibition.

C. Griffith Mann, Michel David-Weill Curator in Charge, Medieval Art and The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dr. C. Griffith Mann was appointed The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Michel David-Weill Curator in Charge of the Department of Medieval Art and the Met Cloisters in September 2013. In this role, he is responsible for the medieval collections and curatorial staff in the Met’s main building, and for directing the staff and operations of The Met Cloisters. Dr. Mann received his B.A. in art history and history from Williams College, and his Ph.D. in medieval art from The Johns Hopkins University. A specialist in the arts of late medieval Italy, he has published on civic patronage, painting, and devotion in Tuscany. As a curator, Dr. Mann has worked on exhibitions on the medieval cult of relics, the art and archaeology of medieval Novgorod, and French manuscript illumination of the 13th century. Permanent collection installations, like "Crossroads: Power and Piety" at The Met, have also been a focus of his work. Dr. Mann formerly served as the Chief Curator and Deputy Director at The Cleveland Museum of Art, where he helped to lead the museum’s reinstallation, acquisition, and exhibition programs, and as medieval curator and Director of the Curatorial Division at The Walters Art Museum, where he worked on exhibitions and the permanent collection. 

Siddhartha V. Shah, John Wieland 1958 Director, Mead Art Museum at Amherst College

Siddhartha V. Shah is the John Wieland 1958 Director of the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College where he oversees the museum’s creative vision and operations, as well as initiatives aimed at deepening connections within and between the campus and local community. Fostering intersectional learning and cross-cultural understanding through the arts has long been a guiding principle of Shah’s life and career. That approach has shaped his curatorial and academic work, as well as his commitment to thoughtful and intentional community engagement. 

Before joining Amherst College, Shah served as Curator of South Asian Art, and Director of Education and Civic Engagement, at the Peabody Essex Museum. He received a BA in art history from Johns Hopkins University, an MA in Hindu philosophy and Jungian psychoanalysis from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and a Ph.D. in art history and archaeology from Columbia University. His academic and curatorial projects have been featured in publications ranging from The Times of India and India Today, to The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and Psychology Today.

About AAMC & AAMC Foundation

The 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 seeks to recognize the full breadth of a person’s lived experience, self-identification, 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.

CONTACT

Christina Yang, Executive Director

director@artcurators.org

Alexis Gostelow, Interim Senior Development Manager 

development@artcurators.org

### END ###

NEW YORK, NY October 1, 2025 – The AAMC Foundation announces the 2025 fellows, mentors, and advisors for its PACC and Propel programs. Now in its fifth year, PACC supports emerging curators worldwide who face professional barriers, such as limited access to opportunities or institutional resources. The Propel fellowship is the longest-running initiative of its kind dedicated to mid-career curators. The 2025 cohort includes ten art curators in each program, ranging in specialty and focus, from across ten states and four countries.

In an era of growing responsibilities and limited professional development options, the AAMC Foundation’s fellowship programs offer invaluable learning experiences for participants to create meaningful and career-impacting networks, investigate important issues in the field, cultivate strong bonds with their peers, and develop an independent working relationship with a senior curatorial leader, their mentor.

Both programs have seen over 80% of participants achieve at least one new or advanced role following their involvement in the programs. 

Both fellowship programs incorporate critical elements of mentorship and professional development including:

• Introductory Virtual Meetup (Fall 2025)

• Multi-day in-person residency, New York City (Fall 2025)

• Direct mentorship from a senior curator, including a multi-day site visit to the Mentor’s institution

• Five or more additional learning intensive sessions (Winter & Spring 2026)

• End of program in-person workshop, New York City (April 2026)

• 2026 Art Curators Conference in-person attendance, New York City (April 30 - May 1, 2026)

• All travel, accommodations, per diem

• Program stipend 

“As a former emerging and occasionally overlooked mid-career curator myself, I know how instrumental mentors are in guiding professional advancement and resiliency in a hyper-competitive field,” says Christina Yang, Executive Director, AAMC Foundation. “I am deeply proud of the work AAMC Foundation does through its fellowship programs to sustain curatorial excellence while shoring up gaps in the field for our rising generation of curators.”

We thank our Curatorial Advisors Brittany Webb, Curator, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and Brinda Kumar, Associate Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art for their instrumental guidance in designing the overall professional experience of the cohorts and working with AAMC Foundation to sustain PACC (Webb) and Propel’s (Kumar) relevance for curators today.

2025 PACC Fellows

Daisy Alejandre, Curatorial Assistant, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA

Lisbet Barrientos, Curatorial Assistant for Arts of Asia, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO

Grace Billingslea, Curatorial Assistant, Arts of the Americas and American Art, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Clarke Brown, Special Projects Curator, Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, Atlanta, GA

Brandon Eng, Curatorial Assistant, Visual Arts, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN

Erika Holum, Independent Curator, Houston, TX

Jaleesa Johnston, Curatorial Coordinator, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR

Alex Jones, Curatorial Assistant, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA

Abi Lua, Assistant Curator, James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA

Lillian O'Brien Davis, Associate Curator, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, SK, Canada

Learn more about the 2025 PACC Fellows here.

2025 PACC Mentors

Grace Deveney, Associate Curator, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Shawnya Harris, Deputy Director of Curatorial and Academic Affairs, Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, GA
Shalini Le Gall, Director, Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill, NC
Leilani Lynch, Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Denver, CO
Felicia Mings, Curator, Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, Canada
Jade Powers, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL
Alejandra Rojas Silva, Curator of European & American Art, Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu, HI
Ilona Smiling, Director, Museum of Belize, Belize City, Belize
Gabriela Urtiaga, Chief Curator, Museum of Latin American Art,
Rangsook Yoon, Senior Curator, Sarasota Art Museum, Sarasota, FL

Learn more about the 2025 PACC Mentors here.

2025 Propel Fellows

Olivia Aherne, Curator, Chisenhale Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Nicole Berlin, Associate Curator of Collections, The Davis Museum at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Anaïs Castro, Assistant Curator, National Gallery of Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Sara E. Cole, Associate Curator of Antiquities, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Sara Cluggish, Mary Hulings Rice Director and Curator, The Perlman Teaching Museum, Carlton College, Northfield, MN
Ziying Duan, Assistant Curator, UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art, Costa Mesa, CA
Aindrea Emelife, Curator, Modern and Contemporary, Museum of West African Art, Benin City, Nigeria
Georgia Erger, Curator, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA
Patricia Hernandez, Associate Curator, Amant, Brooklyn, NY
Lana Meador, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, TX

Learn more about the 2025 Propel Fellows here.

2025 Propel Mentors

Emerson Bowyer, Searle Curator, Painting and Sculpture of Europe, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Nicholas Chambers, Senior Curator, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Christa Clarke, Director of Curatorial Strategy, Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, MA
Jessica Hong, Chief Curator, Kemper Museum, St. Louis, MO
Kati Kivinen, Chief Curator for Collections, HAM Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Miranda Kyle, Curator of Indigenous Arts of the Americas, Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Rosalind McKever, Curator of Paintings and Drawings, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom
Tamara Schenkenberg, Independent Curator, St. Louis, MO
Joanne Snrech, Curator, Musée National Picasso-Paris, Paris, France
Elizabeth Williams, David & Peggy Rockefeller Curator, RISD Museum, Providence, RI

Learn more about the 2025 Propel Mentors here.

Lead support for PACC and Propel is made possible from the Getty Foundation, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Additional support provided by AAMC Foundation President’s Circle.

CONTACT

Emma Huneck, Senior Program Manager, programs@artcurators.org

Christina Yang, Executive Director, director@artcurators.org

###

2025 ART CURATORS CONFERENCE CONVENES SOME 260 LEADING
CURATORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO CONSIDER NEXT STEPS FOR THE FIELD

New York, NY, May 7, 2025 —The AAMC & AAMC Foundation convened more than 260 curators and leaders from around the country and world, including 11 countries and 37 U.S. states, for its annual Art Curators Conference held last week in New York City. The Art Curators Conference is the largest annual gathering of art curators and the only conference dedicated to an international dialogue among nonprofit curators. The 2026 Art Curators Conference will be held in New York City on April 30 - May 1, 2026.   

AAMC is dedicated to advancing the curatorial field through its annual conference, programs, and fellowships, which  support professional development, sharing of best practices, and critical networking. The 2025 Art Curators Conference brought together more than 30 speakers for two days of events, tours, workshops, and discussions. Sessions and parties were held at the Prince George Ballroom, the Asia Society Museum, Lehmann Maupin, the Ford Foundation, and Hauser & Wirth Gallery. The AAMC Foundation provided Conference attendance for fellows from the AAMC Foundation’s PACC and Propel Programs. 

“The 2025 Art Curators Conference has once again left me deeply inspired,” said Michelle Jacques, Director of Exhibitions and Collections/Chief Curator at Remai Modern; President, Board of Trustees, AAMC & AAMC Foundation. "I’m energized by the integrity, insight, and forward-thinking vision of curators engaging with critical issues across institutions and communities, and I’m so proud of this organization’s role in fostering spaces where innovation and the impact of curatorial practice can thrive."

The keynote presentation was a conversation with Courtney J. Martin, Executive Director, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and Michelle Jacques, Director of Exhibitions and Collections/Chief Curator, Remai Modern; President, Board of Trustees, AAMC & AAMC Foundation. Additional sessions included Beyond Bizot: Practical Steps Towards More Sustainable Art Museums; Collaborating for Visitor Centeredness; Doing the Work - Cultivating and Preserving Meaningful Community Partners; From Incubators to Institutions: Black Gallerists, Emerging Artists, and Equity in the Art World; How Contested Collections Have Inspired New Modes of Interpretation; Prometheus’ Gift: AI and the Evolution of the Curatorial Practice; Trends in Hiring Practices; and the return of RoundTable Topics. A full listing of Conference programming and information can be found here.

The 2025 Art Curators Conference was supported by Hauser & Wirth, Art Bridges Foundation, Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Carlton Hobbs LLC, Christie's, Anonymous, Alexandre Gallery, Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts, Betty Krulik Fine Art Limited, D. Wigmore Fine Art Inc., Freeman's | Hindman, Hutchinson Modern & Contemporary, Questroyal Fine Art, LLC, Richard Rosello, James Howell Foundation, Lehman Maupin, and Ellen and Bill Taubman, on behalf of the A. Alfred Taubman Foundation.

ABOUT AAMC & AAMC FOUNDATION 

Representing a community of over 1,500 curators in more than 40 countries, AAMC & AAMC Foundation supports, values, and advances the work of nonprofit art curators at all stages of their careers. Established in 2001, AAMC creates opportunities for critical networking, professional development, and career advancement through its broad range of in-person and online programs, fellowships, and the annual Art Curators Conference. AAMC is a leading voice and international resource for curators and all those who care about the role of curators as agents of change, social impact, and multicultural understanding. For more information, visit artcurators.org.

CONTACT

Minna Lee, Interim Executive Director, director@artcurators.org

###

Christina Yang. Photo Credit: Jessica Smolinski

New York, NY — May 6, 2025 — The AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees announced today that curator, educator, and arts leader Christina Yang has been appointed as its next Executive Director.  An advocate for equitable access, new curatorial practices, and the social and civic roles of museums today, Yang brings nearly three decades of experience as a curator and program director working independently and across such institutions as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Williams College Museum of Art, and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archives. Yang will begin at AAMC part-time starting June 23, 2025, collaborating closely with Interim Executive Director Minna Lee, and will assume her position full-time on September 2, 2025. 

“With commitment to institution-building and professional mentorship, Christina brings multifaceted experience that will expand AAMC’s impact and support of nonprofit curators throughout the field,” stated Michelle Jacques, President of the AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees. “The search committee was impressed by Christina’s collaborative spirit and perspective, which will serve to advance both our institutional goals and administrative operations. On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I am thrilled to welcome Christina as our next Executive Director.” 

“I have long admired AAMC for centering the curatorial profession and for the myriad programs, resources, and opportunities it provides curators at all stages of their careers,” stated Yang. “Having just attended AAMC’s annual Art Curators Conference, I am all the more energized by the organization’s impactful program and reach, and excited to contribute my experience towards expanding the role that AAMC plays as the leading professional organization for art curators.”

“As we look forward to welcoming Christina, I want to take a moment to thank the Board of Trustees and Staff for their tireless dedication to AAMC, especially throughout the search for our new executive director over these past months,” stated Marianne Lamonaca, Co-chair Governance & Nomination Committee and Trustee Emerita of AAMC and AAMC Foundation. “Interim Executive Director Minna Lee, in particular, has played an integral role during this time and we are grateful for her leadership and continued service as Christina onboards this summer.” 

A specialist in global contemporary art with a focus on the Asian diaspora, social practice, performance, and experimental genres, Yang is currently working as an independent curator, writer, and educator. As a regular contributor to the Brooklyn Rail’s New Social Environment series, she has interviewed Christine Sun Kim, Kenneth Tam, and Erin Shirreff as well as moderated curatorial conversations on Ruth Azawa: Through Line (Whitney/DeMenil), Toshiko Takaezu (Noguchi), and Dirty & Disorderly: Contemporary Artists on Disgust (MassMoCa). 

Yang previously held leadership roles in both museum curatorial and education departments, most recently serving as Chief Curator at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, where she oversaw departmental initiatives, acquisitions, exhibitions, and publications, and as Deputy Director for Engagement at the Williams College Museum of Art, where she spearheaded innovative academic programs keyed to the museum’s encyclopedic collection as well as civic-minded artist projects especially during its closure marked by the COVID pandemic. At the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, she led Public Programs for over a decade from 2005 through 2019, curating interdisciplinary global projects and advancing socially engaged art practices through the Guggenheim UBS Global Art Initiative and Guggenheim Social Practice. Her early career was shaped by curatorial work at The Kitchen and the Queens Museum of Art, where she honed a commitment to experimental collaboration, multi-centered histories of art, and a commitment to the civic role of museums. 

Throughout her career, Yang has actively mentored emerging museum professionals focusing on students of color. She teaches in the School of Visual Arts Masters Program in Curatorial Practice and has served as an adjunct lecturer/recitation leader at Bennington College, New York University, California College of Arts and Crafts, and Long Island University.

Yang participated in the Asia Art Archive in America’s 2024-25 Leadership Camp led by Simon Wu and Daniel Chew, and has served on the Board of the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries as well as of Women & Performance, a journal of feminist theory where she filled the role of performance reviews editor from 2017-20 . She is a Curatorial Ambassador for the new biannual Arrival Art Fair in North Adams, Massachusetts, opening in June 2025 and since 2019, she has been a longtime Host Committee Member of the International Studio & Curatorial Program, New York. She will earn her Ph.D. in performance studies from the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University in May 2025, and holds an MA from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art, as well as BA in history and art history at the University of California, Berkeley.

The search for AAMC’s new Executive Director was overseen by a Search Committee composed of Board leadership and was guided by Suzanne Tan of Museum Search & Reference. 

ABOUT AAMC & AAMC FOUNDATION 

Representing a community of over 1,500 curators in more than 40 countries, AAMC & AAMC Foundation supports, values, and advances the work of nonprofit art curators at all stages of their careers. Established in 2001, AAMC creates opportunities for networking, professional development, and career advancement through its broad range of in-person and online programs, fellowships, and annual Art Curators Conference. AAMC is a leading voice and international resource for curators and all those who care about the role of curators as agents of change, social impact, and multicultural understanding. For more information, visit artcurators.org.

CONTACT

Minna M. Lee, PhD

Interim Executive Director

m.lee@artcurators.org

AAMC FOUNDATION OPENS REGISTRATION FOR THE 2025 ART CURATORS CONFERENCE AND ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS

JANUARY 23, 2025, NEW YORK, NY - Today, the AAMC Foundation opened registration for its 2025 Art Curators Conference, which will be held this year on May 1 and 2 at The Prince George Ballroom in New York City. As the leading conference for art curators from around the world, the Art Curators Conference will cover a range of critical topics in its 2025 edition, including sustainability practices in museums, the role of Black gallerists in advancing the gallery ecosystem, and trends in hiring practices among many other topics. The initial line up of speakers include leading voices from across the visual art sector, including Joy Bailey Bryant, President, Lord Cultural Resources, Regan Grusy, Laura Skoler Deputy Director, New Museum, and Stephen Reily, Founding Director, Remuseum, and Shalini Le Gall, Chief Curator, Susan Donnell and Harry W. Konkel Curator of European Art, and Director of Academic Engagement, Portland Museum of Art.  

Organized by the AAMC Foundation, the only national and international organization supporting curators and the curatorial field, the Art Curators Conference is a foundational event that brings visual art thought leaders together from institutions large and small. Launched in 2002, the Conference is a critical gathering for the art curation field, providing a platform for dialogue, exchange, and curatorial innovation.

“As an attendee, a curator, and the Board President of the AAMC Foundation, I am thrilled by the roster of incredible speakers who are coming together for our 2025 conference,” said Michelle Jacques, Board President of the AAMC Foundation. “Attendees will be able to engage with discussions that  explore some of the most pressing questions and conversations currently affecting the curatorial field and the wider arts community.” 

"Each year, the Art Curators Conference gathers strong independent voices together in conversation and provides a critical forum for dialogue, connection, and learning. Our 2025 Conference builds on this history, with panel discussions and lectures by both emerging voices and pathbreaking visionaries in the field,” noted Minna M. Lee, Interim Executive Director. “We are proud that this year’s programs bring fresh perspectives and direction while continuing to carve out a space for non-profit curators to gather and engage.” 

The 2025 Art Curators Conference will take place at The Prince George Ballroom, designed by the architect Howard Greene and listed as a national register of historic places. The Conference culminates with its annual Members Party, this year hosted by the Asia Society Museum. The Conference will take place entirely in person, and as part of the AAMC Foundation's commitment to its community, fellows from the foundation’s one-of-a-kind Propel Program and the Professional Alliance for Curators of Color will receive support to attend. 

To learn more about the 2025 Art Curators Conference and how to register, please click this link: https://www.artcurators.org/page/Annual_Meeting

Corporate sponsorship and individual donations provide support and gain access to this event are available to those seeking to support and champion the curatorial community.  Please contact development@artcurators.org for more information. 

Meet the Initial Line up of 2025 Speakers (more to be announced) 

Swarupa Anila, Senior Vice-President for Exhibition & Gallery Development, Royal Ontario Museum

Myrtis Bedolla, Owner and Founding Director, Gallerie Myrtis

Jessica Bright, Chief, Exhibitions, Collections & Conservation, Art Gallery of Ontario 

Joy Bailey Bryant, President, Lord Cultural Resources

Lauren Cornell, Director of the Graduate Program and Chief Curator, Center for

Curatorial Studies, Bard College 

Susan de Menil, Founding Co-President, Art, Antiquities, and Blockchain

Consortium

Francesca Du Brock, Chief Curator at the Anchorage Museum

Destinee Filmore, Assistant Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Madhuvanti Ghose, Alsdorf Associate Curator of Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan Art, Arts of Asia, Art Institute of Chicago

Nik Honeysett, Director and CEO, Balboa Park Online Collaborative 

Srimoyee Mitra, Director, Stamps Gallery 

Regan Grusy, Laura Skoler Deputy Director, New Museum

James McAnally, Executive and Artistic Director, Counterpublic 

Stephen Reily, Founding Director, Remuseum

Keri Ryan, Lead Curator, Learning and Interpretation, M+

ABOUT AAMC FOUNDATION

The AAMC Foundation supports, values, and advances the work of nonprofit art curators through leadership and connectivity. Founded in 2001, the organization serves over 1,500 members from across 40 countries, championing diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging in the curatorial field.

CONTACT

Minna M. Lee, PhD

Interim Executive Director

m.lee@artcurators.org

###

New York, NY — July 15, 2024 — The AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees announced today that Judith Pineiro is stepping down as Executive Director on July 19, 2024, after more than a decade of service. Under Pineiro’s leadership, the organization has advanced its mission through innovative programming, new fellowships, and professional development initiatives supporting nonprofit art curators at all stages in their careers. Established in 2001, AAMC & AAMC Foundation today serves an international community of over 1,500 members across more than 40 countries. The Executive Committee of the Board is working closely with the AAMC & AAMC Foundation team as a comprehensive search for the organization’s next director moves forward.

During Pineiro’s tenure, the AAMC & AAMC Foundation expanded its membership internationally; significantly increased its annual operating budget, with major grants secured including first-time awards from NEA and IMLS; and spearheaded two strategic plans. New initiatives developed under her leadership including Curatorial Digital Leadership and the Professional Alliance for Curators of Color fellowship programs have reinforced the organization’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, access, and belonging. Pineiro has also led the development of AAMC & AAMC Foundation’s professional development guides, including Professional Practices for Nonprofit Art Curators and Best Practices in Artist Demographic Data Collection, of which she was also a writer.

“It has been a privilege to serve as the Executive Director of the AAMC & AAMC Foundation, alongside its Board and our outstanding team, through transformative years,” said Pineiro. “After more than ten years at the helm and caring deeply about the organization, I believe it is time for a new voice in the director position. With the strong leadership of the Board and its talented staff, AAMC & AAMC Foundation is poised to continue its unprecedented growth and success on behalf of curators everywhere.”  

“During a period of rapid change in the art world, AAMC & AAMC Foundation has grown in reach and impact thanks to Judith’s vision and leadership.  On behalf of everyone at AAMC & AAMC Foundation, I thank Judith for all she has done for our organization,” stated Michelle Jacques, President of the AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees. 

ABOUT AAMC & AAMC FOUNDATION 

The AAMC & AAMC Foundation, a community with over 1,500 curatorial voices in over 40 countries, 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. 

ART CURATORS CONFERENCE CONVENES LEADING CURATORS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO CONSIDER NEXT STEPS FOR THE FIELD

AAMC Foundation’s annual signature program was held in San Francisco 

for its 23rd edition centered on the theme of “Now/Next”

New York, NY, May 5, 2024—The AAMC Foundation convened some 300 curators and leaders from around the country and world, including ten countries and 39 U.S. states, for its annual Art Curators Conference held this year in San Francisco. The largest annual gathering of curators and the only conference dedicated to an international dialogue among nonprofit curators, the Art Curator Conference centered on the theme of Now/Next for its 2024 edition and brought together more than 45 speakers for over four days of events, tours, and discussions.  

AAMC Foundation is dedicated to advancing the curatorial field through its Conference, programs, and fellowships that support professional development, sharing of best practices, and critical networking. Nearly 20 institutions across San Francisco opened their doors as hosts for the Conference, with sessions and parties held at the de Young museum and SFMOMA, tours of local organizations in Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, and San Francisco, and welcome events at Jessica Silverman and Gallery Wendi Noris.  The AAMC Foundation helped support complimentary Conference attendance for fellows within the AAMC Foundation’s Propel Program and Professional Alliance for Curators of Color.

“I'm so energized by the depth of the ideas and discourse represented in the vibrant exchange of ideas and perspectives that took place at this year's Art Curators Conference. As I look towards the future of the field, I am confident in the AAMC Foundation’s leadership voice in amplifying and advancing the impact of curatorial practice and fostering innovation and inclusivity within our community," noted Michelle Jacques, Director of Exhibitions and Collections/Chief Curator, Remai Modern; President, Board of Trustees, AAMC Foundation (2023 - 2025).

Keynotes presentations included Ginger Shulick Porcella, Independent Curator and Consultant and a conversation with collector and philanthropist Komal Shah and journalist Jori Finkel. Additional sessions included Accountability and Legitimacy: Forging a Path; African Futures and Museums; Collaborating with Communities: Native American Art at the de Young museum; Curators and AI; Dialogue on Sustaining the Visible; Towards a New Normal? Navigating the Changes in Cultural Audiences; Qualified to Curate; and Unmasking Classism: Exploring Socioeconomic Disparities in Museums.  A pre-Conference webinar was held about Collective Claims to European Art.  A full listing of Conference programming and information can be found here.

The 2024 Art Curators Conference was supported by  (listed by level, alphabetically): Bard Graduate Center, Anthony Meier, James Howell Foundation, Berggruen Gallery, Betty Krulik Fine Art, Cristin Tierney, Crown Point Press, Crozier Fine Arts, Debra Force Fine Art, Dietl International, Freeman’s | Hindman, frieze Magazine, Gallery Wendi Norris, Getty Publications, International Society of Appraisers, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, Jessica Silverman, Karma, Kloman Art, Long-Sharp Gallery, Masterpiece International, Museum Exchange, Sterling Art Services, and TEFAF.  Blake Koh and Roberta Sherman who donated individual support.

The 2025 Art Curators Conference will be held, April 30 - May 2,  in New York City.

ABOUT AAMC FOUNDATION 

The AAMC Foundation, a community with over 1,500 curatorial voices in over 40 countries, 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. 

CONTACT

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

###

The energy and dialogue sparked during Art Curator Conferences in new locations for the organization have consistently resulted in stellar attendance and community-changing dialogues.  The AAMC Foundation knows its first major event in San Francisco, the 2024 Art Curators Conference, will see curators gathering to fuel new perspectives and start conversations ahead of any ‘trend.’ With the theme of Now/Next, the 2024 sessions focus on unmasking classicism and socio-economic disparities, equity in 'curating qualifications,' accountability and legitimacy in indigenous identity, collecting and promoting female-identifying artists, amplifying the disability arts community, giving visibility to historically excluded artists from the Americas, broadening curatorial models to reflect community perspectives, and the future of African art collections.

“With valued and respected voices in the community coming together to investigate such forward-thinking topics,” noted Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, AAMC & AAMC Foundation, “I know the conversations held will ignite the exhibiting and collecting realms and remain relevant for years, which is always what makes this Conference so important for curators to attend.”

Keynote speakers are Komal Shah, entrepreneur, tech leader, author, collector, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Shah Garg Foundation, she is a champion of amplifying the voices of women artists and artists of color; and Ginger Shulick Porcella, Independent Curator & Consultant who helps organizations and communities transform and heal, using the lens of contemporary art to spur critical dialogue around complex issues, with previous directorships at . Creative Growth Art Center (CA), Franconia Sculpture Park (MN), Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson (AZ), and the Institute for Contemporary Art San Diego (CA). The full program features over 30 speakers from 30 individual organizations/affiliations, with more to be announced.

The San Francisco edition is anticipated to exceed 2023 attendance numbers, which included over 350 curators representing ten countries.  The annual event gathers curators from small and large museums and those working in varying disciplines.  The organization also supports fellows in its significant initiatives (Propel Program, Professional Alliance for Curators of Color, and Engagement Program for International Curators) to ensure their access to attend.

The organization is also hosting special events and excursions throughout the program. Main host venues include the de Young museum (FAMSF) hosting the Welcome Party, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art hosting the Members’ Party, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts hosting Conference sessions. Additional special events are yet to be announced. To expand on our engagement with San Francisco and surrounding communities, Conference attendees can join excursions after the conclusion of two days of sessions and visit the Oakland Museum of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, and African American Museum and Library at Oakland in Berkeley and Oakland; San José Museum of Art, Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, ICA San José, and Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University in San José; and the Museum of the African Diaspora, Asian Art Museum, KADIST, Museum of Craft and Design and the de Young museum in San Francisco.  

Learn more about the event on our website: https://www.artcurators.org/page/Annual_Meeting. 

Corporate sponsorship and individual donations to support and gain access to this event are available to those seeking to support and champion the curatorial community.  Please contact development@artcurators.org for more information and click here to see available options.  

2024 Art Curators Conference Speakers
(more to come)

heather ahtone, Director of Curatorial Affairs, First Americans Museum; Board of Trustees, AAMC & AAMC Foundation

Kathleen Ash-Milby, Curator of Native American Art, Portland Art Museum

Lauren Tate Baeza, Fred and Rita Richman Curator of African Art, High Museum of Art

Natasha Becker, Curator, Arts of Africa, de Young museum

Marlise Brown, Assistant Curator of European and American Art, Allen Memorial Art Museum

Suhaly Bautista-Carolina, Director of Public Programs & Partnerships, American LGBTQ+ Museum

David Castillo, Founder & Director, David Castillo Gallery

Erin Dziedzic, Curator, Independent

Lori Fogarty, Director and CEO, Oakland Museum of California

Ben Garcia, Executive Director, American LGBTQ+ Museum

Miki Garcia, Director + Professor of Practice, Arizona State University Art Museum

Henone Girma, Associate Curator of Arts of Global Africa, The Newark Museum of Art

Candace Huey, Head Curator, Edge on the Square

Heather Hughes, Kathy and Ted Fernberger Associate Curator of Prints, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Michelle Jacques, Head of Exhibitions & Collections / Chief Curator, Remai Modern; President, Board of Trustees, AAMC & AAMC Foundation

Amy Kisch, Head of Art + Public Programs, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)

Miranda Kyle, Arts & Culture Program Manager, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.

Amy Lonetree, Professor of History, University of California, Santa Cruz

Isabella Lores-Chavez, Associate Curator, European Paintings, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Ginger Shulick Porcella, Independent Curator & Consultant

Valeria Piccoli Gabriel da Silva, Ken and Linda Cutler Chair of the Arts of the Americas Department and Curator of Latin American Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art

Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, AAMC & AAMC Foundation

Aay Preston-Myint, artist, publisher, curator and educator

Seema Rao, Principle, Brilliant Idea Studio

Susanne Roewer, Independent Sculptor and Curator

Iraida Rodríguez-Negrón, Curator, Museo de Arte de Ponce

Komal Shah

TK Smith, Assistant Curator, Arts of the African Diaspora, Barnes Foundation

Karuna Srikureja, Interpretive Specialist for Arts of Asia, Africa, and Oceania, Denver Art Museum

Anna Stothart, Co-founder, Davila-Villa & Stothart

Martin Strickland, Director of Curatorial Initiatives, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)

Yao-Fen You, Acting Director, Asian Pacific American Center, Smithsonian

ABOUT AAMC FOUNDATION 

The 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

###

2024 ART CURATORS CONFERENCE

DEADLINE JULY 31

We are thrilled to announce the commencement of the application process for session proposals centered around the theme of Now/Next for the 2024 Art Curators Conference. Organized by AAMC Foundation, this conference aims to explore the dynamic interplay between the past, present, and future in the world of museums, arts organizations, and related fields.

The event will take place in San Francisco, California, with all sessions and keynotes scheduled for Thursday, May 2, and Friday, May 3. Additional activities will be held on Wednesday, May 1, and Saturday, May 4.

At the 2024 Art Curators Conference, we seek to propel conversations that will shape the relevance, significance, and enduring value of our work for generations to come. Embracing the theme of Now/Next, we invite curators, arts professionals, collectors, artists, and advocates to participate actively in this transformative dialogue.

Join us in exploring the exciting possibilities of Now/Next and charting a path towards an inspiring future for the arts. We eagerly await your thoughtful proposals to make the 2024 Art Curators Conference an unforgettable event.

We invite all current AAMC members to submit their thought-provoking

panel proposals before July 31, 2023.

A few questions that might spark panel themes include: 

• What can curators and organizations do to further prioritize and advance inclusion and belonging across a complex understanding of identity? 
• Are there existing or new organizational models that will best support and grow the current and future relevance of our work?
• How can exhibition priorities and planning schedules be creatively thought through and managed in order to respond better to timely topics?
• Are there additional opportunities to investigate and bring forward multi-narrative perspectives and non-linear histories in acquisitions, labels, installations, permanent collections, exhibitions, and more? 
• Are there new ways of working and technological advancements that can help address and change entrenched behaviors impacting climate concerns, such as travel carbon footprints, storage and transportation for loans and permanent collections, escorts/trips for fairs, donor programs, and the like?

Proposal Guidelines:

• Proposals should consider varying ways in which curators can be a guiding voice in the Now/Next, with an emphasis on expanded views and not limited to curator-only perspectives.
• Themes explored in panels should reflect the broader societal context, including environmental, racial, equity, and heritage considerations.
• Proposals must encompass a holistic approach, investigating issues beyond the curatorial lens.
• Finalized speakers are not expected in the proposals, and inviting speakers is discouraged as suggestions and changes may be requested by the jurors.
• Inclusivity should be a primary consideration, encompassing diverse self-identifiers, fields of expertise, organizations, and geographic locations.
• Panels should adopt a discussion model, incorporating case studies and open dialogue, with time allocated for audience Q&A.
• Each panel can accommodate one virtual speaker.

Timeline and Vetting:

• Current AAMC members may submit their proposals through the online portal until July 31, 2023.
• The selection process will prioritize strong proposals while ensuring a balanced representation of topics relevant to curators from diverse institutions and specializations.
• Late submissions will not be considered.
• Successful proposals will receive notification by September 1, 2023.

FAQs:

• Only current AAMC members are eligible to submit proposals, and each proposal requires a moderator who commits to attending the Conference in-person.
• Panel participants, including moderators, will receive complimentary Conference registration, members' party tickets, a one-year membership (if eligible), and a $100 stipend. However, travel and accommodation expenses will not be covered.
• The conference encourages submissions that embrace diversity and inclusivity across various identifiers, backgrounds, and expertise.
• All panels are expected to adhere to the discussion model format, avoiding formal paper presentations.
• The AAMC may offer modification requests as part of the process to shape the overall Conference program.

Submit your proposals before the deadline: July 31, 2023.

The Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) Foundation announced the Professional Alliance for Curators of Color (PACC), an initiative designed to support curators of color around the globe, has opened applications for its third edition. Leveraging the AAMC Foundation’s experience and networks, the PACC program seeks to address issues of isolationism, racism, inequity, and lack of access that are far too often the experience for curators of color. 

With full funding provided for all travel, as well as a program stipend, the AAMC Foundation’s PACC program incorporates key elements of:

• Multi-day in-person intensive in NYC.  With featured speakers, workshops, and tours.
• DEAI consultant: Three dedicated group sessions, one in-person and three virtual, with Gigi Gilliard of Gigi Gilliard Development, an esteemed consultant that leads in both the corporate and nonprofit sector.
• Online sessions. Four to five additional virtual learning immersive sessions, with guest speakers and curatorial program advisor, Kelli Morgan.
• Art Curators Conference with private PACC workshop in San Francisco.  Concluding interactive in-person PACC workshop, with in-person attendance at the 2023 Art Curators Conference, including a Program Alumni Reception, Members’ Party, and full access to all activities.
• Mentor.  A one-on-one dedicated mentor connection for direct and confidential advice and guidance, over three to four virtual conversations.
• Peer-to-Peer:  In addition to peer-to-peer pairings throughout the program, this year Alliance members will also have an open meeting with PACC alumni. 
• Access: The fellows will receive complimentary access to AAMC Foundation’s full network and to all our professional development activities and website, which includes professional resources, a webinar archive, field-specific forums, and a member directory of 1,500 curators for a full two years. 

Applications are open to curators that self-identify as a person of color, with 2-5 years working experience as a curator (including fellowships) with full-time work in a nonprofit visual art organization within the last 12 - 16 months.  There is no cost to apply or to participate in the program.  Ten individuals will be awarded to participate in the program. 

For more information and to access the application, please click here.

The Professional Alliance for Curators of Color is made possible with support from the Getty Foundation.

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. Artcurators.org

A COMPETITIVE FELLOWSHIP FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF MID-CAREER VISUAL ART CURATORS IN THE VISUAL ARTS

New York, NY, May 11, 2023–AAMC Foundation has opened the next application cycle for its Propel Program, a multifaceted initiative designed to support and accelerate a curator’s mid-career advancement.  Formerly called the Mentorship Program, the Propel Program is the longest-running initiative of its kind, offering both training sessions and workshops as well as support through a professional network including a pairing with a senior curatorial mentor, a peer cohort, and alumni community.  Applications are now being accepted through June 1, 2023.

The Propel Program, throughout its history since 2014, has ensured diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging are core elements of its learning and engagement.  Past fellows have represented 10 countries, with nearly 60% from underserved race and ethnic backgrounds and over 90% identifying as female.  Since participating in the program, over 80% of the fellows have secured new and/or elevated positions.

The Propel Program created and led by AAMC Foundation, provides curators, with seven to ten years of full-time curatorial experience, the chance to investigate their career, its past, present, and future, through conscientious and inspired workshops, and a professional network for support and growth through a pairing with a senior curatorial visionary, a peer cohort, and alumni community.  A key element of the program is to amplify the individual curatorial voice of each Fellow to ensure that they are gaining access and opportunities to home in on the skills needed to succeed in the field, but importantly also learning to develop and advocate for their individual mission as a curator. 

Selected in a competitive, open application process and juror vetting, up to 10 Fellows are awarded the prestigious opportunity to participate in the established and respected program.  We encourage international and U.S.-based curators to apply who self-identify as being from underrepresented cultural, racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or socio-economic communities.

AAMC Foundation’s Propel Program highlights:

• Multi-day in-person intensive in New York City, featuring leading voices within the arts community and behind-the-scenes tours, along with one-on-one career consulting
• Four to five virtual learning immersive sessions
• End of program interactive in-person workshop
• Full access to the 2024 Art Curators Conference, including in-person attendance, and invites to the Program Alumni Reception and Members’ Party, and full access to all activities
• Pairing with senior curatorial leader for one-on-one virtual guidance, along with shadowing on a multi-day visit
• Individual Membership in AAMC to connect with over 1,500 members worldwide
• Access to AAMC’s programs, including curator-to-curator gatherings
• Stipend to participate
• Full funding for all travel and accommodation elements (intensives, workshops, and mentor visits)
• Peer network of cohort, and network of nearly 10 years of alumni

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and AAMC Foundation’s President Circle.

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. Artcurators.org

Contact

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

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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2023 CURATORIAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE ANNOUNCED

Association of Art Museum Curators Honors Achievements in the Field

New York, NY, May 7, 2023 —The Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) announced their 2023 Awards for Excellence recipients during a celebration held in NYC.   The Awards for Excellence, highly esteemed by art curators everywhere, are the only accolades by which curators directly honor their colleagues. 

Nearly 175 nominations were submitted and vetted by curator jurors from around the world, with importance placed upon how each entry reflected AAMC’s core values of inclusion, access, dialogue, and engagement.

“Each year it is a privilege to celebrate the work of curators that have advanced new methodologies, scholarship, and inclusion and access within the arts,” said Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, AAMC & AAMC Foundation, “It is thrilling to recognize this year’s awardees in-person, and acknowledge the dynamic dialogues and broader engagement their work has sought to achieve.”

Eleven projects were honored: 

• Myths of the West: Narrating Stories of the Land and People through Wichita Art Collections at the Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University for exhibition (organizational operating budget up to $10 million)

• Storied Objects: Métis Art in Relation at the Remai Modern for exhibition (organizational operating budget between $10 - $30 million, tied for the award)

• Talking Back to Power: Projects by Aram Han Sifuentes at the Skirball Cultural Center for exhibition (organizational operating budget between $10 - $30 million, tied for the award)

• On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America at the Peabody Essex Museum for exhibition (organizational operating budget above $30 million)

• African Modernism in America at the Fisk University Galleries for publication (organizational operating budget up to $10 million)

• Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen at the Bard Graduate Center for publication (organizational operating budget between $10 - $30 million)

• Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures for publication (organizational operating budget above $30 million)

• Joseph Urban: Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom at the Cincinnati Art Museum for digital exhibition

• Unpacking the Universe: The Making of an Exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for digital program

• Masterpieces from the Clowes Collection: Paintings at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for digital publication

• El Corazón Aúlla (Heart Howls): Latin American Feminist Performance in Revolt at The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation for non-catalog publication

Awarded lead curators were Doris Berger, George Bolster, Julia Burtenshaw, Sarah Chasse, Rhea Combs, Emma Cormack, Amy Dehan, Amanda Dotseth, Jacquelyn Coutre, Ksenya Gurshtein, Tarah Hogue, Karen Kramer,  Perrin Lathrop, Michele Majer, Diana Magaloni, Laura Mart, Tatiana Muñoz, Lan Morgan, Sherry Farrell Racette, Annette Schlagenhauff, Jamaal Sheats, and Kjell Wangensteen. A short film featuring each Awardee sharing their inspiration is available for download here.

The announcement party was part of AAMC’s larger series of events and gatherings held during the Art Curators Conference.  The Conference, created and presented annually by the Association of Art Museum Curators, is the singular largest gathering of curators from around the world.

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.

2023 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE LISTING

Exhibition (Organizational Operating Budget up to $10 Million)

Myths of the West: Narrating Stories of the Land and People through Wichita Art Collections, 

Ulrich Museum of Art

Lead Curator

Ksenya Gurshtein, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Urich Museum of Art, Wichita State University

Additional Project Lead

Josh Cornett, Mary Joan Waid / Steve Overstreet Curatorial Intern, Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University

Exhibition (Organizational Operating Budget of $10 – $30 Million)

Storied Objects: Métis Art in Relation

Remai Modern

Lead Curators

Tarah Hogue, Curator (Indigenous Art), Remai Modern

Sherry Farrell Racette, Faculty of Media, Art and Performance, University of Regina

Exhibition (Organizational Operating Budget of $10 – $30 Million)

Talking Back to Power: Projects by Aram Han Sifuentes

Skirball Cultural Center

Lead Curator

Laura Mart, Associate Curator, Skirball Cultural Center

Additional Project Lead

Aram Han Sifuentes, Artist 

Exhibition (Organizational Operating Budget above $30 Million)

On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America

Peabody Essex Museum

Lead Curators

Sarah Chasse, Associate Curator, Peabody Essex Museum

Karen Kramer, The Stuart W. and Elizabeth F. Pratt Curator of Native American and Oceanic Art and Culture, Peabody Essex Museum

Lan Morgan, Assistant Curator, Peabody Essex Museum

Additional Project Leads

Rebecca Bednarz, Editor for Curatorial Initiatives, Peabody Essex Museum

Mollie Denhard, Exhibition Preparator, Peabody Essex Museum

Adrienne Lalli Hills, Independent Consultant

Caitlin Lowrie, Senior Manager, Exhibition Planning, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

David Seibert, Exhibition Designer, Peabody Essex Museum 

Kathryn Smith, Associate Registrar, Peabody Essex Museum

Jackie Traynor, Exhibition Graphic Designer, Peabody Essex Museum

Chip Van Dyke, Associate Director of Media Production, Peabody Essex Museum

Publication (Organizational Operating Budget up to $10 Million)

African Modernism in America

Fisk University Galleries

Lead Curators

Perrin Lathrop, Assistant Curator of African Art, Princeton University Art Museum

Jamaal Sheats, Director and Curator, Fisk University Galleries

Additional Project Lead

Nikoo Paydar, Independent Curator, former Associate Curator, Fisk University Galleries

Publication (Organizational Operating Budget of $10 – $30 Million)

Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen

Bard Graduate Center

Lead Curators

Emma Cormack, Associate Curator, Bard Graduate Center

Michele Majer, Professor Emerita, Bard Graduate Center

Publication (Organizational Operating Budget above $30 Million)

Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Lead Curators

Doris Berger, Vice President, Curatorial Affairs, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Rhea Combs, Director, Curatorial Affairs, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

Digital Exhibition

Joseph Urban: Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom

Cincinnati Art Museum

Lead Curator

Amy Dehan, Curator of Decorative Arts & Design, Cincinnati Art Museum

Additional Project Leads

Emily Holthrop, Director of Learning & Interpretation, Cincinnati Art Museum

Doug Hovekamp, Executive Creative Director, MOJO PSG

Talia Shiroma, Curatorial Assistant, Arts of the Americas and Europe, Brooklyn Museum

Digital Program 

Unpacking the Universe: The Making of an Exhibition

Los Angeles County Museum of Art 

Lead Curators

Julia Burtenshaw, Associate Curator, Los Angeles County Museum of Art 

Diana Magaloni, Deputy Director, Program Director and Dr. Virginia Fields Curator of the Art of the Ancient Americas, Suzanne D. Booth and David G. Booth Conservation Center Director, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Additional Project Leads

Alexa Schultz, Screenwriter and Director, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Agnes Stauber, VP, Digital Content and Strategy, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Digital Publication 

Masterpieces from the Clowes Collection: Paintings

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Lead Curators

Jacquelyn Coutre, Eleanor Wood Prince Associate Curator, Art Institute of Chicago

Amanda Dotseth, Linda P. and William A. Custard Director, Meadows Museum, Southern Methodist University

Annette Schlagenhauff, Curator of European Art, 1800-1945, Indianapolis Museum of Art

Kjell Wangensteen, Associate Curator of American Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art

Additional Project Lead

Dylan Jensen, Editor and Manager of Publications, Indianapolis Museum of Art

Non-Catalog Publication

El Corazón Aúlla (Heart Howls): Latin American Feminist Performance in Revolt

The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation

Lead Curators

George Bolster, Curator, The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation

Tatiana Muñoz, Curator, The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation

Additional Project Lead

Anjuli Nanda Diamond, Executive Director, The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation

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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A Follow-Up to Vital 2020 Program that Attracted Over 4,000 Attendees, Webinar Series will be Live-streamed across three days in June 2023  

April 26, 2023, New York, NY– Art Fund and the AAMC Foundation are honored to produce Beyond Statements Revisited , a follow-up to the 2020 three-part webinar program. Held virtually this June and free and open to the public, the 2023 program will feature three individual sessions seeking to update, unpack, contextualize, and disseminate where the arts community is today and assess how organizations have advanced their commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion.  This program was developed in continuity with the speakers from all three sessions in the 2023 series, with gratitude towards their engagement in helping to shape these conversations,  and is presented by Art Fund and the AAMC Foundation.

Featuring experts in the fields of visual arts, nonprofits, and DEAIB, Beyond Statements Revisited will be held virtually on June 14, 21, and 28, 2023, at 11 AM ET/4 PM GMT. Pre-registration is encouraged, which allows the public to submit a question to the speakers in advance. The program will also be live-streamed on AAMC’s YouTube channel, where videos of the first three sessions are also available.

“At Art Fund, we work with museums, galleries, and historic houses across the UK to make their collections relevant and accessible to all. The support we offer helps them continue and develop the crucial work they are doing to diversify their audiences and workforce. In partnering with AAMC Foundation on this series, we hope to create an international forum for critical discourse and creative practice which will accelerate our urgent and shared aims to make the sector genuinely inclusive, representative, and free of discrimination”, said Rachael Browning, Deputy Director of Programme & Policy, Art Fund.   

Art Fund and the AAMC Foundation have collaborated on a curatorial exchange program between UK and US institutions since 2017.  In 2020, they jointly held a three-part webinar series Beyond Statements as a platform seeking to advance the conversation on structural racism by joining together voices in the US and UK to explore how museums can follow up on the then statements of support with tangible actions to address racial diversity, equity, and inclusive environments. 

Three years later, Beyond Statements Revisited investigates where the arts sector is now, discusses newly established DEAIB roles within institutions and their impact, and opens discourse about current and ongoing studies and research. Speakers in the 2023 series include Sepake Angiama, Artistic Director, Iniva; Rachael Browning, Deputy Director of Programme & Policy, Art Fund; Deborah Cullen-Morales, Program Officer, Arts and Culture Office, Mellon Foundation; Errol Francis, Artistic Director and CEO, Culture&; Charlotte Holmes, National Trust; Ali Jafarey, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead (worforce) in the People and Change Team, V&A; Reyahn King, Consultant, Facilitator and Executive Coach; Mia Locks, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Museums Moving Forward; Monica O. Montgomery, Cultural Consultant + Independent Curator, Co Founder Museum Hue; Tanya Odom, Program Director, Equity and Inclusion, Walton Family Foundation and AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees; susan pui san lok, Artist; Sandra Shakespeare, Museum and Heritage Consultant; and Virajita Singh, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

“As part of AAMC Foundation’s ongoing efforts to create an inclusive, equitable, and diverse curatorial field on an international level, the Beyond Statements program was conceived to provide an open forum to address the inequities, bias, and racism in the visual arts as a whole,” noted Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, AAMC & AAMC Foundation. “Three years later, we are honored to once again partner with such amazing speakers and Art Fund.”

This first webinar, on June 14, will advance the 2020 conversation on structural racism by joining together voices in the US and UK to explore how museums and art organizations have advanced, or not, their efforts towards tangible actions to address racial diversity, equity, and inclusive environments. The second session on June 21 will provide a context around newly established DEAIB roles and what those leaders need and see towards being able to have an impact and openly sharing the place of burden imposed often on the individuals in these roles.  Concluding the series, on June 28, the last session will look at new studies, surveys, and analyses, that are investigating the current state of the field, share transparently their findings, and help generate, through their findings, ways forward for a diverse, inclusive, and accessible visual arts community.  

The program is free.  For more information, please click here .

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. Artcurators.org 

ABOUT ART FUND 
Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. It provides millions of pounds every year to help museums to acquire and share works of art across the UK, further the professional development of their curators, and inspire more people to visit and enjoy their public programmes. Art Fund is independently funded, supported by Art Partners, donors, trusts and foundations and the 135,000 members who buy the National Art Pass, who enjoy free or discounted entry to over 850 museums, galleries and historic places, 50% off major exhibitions, and receive Art Quarterly magazine. Art Fund also supports museums through its annual prize, Art Fund Museum of the Year. The winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 is Horniman Museums & Gardens. www.artfund.org

CONTACT

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

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Free Guide Provides Detailed Insight into How Art Organizations Can Develop Inclusive Processes in Collecting Artist Demographic Information

April 20, 2023, New York, NY–   The AAMC Foundation has released the Best Practices in Artist Demographic Data Coordination, the first resource of its kind for art organizations providing a detailed overview of how to prepare for and execute an artist demographic and identity survey in a manner that is inclusive and fair, and that forefronts the voice of the artist.  

"As art organizations move forward with the goal of being more inclusive, they must better understand who is being collected and exhibited. Coordinating artists’ demographic data is a necessary step in this endeavor, but it is sensitive and complex work,” noted Michelle Jacques, Head of Exhibitions and Collections/Chief Curator, Remai Modern; President, Board of Trustees, AAMC and AAMC Foundation (2023 - 2025), “Developed in coordination with experts from the field,  the AAMC Foundation’s overview of best practices for gathering and analyzing information on artist identities provides a seminal guide for these processes."

Galvanized by the growing recognition that a re-assessment of the art and artists being collected and exhibited by organizations needs to be undertaken, the Best Practices Guide for Artist Demographic Data Coordination was developed by AAMC Foundation to serve as a foundational resource and advocacy tool for the industry.  Placing ethical and inclusive work as a primary factor, the publication offers readers a thoughtful and candid examination of the process.  

“For AAMC & AAMC Foundation, ethical and inclusive best practices are cornerstones of our mission, as evident through our programs, publications, and outreach,” added Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, AAMC & AAMC Foundation, and writer and lead on the Guide. “This publication presents ways forward that are relevant beyond the curatorial field and helpful and impactful for all visual-art spaces.”

The Guide builds upon previous handbooks and pledges developed by AAMC Foundation, such as its Call to Curators: DEAI Practices: Collections and Exhibitions, Code of Conduct for Curators, and Professional Practices for Art Curators in Nonprofits.  Collaborating with over 30 writers and readers from the visual art realm, supported by the Mellon Foundation, the in-depth document provides information throughout every phase of a demographic survey, including getting started; creating and implementing a questionnaire; data management and maintenance; case studies; and a sample questionnaire.   The document is available to download here.

The AAMC Foundation is grateful to the Mellon Foundation for its support of this project.

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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New York, NY, March 17, 2023 -- After a pandemic hiatus, AAMC Foundation is pleased to announce an upcoming In-Conversation event in Denver, Colorado, on May 19, 2023.

AAMC Foundation's regional programming series, In-Conversation, looks at critical issues facing our museum and art organization community through a curatorial lens. The Foundation is advancing advocacy and inclusion by bringing this public series forward, opening a dialogue within our host communities, and making connections across institutions.

The series is organized and supported by the AAMC Foundation. The open discussion format welcomes AAMC leadership, non-profit leaders, and voices from local communities to have an engaging dialogue on a focused subject. Following the discussion, AAMC welcomes the audience and speakers to continue the conversation at a brief reception. Past events have included: Digital & Outward Engagement, held in Philadelphia; Role of Art Organizations, held in New Haven; Multiple Voices to Build Inclusion, held in Seattle; Behind the Career Curtain, held in Chicago; Spark: Igniting Curiosity, the Curator's Impact, held in Toronto, Art and Social Justice, held in Los Angeles, Addressing Implicit Bias in Museums, held in Washington, D.C.; Preventing Looting: What Curators & All Museum Staff Can Do held in NYC, and Museum Directors on the Curatorial Role, held in Boston.

ART CURATORS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS

Early Bird Rate Closes March 1

February 25, 2023, NYC -- AAMC & AAMC Foundation announced speakers for the 2023 Art Curators Conference, to be held May 6 – 9.  The largest gathering of curators globally, attending the program provides individual curators expanded networks, professional learning, and leadership advancement capacity.  Non-curators can gain access to the program and curatorial audience through numerous sponsorship opportunities.

Centered on the theme of Empowerment, with virtual and in-person options for attendance, a pre-Conference webinar, and a post-Conference panel at TEFAF NY, the robust list of speakers highlight the importance of this crucial event within the curatorial community. The complete list of speakers also denotes their engagement in the program.

Dialogues during the Conference will consider curating across and between museum departments to challenge ideas of institutional knowledge and ownership; the role of the curator in public art contexts; what it means to empower voices outside the museum professional field as documenters and curators of their own experiences and art; Latinx exhibition and collection building; the state of DEAI work in museums; and further sessions. All conversations will consider the full spectrum of interpretations, investigating issues holistically and not solely through the curatorial lens.

Two major special events, gathering all Conference attendees and invited guests, include the Members’ Party at The Morgan Library & Museum and the Awards for Excellence Celebration honoring curatorial achievements.  In addition, a Program Alumni reception is scheduled, gathering and connecting fellows from the organization’s Mentorship Program, Engagement Program for International Curators, Curatorial Digital Leadership training, and Professional Alliance for Curators of Color.

For more information on the program, to register or sponsor, please visit artcurators.org.

2023 Art Curators Conference Speakers

Andrea Myers Achi, Assistant Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Curating Across/Between Departments

Beverly Adams, Estrellita Brodsky Curator of Latin American Art, Museum of Modern Art, Latinx Art in New York

Rocío Aranda-Alvarado, Senior Program Officer, Creativity and Free Expression, Ford Foundation, Latinx Art in New York

Sarah Osborne Bender, Head of Library Technical Services, National Gallery of Art, Best Practices Guide for Artist Demographic Data Coordination

Iwona Blazwick, Emeritus Curator Whitechapel Gallery, Curatorial Lead Arts AlUla, The Curator in Public Art

Angie Brice, Founder & CEO, Brice Consulting Group, LLC, Featured, Lead Speaker

Taína Caragol, Curator of Painting, Sculpture & Latinx Art and History, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Latinx Art in New York

Wendy Chang, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Programs, Rennie Collection; AAMC & AAMC Foundation, Board of Trustees, Introduction

Alisa Chiles, Assistant Curator of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Curating Across/Between Departments

Beth Citron, Independent Curator; AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees, Introduction

Ilaria Conti, Curator, American Federation of Arts,Trans-regional Conversations on Indigenous Practices, pre-Conference webinar 

Marissa Del Toro, Assistant Director of Exhibitions and Programs, NXTHVN, Best Practices Guide for Artist Demographic Data Coordination

Teresita Fernández, Artist, Featured, Lead Speaker

Tuliza Fleming, Interim Chief Curator of Visual Arts, National Museum of African American History and Culture; Vice President, Inclusion & Outreach, AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees, Introduction

Tracee Glab, Executive Director, Flint Institute of Arts, TEFAF Talks with Art Curators (AAMC): Leadership Now

Allison Glenn, Senior Curator, Public Art Fund, The Curator in Public Art

Marcela Guerrero, DeMartini Family Curator, Whitney Museum of American Art, Latinx Art in New York

Kenneth V. Hardy, Phd, Clinical & Organizational Consultant, Eikenberg Institute for Relationships, Featured, Lead Speaker

Lauren Haynes, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Programs, Queens Museum; Vice President, Fundraising; AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees, Introduction

David Max Horowitz, Assistant Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Best Practices Guide for Artist Demographic Data Coordination

Katherine Kasdorf, Associate Curator, Arts of Asia and the Islamic World, Detroit Institute of Arts, Outside/Inside

Ken Lum, Artist and Co-Founder, Monument Lab, The Curator in Public Art

Sade Lythcott, Chief Executive Officer, National Black Theatre (NBT), Local Voices: Culture @ 3 Building Community

Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe, Executive Director, Katonah Museum of Art, TEFAF Talks with Art Curators (AAMC): Leadership Now

Victoria Mattingly, DEI Data Expert, Author, and CEO, Mattingly Solutions, Best Practices Guide for Artist Demographic Data Coordination

Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Director, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Featured, Lead Speaker

Deborah Cullen Morales, Program Officer, Arts and Culture Program, Mellon Foundation, Introduction

Elizabeth Morrison, Senior Curator of Manuscripts, J. Paul Getty Museum; Vice President, Governance & Nominating; AAMC & AAMC Foundation, Board of Trustees, Introduction

Rodrigo Moura, Chief Curator, El Museo del Barrio, Latinx Art in New York

Liz Munsell, The Barnett & Annalee Newman Curator of Contemporary Art, The Jewish Museum, Best Practices Guide for Artist Demographic Data Coordination

Mary Kate O’Hare, Senior Art Advisor and Director, Modern and Contemporary Art at Citi Private Bank, Art Advisory & Finance, Citi Private Bank; Vice President, Finance and Audit, AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees, Introduction

Maurita N. Poole, Executive Director, Newcomb Art Museum, Curating Across/Between Departments

Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, Executive Director, Parrish Art Museum, TEFAF Talks with Art Curators (AAMC): Leadership Now

E. Carmen Ramos, Chief Curatorial and Conservation Officer, National Gallery of Art; AAMC & AAMC Foundation, Board of Trustees, Introduction

Brooke Kamin Rapaport, Artistic Director and Martin Friedman Chief Curator, Madison Square Park Conservancy, New York, The Curator in Public Art

Shoshana Resnikoff, Demmer Curator of 20th and 21st Century Design, Milwaukee Art Museum, Outside/Inside

Taryn Sacramone, Executive Director, Queens Theatre, Local Voices: Culture @ 3 Building Community

Lucy Sexton, Executive Director, New Yorkers for Culture and Arts, Local Voices: Culture @ 3 Building Community

Siddhartha V. Shah, John Wieland 1958 Director, Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, TEFAF Talks with Art Curators (AAMC): Leadership Now

Juliet Sorce, Executive Vice President, Resnicow and Associates; Vice President, Advocacy, AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees, Introduction

Akili Tommasino, Associate Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Curating Across/Between Departments

Lorilee Wastasecoot, Curator of Indigenous Art and Engagement, Legacy Art Galleries, Outside/Inside

ABOUT AAMC & AAMC FOUNDATION

Founded in 2001, the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) today has over 1,500 members from over 500+ institutions in over 40 countries. 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.

Contact

Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, 

judith.pineiro@artcurators.org

AAMC FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES TEN AWARDEES FOR ITS ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL CURATORS 

February 15, 2023, NEW YORK, NY — AAMC Foundation’s Engagement Program for International Curators (EPIC) offers a rare and valuable cross-cultural networking and exchange platform. In its eighth recurrence, EPIC has served curators across nearly 50 organizations in over 45 cities and 15 countries.  The AAMC Foundation is honored to announce the recipients of the 2023 EPIC program.

EPIC - U.K. Curators edition

Niv Allon, Associate Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Beatriz Lobo Britto, Curator Institute of International Visual Arts, Invia

Francesca Du Brock, Chief Curator, Anchorage Museum

Kimberli Gant, Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art, Brooklyn Museum

Rosalind McKever, Curator of Paintings and Drawings, Victoria and Albert Museum

John Kenneth Paranada, Curator of Art and Climate Change, Sainsburys Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia

EPIC - U.S. Art edition

Bevin Bradley, Assistant Curator, Remai Modern

Charlotte Flint, Assistant Curator, Hayward Gallery Touring, Southbank Centre

Claudia S. Preza, Assistant Curator, El Paso Museum of Art

Brittany Webb, Curator of 20th Century Art and the John Rhoden Collection, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

“EPIC is a distinctive program that extends peer-to-peer curator learning beyond a local and national level,” said Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, AAMC & AAMC Foundation. “As the international museum community grows more collaborative, we are proud to offer the opportunity that amplifies curatorial connectedness within this new global exchange.”

Through a free and open application process, fellows were selected for the EPIC U.S. Art edition with two International Awardees and two U.S. Liaisons exploring art of the United States, and the EPIC U.K. Curators edition with three U.K. Awardees and three U.S. Liaisons. Each edition’s cohort works together alongside the individual pairings' collaborative efforts.   Awarded pairings receive funding for a stipend, travel, accommodation, and per-diem to visit each other’s institutions and attend the 2023 Art Curators Conference, including registration and membership. 

The robust program is part of the AAMC Foundation’s efforts to create curatorial dialogues on a global level. This program is made possible through major support from the Art Fund and Terra Foundation for American Art.

ABOUT AAMC & AAMC FOUNDATION

Founded in 2001, the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) today has over 1,500 members from over 500+ institutions in over 40 countries. 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.

Contact

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