Art Curators Conference  

April 30 - May 3, 2022

NYC and Virtual

Following two years of entirely virtual Art Curators Conferences, we were pleased to host our first hybrid (in-person and virtual) Conference in New York City and online April 30 - May 3, 2022.

Through a hybrid format, we ensured access and engagement to our Conference content to much of our audience. The program will included live and virtual speakers and attendees alongside in-person and virtual networking and socializing opportunities.

In selecting our 2022 theme, Sustainability & Revitalization, the program included dialogues reflecting the topic from the standpoint of environmental, societal, racial, equity, and heritage. Panels considered numerous angles, such as creating organizational and department financial sustainability; concepts pertaining to preserving art, culture and shared heritage; changing organizational structures; evaluating our collection policies; ensuring a smaller carbon footprint in our work; and many others. Conversations considered the full spectrum of interpretations, investigating issues holistically and not solely through the curatorial lens.

Registrations of many of the Conference sessions are available to Conference registrants on the Socio, and will be made available to the general public on September 1, 2022.

SAVE THE DATE

2023 Art Curators Conference

New York City |

Please email aamc@artcurators.org with any questions.

In-person registration is $430 for early bird tickets, open February 9 - March 2, and $475 for regular registration, open March 3 - April 14. Virtual registration is $150 and is open February 9 - April 27. Registration for the Conference is open to current members, sponsors, supporters, and invited guests of AAMC. To learn more about joining as a member of AAMC, please click here. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact development@artcurators.org.

New York City (NYC) is no longer requiring proof of vaccination or masking at large indoor gatherings as of March 7, 2022. As noted in prior health notices related to the Conference, AAMC is adhering to all the health and safety protocols as set by NYC and NYS. While the regulations may change again, we are as of March 14, not requiring proof of vaccination or requiring masks to attend the Conference. Kindly note that this does not preclude any regulations set forth for travel or entering the U.S. - these are only NYC and/or NYS regulations.

AAMC & AAMC Foundation are committed to prioritizing the health and safety of all Conference attendees and ensuring that the Conference is a safe and comfortable space for all. Attendees should feel free to be masked and social distance as they are comfortable. All AAMC staff at the Conference will be fully vaccinated. Hand sanitizer will be provided and will be made available throughout Conference venues, and we ask attendees to sanitize frequently. By registering, all in-person attendees agree to adhere to these requirements, and to any updated requirements as mandated by NYS, NYC, U.S. and/or our Conference venue.

Each registration agrees to not hold AAMC, AAMC Foundation, and the Conference venue liable if they come in to contact with someone COVID positive or test positive for COVID after the Conference and any related events. For any questions about protocols, exemptions, or our health and safety procedures, please email Lucy.Lydon@artcurators.org.

All in-person sessions will be held at New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, 333 Adams Street in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City.

Our Conference room block is now closed.

Sponsor, Advertise or Donate!

Learn more about sponsoring/advertising to our international audience of curators here.

Individual donors can support directly --click here.

• Keynote Interview: Pamela J. Joyner on The Black Trustees Alliance In-Conversation with Brooke A. Minto Executive Director, Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums
• Keynote Address by Gretchen Jennings, Co-Founder, The Empathetic Museum on Empathy as Action 
• On Becoming and Being a Cross-Racial Ally: Tips and Tactics for Talking about Race (Part II) with Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy, Ph.D., Clinical & Organizational Consultant, Eikenberg Institute for Relationships
• Jennifer Atkinson, Associate Professor of Environmental Humanities, University of Washington, Bothell on Building Resilience for a Climate-Changed Future
• Address by Lisa Gold, Executive Director, Asian American Arts Alliance 
• Championing Cultural Diversity at BRIC with Elizabeth Ferrer, Chief Curator, BRIC

(Art)Tourism as Spectatorship?
This session inquires into the notion of the (art)tourist as a spectator who, often seen as a passive viewer, is, in actuality, an active contributor to the precarization of many communities around the world. This conversation will address spectatorship in the context of mass tourism, contemporary mega cultural events, historic formats such as the Grand Tour of the 17th- mid-19th-century and the often-present exoticism within the framing of heritage cities that are re-imagined as tourist destinations, such as Petra in Jordan. Together we will raise questions such as: How has the external gaze of the tourist shaped the local identity and heritage of historic tourist destinations such as Venice, Istanbul, Athens, or Cairo? How do we re-orient the one-dimensional gaze of historic tourism to allow for accounts that include the living realities of the local? How can the exchange and interaction between host and visitors be mutually beneficial, equitable, and reciprocal, especially for art visitors and museums? 

Moderator & Organizer
Ameli Klein, Co-Founder, Collective Rewilding

Panelists
Jonathan S. Bell, Vice President of Programs, World Monuments Fund
Adam Cvijanovic, Artist
Waleed Hazbun, Richard L. Chambers Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, University of Alabama
Manijeh Verghese, Director, Unscene Architecture, Co-curator of the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2021

Exhibiting Difficult Knowledge
How can we reimagine the exhibition of art that engages with trauma? “Difficult knowledge” is a term introduced by scholar Deborah Britzman to describe knowledge that involves narratives of social and historical trauma ¬– such as genocide, slavery, and other forms of cultural violence. If we consider art as an aesthetic, visceral experience of knowledge, we can acknowledge the challenges that such practices present for both artists and audiences. This panel wishes to gather a broad range of curators, artists, art educators, and interpretive planners to reflect about the aesthetic experiences of “difficult art”. We will focus on art produced, curated and interpreted by racial, sexual and cultural minorities. Mobilized by recent and ongoing discussions about museum decolonization and discourse diversity, we intend to explore innovative modes of curatorial approaches, installation strategies, and audience relationships with art that originates from collective trauma.

Moderator & Organizer
Renata Azevedo Moreira, Assistant Curator, Indigenous + Canadian Art Department, Art Gallery of Ontario

Panelists
asinnajaq, Independent
Siddhartha V.Shah, Director of Education and Civic Engagement; Curator of South Asian Art, Peabody Essex Museum
Ashley James, Associate Curator, Contemporary Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Understanding NFTs and the Opportunity for Museums
Join Sotheby's Advisory for a panel discussion surrounding the evolution and importance of NFTs and their impact on the cultural landscape. Topics will include history of blockchain technology, recent market developments and milestones and provide a greater understanding of the unique and creative opportunities for artists and institutions to engage with this technology, break down physical barriers of physical and venture into this ever evolving and highly visible digital sphere.  Panelists will address questions surrounding sustainability, viability and growth of NFTs--asking the questions are NFTs here to stay and are there meaningful and authentic ways for institutions to employ the metaverse.  Considerations will include conversations prompting new means of diversifying audience engagement, expansion of digital art, capturing provenance, creating additional fundraising channels and patrons programs all through NFTs and blockchain technology.

Moderator
Christy Coombs, Senior Vice President, Sotheby's Advisory

Panelists
Nina del Rio, SVP, Vice Chairman and Head of Sotheby's Advisory, Sotheby's

Charlotte Eytan, Director, Particle Collection

Jose Rosero-Curet, Community Leader Manager, DoinGud

Changing the Day
At the forefront of discussions within the arts community are unionization, salary and benefit transparency, pay equity, and work-life centered schedules. This panel will open a conversation and dialogue around these topics to look at questions such as: Can we truly revitalize working in the arts, including nonprofit organizations, by reimagining past employment concepts? How can we implement new ways of working to ensure an inclusive, equitable and sustainable arts community?

Moderator
Angie Brice Thomas, Founder & CEO, Brice Consulting Group, LLC

Panelists
Rachel Adams, Chief Curator and Director of Programs, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
Elsa Hiltner, Co-Founder, On Our Team
Mia Locks, Head of Strategy, Museums Moving Forward
Adam Rizzo, Coordinator of College and Pre-Professional Programs and Museum Educator, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Decentralizing the Curatorial
Decentralized curatorial models can take place in a variety of forms: from inviting artists and community to share the decision on the program to completely abolishing roles and hierarchies within organizations. From three different perspectives — artist-led, community and global — this panel discussion explores experimental models of curating, aiming to open up institutions for critique and collective change, reevaluating its program, collection and, ultimately, governance. Through an honest conversation, challenging topics will be explored, such as how the panel participants approach their boards of trustees, how to manage their communities' expectations and how to be empathetic, self-reflective curators.

Moderator & Organizer
Beatriz Lobo Britto, Curator, Institute of International Visual Arts - iniva

Panelists
Connie Bell, Co-Founder, Decolonising The Archive & University of Repair
Niomi Fairweather, Curator, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
Jasmine Wahi, Founder x Co Director, Project for Empty Space   

Insights into Vetting at the TEFAF Fair
This panel discussion aims to elucidate the stringent and transparent vetting standards and procedures that are continually evolving at The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF). TEFAF Is unique in that it hosts a vetting process and is dedicated to vetting committees and the overall vetting process and remains a pillar of their efforts. The fairs in Maastricht and New York bring together the world’s leading experts from a multitude of disciplines to adhere to and implement procedures and regulations, enabling TEFAF to create a very high standard that applies across all its fairs. During this conversation, we will share the importance and challenges of vetting artwork, why the process matters, and center on how the process works, the challenges faced, and also how vetting committees and participants are chosen.

Moderator

Helga Aurisch, Curator of European Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Panelists
Andrea Achi, Assistant Curator, Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Carol S. Eliel, Senior Curator of Modern Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Past President, Trustee Emerita, AAMC & AAMC Foundation
Wim Pijbes, Director, Droom en Daad Foundation
Arthur Wheelock , Senior Advisor, The Leiden Collection

FOCUS: Confronting Environmental Crisis
This half day program is dedicated to the environmental crisis.  Multiple conversations will offer a variety of perspectives on how museums, curators, conservators, academics, and creatives are confronting climate change, sea level rise, and other aspects of the evolving global environmental crisis. As museum professionals, what can we do to address a grave situation that has profound implications on all aspects of our cultural practices? Analogous to the airline announcement to put on your own mask before assisting others, this session begins with self-care, and then looks at the response to the crisis from a global policy perspective and through the lens of curatorial, conservation, and artistic practice.

Jennifer Atkinson, Associate Professor of Environmental Humanities, University of Washington, Bothell on Building Resilience for a Climate-Changed Future

Climate Impact Fieldwork

Moderator & Organizer
Marianne Lamonaca, Director of the Humanities Edge, Florida International University; President, Board of Trustees, AAMC & AAMC Foundation

Panelists
Vincent Beltran, Associate Scientist, Getty Conservation Institute
Cat Dunn, Social Justice Curator, Associate Lecturer and PhD Researcher, DJCAD, University of Dundee
Aaron Leggett, Senior Curator, Alaska History & Indigenous Cultures, Anchorage Museum
Diana Pardue, Chief, Museum Services Division, Statue of Liberty National Monument, National Park Service

A Conversation with between Xavier Cortada, Artist and Professor of Practice, Deptartment of Art & Art History, University of Miami and Jane Winchell, Sarah Fraser Robbins Director of the Art & Nature Center, and Curator of Natural History, Peabody Essex Museum

SATURDAY, APRIL 30

All events held at New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge and virtually, except where noted.

9:30 – 11:30 AM ET
Professional Alliance for Curators of Color (PACC) Workshop
Private event - by invitation only.

1:00 – 2:30 PM ET
Mentorship Program Workshop
Private event - by invitation only.

3:00 – 4:30 PM ET
Program Alumni Event
Private event - by invitation only.

SUNDAY, MAY 1

All events held at New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge and virtually, except where noted.

8:00 - 9:00 AM ET
Coffee Reception
In-person only.

9:00 - 9:15 AM ET
Welcome Remarks

9:15 - 10:30 AM ET
Keynote Address by Gretchen Jennings, Co-Founder, The Empathetic Museum on Empathy as Action

10:30 - 10:45 AM ET
Break

10:45 - 11:45 AM ET
Art Tourism as Spectatorship?

11:45 AM - 1:00 PM ET
RoundTables: Sustainability
Virtual & in-person. In-person RoundTables include a boxed lunch.

• Provenance Impact
• Courier Policies
• Exhibition Design
• Digital Publications (In-person only)
• Community Partnering (In-person only)
• Storage (In-person only)
• Deaccessioning: A Sotheby’s RoundTable (In-person only)

1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
Exhibiting Difficult Knowledge

2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
NFTs: A Conversation by Sotheby’s

4:00 - 5:30 PM ET
Awards for Excellence Celebration


MONDAY, MAY 2

All events held at New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge and virtually, except where noted.

8:00 - 9:00 AM ET
Coffee Reception
In-person only.

9:00 - 9:15 AM ET
Welcome Remarks

9:15 - 10:30 AM ET
Workshop: On Becoming and Being a Cross-Racial Ally: Tips and Tactics for Talking about Race (Part II) with Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy, Clinical & Organizational Consultant, Eikenberg Institute for Relationships

10:30 - 10:45 AM ET
Break

10:45 - 11:45 AM ET
Changing the Day

11:45 AM - 1:00 PM ET
RoundTables: Revitalization
Virtual & in-person. In-person RoundTables include a boxed lunch.

• Shifting Acquisitions
• Hiring Practices
• Active Anti-Racist Advocacy
• Inclusive Management Structures (In-person only)
• Remote and Hybrid Work Schedules (In-person only)
• Colonialism in Permanent Collections (In-person only)
  

1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
Decentralizing the Curatorial

2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Keynote Interview: Pamela J. Joyner on The Black Trustees Alliance In-Conversation with Brooke A. Minto, Executive Director, Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums

3:00 - 3:15 PM ET
Break

3:15 - 3:30 PM ET
Championing Cultural Diversity at BRIC with Elizabeth Ferrer, Chief Curator, BRIC

3:30 - 4:15 PM ET
Insights into Vetting at the TEFAF Fair

7:00 - 8:30 PM ET
Members' Party
The Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York, NY 10014
Ticketed event - pre-registration required. In-person only.

TUESDAY, MAY 3

All events held at New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge and virtually, except where noted.

8:00 - 9:00 AM ET
Coffee Reception
In-person only.

9:00 - 9:15 AM ET
Remarks by Lisa Gold, Executive Director, Asian American Arts Alliance

9:15 - 12:00 PM ET
FOCUS: Confronting Environmental Crisis

9:20 - 9:50 AM ET -  Jennifer Atkinson, Associate Professor of Environmental Humanities, University of Washington, Bothell, on Building Resilience for a Climate-Changed Future

9:50 - 10:50 AM ET - Climate Impact Fieldwork

10:50 - 11:15 AM ET - Break

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM -  Conversation between Xavier Cortada, Artist and Professor of Practice, Department of Art & Art History, University of Miami and Jane Winchell, Sarah Fraser Robbins Director of the Art & Nature Center, and Curator of Natural History, Peabody Essex Museum

12:15 PM -  Concluding Remarks by Judith Pineiro, Executive Director, AAMC & AAMC Foundation

What safety precautions will be in place for the in-person Conference?
AAMC & AAMC Foundation are committed to prioritizing the health and safety of all Conference attendees and ensuring that the Conference is a safe and comfortable space for all. We will implement and enforce all New York City and New York State health and safety protocols, and will update all attendees if recommendations from the CDC, city agencies, and state agencies require us to change our policies and procedures. Our current protocols include:

• All Conference attendees and staff will be required to show proof of vaccination through a CDC issued card or Excelsior Pass. In accordance with CDC's definition, fully vaccinated is defined as 14 days past an individual's last vaccination dose in their initial vaccine series.
• Face masks must be worn for the duration of any and all Conference events except when actively eating or drinking.
• Hand sanitizer will be provided and will be made available throughout Conference venues.
  

What is the difference between an in-person and a virtual registration?
Virtual attendees receive access to live streams of Conference keynotes, panels, workshops, and the Awards for Excellence Celebration, as well as access to virtual RoundTable breakout discussions.

In-person registration includes access to all in-person Conference keynotes, panels, RoundTables, and the Awards for Excellence Celebration at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. Registration also includes boxed lunch on Sunday and Monday, and coffee on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday morning.

All attendees receive access to the Conference platform, Socio, where you can chat with other attendees, learn more about our speakers and sessions, and view information about our advertisers and sponsors. Socio is also an app for in-person attendees to use for scheduling.

All registrants will receive access to elements of the Conference that are recorded - not all elements will be recorded. All RoundTables, the Awards Celebration, and the workshop will not be recorded, as well as any portion of the program as requested by a speaker.

I registered for the Conference in-person, but now would only like to attend online. Can I receive a refund for the difference?
Should you require to change your in-person registration to a virtual registration, an $150 administrative fee will be charged to accommodate processing charges, labor, and deposits to vendors will be applicable to transfer your registration; the remaining balance will be refunded to you. All requests to change a registration must be received no later than 10am on April 15th and should be sent to Lucy.Lydon@artcurators.org.

Can my colleagues and I watch together? Do you offer group registrations for virtual registrations?
We offer virtual Group Watch Party tickets to curators from the same institution. Institutions purchasing three to five registrations will receive a 10% discount, and those purchasing six or more registrations will receive a 15% discount. The discount must be requested before registrations are completed, and all registrations must be done together in one payment. They cannot be bundled after individual registrations are complete. Email Lucy.Lydon@artcurators.org to learn more.

Will sessions be recorded?
Recordings of all panels and keynotes will be made available to Conference registrants after the Conference concludes. Please note that breakout sessions and the workshop will not be recorded, as well as any portion of the program as requested by a speaker. Recordings will also be available for purchase for those who did not register for the Conference.

How can I access the Conference platform?
Only registered Conference attendees have access to the Conference platform. Registrants will receive an email from AAMC with access to the platform on April 1. If you have not received your access email, please contact Lucy.Lydon@artcurators.org.

Thank you to the following for their support and enthusiasm for the 2021 Art Curators Conference.

LEAD SPONSOR

FRIEND

BENEFACTOR

SUPPORTER

Foundation Supporter

Individual Donors

PATRON

Marie-Josée Kravis

Michi Jigarjian

Ronay and Richard Menschel

Fred and Nancy Poses

Anthony and Sandra Tamer

PARTNER

Miyoung Lee

Mary Pontillo

Cristin Tierney

All Conference tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable. Should you require to change your in-person registration to a virtual registration, please email Lucy.Lydon@artcurators.org. A $150 administrative fee to accommodate processing charges, labor, and deposits to vendors will be applicable to transfer your registration; the remaining balance will be refunded to the purchaser. To be reimbursed the remaining balance, the request to change to a virtual ticket must be sent in writing to Lucy.Lydon@artcurators.org before 10am ET on April 15. Any changes after that date/time will be accommodated but without refund.

ABOUT THE ART CURATORS CONFERENCE

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

The Conference, open to all AAMC members and invited guests, fosters the profession's cohesiveness by addressing issues of national relevance, by assisting in professional development, and by promoting dialogue and exchange among curators. If you would like information on attending or supporting the Annual Conference & Meeting, please contact us at aamc@artcurators.org.