Programs and Working Groups
Sustainability, governance, best practices, learning, exchange and cooperation, and support for curatorial and professional development are some of the subjects in which CIMAM wants to take a leadership role in the international museum landscape through the projects developed by the Board throughout the three years of mandate in the different working groups.
CIMAM is the international committee for museums, collections, and professionals of modern and contemporary art, managed on a voluntary basis by a Board of 15 museum professionals from around the world, who work to ensure that the contribution of these institutions to the cultural, social and economic well-being of society is recognized and respected.
This mission is carried out through the projects developed in the different working groups in which the Board members participate to respond to the current concerns and evolving needs of modern and contemporary art museum professionals. With the different proposals presented in these working groups, CIMAM aims to assume a leadership role on issues of interest, contribute to the sustainability of the sector, and foster cooperation between art institutions to drive the sector's growth.
Each CIMAM Board member contributes to practical and strategic working groups to ensure global participation and perspective, recognize visionary practices, and address some of the most pressing challenges facing modern and contemporary museums today.
You can contact the CIMAM Board and the Executive Office at any time for sharing suggestions or queries you may have through the Members Only directory, or by emailing members@cimam.org. We will be happy to hear from you!
Membership Program
CIMAM has a platform that has more than 800 contacts with museum directors and curators of modern and contemporary art museums. Here, you will find all our active members with their contact details, and you can search by geographic data, job positions, or fields of interest to find the best connections.
Don't forget to always update your contact details and professional presentation to ensure the best of your connections within our community.
Annual Conference Contents Committee
This group works together with the hosting institution to identify the conference topic and sub-subjects for each day. The Annual Conference aims to anticipate and discuss questions relating to the running and development of contemporary art museums and collections worldwide. The Annual Conference is CIMAM’s most important event and CIMAM’s most relevant contribution to the field. The first CIMAM Annual Conference took place in 1962 in The Hague. Since then, the Committee has celebrated more than 50 conferences that have been held in over 30 different cities around the globe.
The CIMAM 2024 Annual Conference is being thought and designed by the Content Steering Committee consisting of: Clara Kim (Chair of the Contents Committee), Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Suzanne Cotter, Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; Joselina Cruz, Director/Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila; Amanda de la Garza, Artistic Deputy Director, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (MNCARS), Madrid; Rita Gonzalez, Terri and Michael Smooke Curator and Department Head Contemporary Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles; Aram Moshayedi, Interim Chief Curator, Hammer Museum at UCLA, Los Angeles, and Kitty Scott, Strategic Director, Fogo Island Arts / Shorefast, Toronto.
Don’t miss anything about CIMAM 2024 in Los Angeles!
Museum Watch Program
Initiated in 2012, the Museum Watch Program serves as an advocacy program that aims to assist modern and contemporary art museum professionals in dealing with critical situations that undermine their ability to undertake their professional practice and affect a museum’s ability to operate to international standards of best practice. The Museum Watch Committee meets on Fridays for 30 minutes regularly. An online form is available to anyone wishing to reach the MW.
The 2024-25 Museum Watch Committee consists of CIMAM Board members: Zeina Arida (Chair), Bart de Baere, Malgorzata Ludwisiak, Amanda de la Garza, Kitty Scott, Agustin Perez Rubio, and Yu Jin Seng.
Here, you can read about the Museum Watch's past public actions.
Travel Grant Program
CIMAM’s Travel Grant Program supports the curatorial and research development of individuals through their attendance at the Annual Conference. This working group aims to secure funding for the program ensuring the geographical diversity of opportunities in underrepresented areas. Travel grant applications are evaluated and conferred by CIMAM’s Travel Grant Committee, and the travel grant funder.
The 2023-25 Travel Grant Program Committee consists of CIMAM Board members: Agustin Perez Rubio (Chair), Clara M. Kim, Joselina Cruz, Amanda de la Garza, and Kamini Sawhney.
Learn more about the Travel Grant Program here.
Rapid Response Webinars
In May 2020 CIMAM took the new virtual scenario as an opportunity to launch a series of online activities addressed to our international community to reinforce the sense of connectivity through online meetings, in a peer-to-peer environment to share, learn, and be inspired by the experiences of other CIMAM professionals. Held every last Thursday of the month, Rapid Response Webinars are organized by Board members or CIMAM members who have submitted a webinar proposal, at different time zones and invited panelists.
The 2023-25 Rapid Response Webinars working group consists of CIMAM Board members: Malgorzata Ludwisiak (Chair), Kitty Scott, Yu Jin Seng, and Chus Martinez.
Watch all CIMAM’s Rapid Response Webinars here.
Sustainability and Ecology in Museum Practice
CIMAM is committed to addressing environmental issues. This program was launched in November 2019 to respond to the current climate emergency. It works in collaboration with ICOM, the experience of CIMAM members, and other experts and sources from the field to identify and put together a set of best practice guidelines, share and promote the tools to address the following questions and develop them collectively with CIMAM members: How can museums respond to the climate emergency?
The 2023-25 Sustainability and Ecology in Museum Practice working group consists of CIMAM Board members: Suzanne Cotter (Chair), Suhanya Raffel, Malgorzata Ludwisiak, Clara M. Kim, Kitty Scott, Leevi Happala, and Joselina Cruz.
See outcomes of the survey How Modern and Contemporary Art Museums are Acting to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?
Outstanding Museum Practices Award
The CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award recognizes the incredible work being done in museums around the world. It is dedicated to promoting excellence in innovation in modern and contemporary art museums, encouraging public accessibility and exchange, and sustainability within the sector.
Launched in 2021, the Award is based on nominations received from across the contemporary art museum sector and aims to give greater visibility to those practices that, independent of scale and level of resources, inspire us in their relevance and connection to people, communities, and context. Nominating an outstanding practice is an opportunity to celebrate the possibilities of museums that are making a real difference.
The 2023-25 CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practices Award steering committee consists of CIMAM Board members: Suzanne Cotter (Chair), Suhanya Raffel, Joselina Cruz, Leevi Haapala, Chus Martinez, and Kamini Sawhney.
Outstanding Museum Practice Award Winner 2023
CIMAM and ICOM – International Council of Museums
CIMAM’s strategic goal is to work closely with ICOM on key issues that concern museums globally, such as climate change, and ethics.
Read about the Museum Watch Governance Management Project initiated and developed with INTERCOM.
Fundraising and Membership Programs
Fundraising is an ongoing task for all CIMAM Board members while promoting the mission of CIMAM by attracting new individual and institutional members. As a largely volunteer-driven organization and acting as a not-for-profit organization, CIMAM relies on the generous support of individuals and organizations to sustain its day-to-day operations.
Learn here the value of supporting CIMAM and the benefits in return for the different levels of support.
CIMAM’s Executive Office
Four professionals are dedicated to coordinating the different working groups and implementing and managing all CIMAM activities and programs, including our relationships with members, patrons, and partners, communication, social media, and press, among others.
We would like to be in contact with you! Please send us an email with any queries or proposals you may want to share with us.
Inés Jover
Director CIMAM Executive Office
inesjover[at]cimam.org
Isabel Sozzi
CIMAM Administration and Production
members[at]cimam.org
Mireia Salvador Branera
CIMAM Administration and Production
members[at]cimam.org
Mireia Azuara
Head of CIMAM Communication & Sustainability
communication[at]cimam.org
General inquiries info[at]cimam.org
Membership members[at]cimam.org
Conference conference[at]cimam.org
Travel Grants travelgrants[at]cimam.org
President president[at]cimam.org