Admission Criteria

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Read CIMAM’s membership criteria of CIMAM Bylaws (below) before applying. Individuals and institutions willing to join CIMAM’s membership program agree to ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, CIMAM’s Principles of Deaccession, CIMAM Ethical Clauses of Governance, and CIMAM’s Code of Ethics. The members of the Board of CIMAM evaluate each application.

PART II

CIMAM ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

Article 7 CIMAM Membership program:

Individuals and Organizations wishing to join the CIMAM members program must accept the ICOM Museums Code of Ethics and CIMAM’s Principles of Deaccession. Institutions and individuals applying for CIMAM membership do not need to be ICOM members.

Individuals and institutions involved in any form of for-profit commercial activities in relation to artworks may not be members of CIMAM.

  • INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Institutional membership is open to contemporary and modern art museums* and archives that have been open to the public for over 5 years and can demonstrate an appropriate governance structure in accordance with the ICOM definition of a museum, with key museum functions (collection, conservation, research, exhibition and mediation) undertaken by professionals.

Institutions such as exhibition halls, Kunstvereine, biennials and art centers may not join CIMAM unless they can fulfill the above criteria.

Commercial modern and contemporary art galleries may not join CIMAM, as they do not meet the general criteria established in the ICOM articles of association.

Architecture companies may not join CIMAM, as they do not meet the general criteria established in the ICOM articles of association.

Embassies, consulates and artistic associations may not join CIMAM, as they do not meet the general criteria established in the ICOM articles of association. The staff of embassies, consulates and artistic associations may not join CIMAM unless they can establish a significant link between their work and the functions of an art museum.

Publishers, art transport companies, companies that produce or sell products to museums, or their owners or employees may not join CIMAM, as they do not meet the general criteria established in the ICOM articles of association.

  • INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP

Directors and curators working in modern and contemporary art museums and archives are eligible to join CIMAM.

Independent curators of modern and contemporary art, curators working in biennales, and non-collection-based modern and contemporary art institutions may join CIMAM if most of their field of professional activity is related to the functions of an art museum.

Commercial gallery curators and directors and modern and contemporary art dealers may not join CIMAM, as they do not meet the general criteria established in the ICOM articles of association.

Members of boards of directors, foundation boards, collectors, and other consultative bodies of a museum can only join CIMAM as contributing members unless they are working professionally in the field of modern and contemporary art museums.

  1. Applications may be submitted at any time. The CIMAM Board evaluates each request separately, and all individual and institutional applications submitted are subject to final approval by the CIMAM Board.
  2. Admission to CIMAM will be effective after approval of the request by the CIMAM Board, issuing of the corresponding invoice by the CIMAM offices, and receipt of the appropriate fee for the current triennium.
  3. To maintain their membership, CIMAM members should renew payment of their fee every 3 years, without resubmitting an application for membership.
  4. Associate membership is non-transferable.

Any reference to museums, collections, archives, institutions, exhibition halls, art centers, and exhibitions mentioned in the preceding section must be understood as referring to modern and/or contemporary art.

*ICOM articles of association, the definition of a museum (August 2022): “A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”

Article 8 The following categories of members shall exist within the Association:

a) Individual or Institutional Members. The persons and institutions defined in Article 7 of these Bylaws that have been accepted as full members by the Board of Directors of CIMAM.

b) Honorary Members. Those CIMAM Members who are considered to have performed outstanding services on behalf of CIMAM on the recommendation of the board. They are appointed for life. Individuals are awarded the title of Honorary Members by the General Assembly. They shall be full voting members.

c) Contributing Members (Patrons). Persons and organizations that wish to support CIMAM financially and are motivated by their interest in modern and/or contemporary art. These may include members of boards of directors, foundation boards, collectors, and other consultative bodies of a museum. Individuals and organizations who wish to be Contributing Members should apply to the Board for approval. They shall not be voting members.

No other category of membership shall be considered valid or applicable at any level other than those described.

Article 9 Members’ rights:

  1. The following are the rights of full members of the Association:

a) Eligibility for election to the Board. Individual members may submit their candidature to the Board.
b) Voting rights: All members have the right to vote at CIMAM’s General Assembly meetings and to vote in the elections to the Board.
c) Right of representation: All members have the right to be appointed as CIMAM’s representative to vote at the ICOM General Assembly and ICOM General Conference.
d) Right to participate: All members can participate in the activities and programs of the Association and attend the meetings organized.

  1. Contributing Members (Patrons) only have the right to participate recognized in paragraph (d) of the preceding paragraph.

Article 10 Members’ obligations:

  1. The following are the obligations of the Individual and Institutional Members:

a) Comply with these Bylaws.
b) Pay the quotas that are fixed.
c) Accept the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums and the General Principles on Conditions of Deaccession from Modern and Contemporary Museum Collections.
d) Abide by and comply with the resolutions validly adopted by the governing and representative bodies of the Association.

  1. Contributing and Honorary Members must fulfill the obligations indicated in the preceding paragraph, except for the payment of regular membership fees.

Article 11 Terminating the association with CIMAM:

  1. CIMAM’s voting affiliation may be voluntarily lost by resignation or by decision of the Board of Directors for one of the following reasons:
    a) Infringement of the ICOM's Code of Ethics and CIMAM's Code of Ethics.
    b) Non-payment of the subscription fee for the services agreed for a period of 3 years, unless an exemption has previously been agreed.

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