CIMAM 2024 Call for Travel Grant Applications

29 April 2024

CIMAM 2023 Annual Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo by Guido Limardo.

CIMAM – the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art – is delighted to offer around 30 travel grants to support the attendance of modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals at CIMAM’s 2024 Annual Conference that will be held in Los Angeles from 6 to 8 December 2024.

This three-day event is hosted by The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Hammer Museum, with the Getty Foundation as its major supporter.

→ The deadline to apply is Sunday 9 June 2024 at 23:00 hrs. CEST.

The CIMAM 2024 Travel Grant Program is generously supported by

The Getty Foundation, Los Angeles
Saastamoinen Foundation, Helsinki
Mercedes Vilardell, London/Mallorca
Aimée Labarrere de Servitje, Mexico
Eloisa Haudenschild, United States
Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Manila
OCA – Office for Contemporary Art Norway, Oslo
SAHA – Supporting Contemporary Art from Turkey, Istanbul
Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles
Byucksan Cultural Foundation, Seoul

Benefits for CIMAM 2024 Travel Grantees

The CIMAM Travel Grant Program aims to support the curatorial and research development, representation, and international visibility of the directors, curators, and professionals of modern and contemporary art museums residing in the countries listed below through their attendance at the CIMAM 2024 Annual Conference where the most current concerns on contemporary art practices will be discussed.

Awarded candidates benefit from unique networking opportunities through interaction and exchange with international museum directors and peers. Travel grantees become Members of CIMAM for the term they have been awarded.

The CIMAM Travel Grant Program provides a network of support for professional development by promoting equality and participation of contemporary art professionals from different countries and regions of the world in the Annual Conference.

About the CIMAM 2024 in Los Angeles

Sustainable Futures
How? When? for Whom?
6 to 8 December 2024

The CIMAM 2024 Annual Conference will bring together an international roster of museum directors, curators, architects, artists, and visionaries who are transforming the field. Through keynote speeches and panel format presentations and discussions, the conference will engage colleagues at the forefront of the field who are thinking anew about the intersection of museological practice, climate/social change, and contemporary art, and forging new models of sustainable practice in the cultural sector. Artists are central to this change—in pushing the conventions by challenging notions of what is 'collected' and 'preserved'; in re-defining the possibilities of art in relation to community engagement; and in centering indigenous perspectives and belief systems that fundamentally question the proscribed definitions of art as well as our relationship to nature and ecology.

Crucially, the conference will foreground the importance of indigenous worldviews in discussions about the intersection of art, ecology, and practice, providing spaces to think about sustainability as community-led, custodianship versus ownership, and intellectual and philosophical frameworks for what a museum can be.

The conference's content will align with Southern California’s landmark arts event PST ART, which returns in September 2024 with more than 60 exhibitions from museums and other institutions across the region, all exploring the intersections of art and science, both past and present. Dozens of cultural, scientific, and community organizations will join the latest edition, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, with exhibitions on subjects ranging from ancient cosmologies to Indigenous sci-fi, and from environmental justice to artificial intelligence. PST ART is a Getty initiative. Conference delegates will have specially organized tours and the opportunity to engage with artists and curators participating.

→ Read about the conference abstract and program here.

1) Eligibility and Criteria:

CIMAM Travel Grants are addressed to modern and contemporary art museum directors and curators in need of financial help to attend CIMAM’s Annual Conference. Researchers and independent curators whose field of research and specialization is contemporary art theory, collections, and museums, and most of their field of professional activity is related to the functions of an art museum, are also eligible.

Applicants should not be involved in any kind of commercial or for-profit activity, not dealing (i.e. buying and selling for profit) in the field of visual arts and cultural property, and neither be structurally engaged by a commercial art gallery or a company that produces or sell products to museums.

While professionals of all career levels are encouraged to apply, priority is given to junior directors and curators (with less than 10 years of experience).

Candidates who have previously received CIMAM grants from the same grant contributor may only be considered for a new grant after 3 full years since the previous grant was awarded.

The Getty Foundation, Los Angeles
Supports around 15 modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals residing in countries of Groups C and D of this list according to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) of every State. Due to US restrictions, professionals from Iran, North Korea, Syria, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Cuba may not be eligible for support or may be eligible for partial support only.

Saastamoinen Foundation, Helsinki
Supports 2 to 3 modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals residing in Finland, and the Baltic Countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania).

Mercedes Vilardell, London/Mallorca
Supports 2 to 3 modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals residing in the African continent.

Aimée Labarrere de Servitje, Mexico
Supports 2 to 3 modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals residing in Mexico.

Eloisa Haudenschild, United States
Supports 2 modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals residing in countries with emerging and developing economies according to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) of every State.

Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Philippines
Supports 2 modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals residing in the Philippines.

OCA – Office for Contemporary Art Norway, Oslo
Supports 2 to 3 modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals residing in Norway.

SAHA – Supporting Contemporary Art from Türkiye, Istanbul
Supports 2 to 3 modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals residing in Türkiye or Turkish passport holders residing elsewhere.

Spanish professionals, Spain
Supports 2 modern and contemporary art curators, directors, and museum professionals residing in Spain.

Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles
Supports 1 modern and contemporary art curator, director, and museum professional residing in Brazil.

Byucksan Cultural Foundation, Seoul
Supports 1 modern and contemporary art curator, director, and museum professional residing in the Republic of Korea.

2) Selection Process:

Travel grant applications are evaluated and conferred by CIMAM’s Travel Grant Committee, composed of members of the CIMAM Board.

Travel Grants will be conferred based on the assessment of the candidate’s genuine financial need, the potential benefit to their development and/or research, and the relevance of their field experience related to the objectives of CIMAM.

The CIMAM Travel Grant Selection Committee is committed to promoting fairness and non-discrimination in its selection process and strives to provide equal opportunities to all individuals, regardless of race, gender, religion, or other factors.

Candidates should clearly state their current country of residence. The CIMAM Travel Grant Committee will take into consideration the current country of residence, not the nationality, as the eligibility criteria unless stated specifically by the Travel Grant Funder.

3) What covers the CIMAM Travel Grant?

The grant aims to allow selected candidates to attend the CIMAM 2024 Annual Conference and access not only the speaker presentations but also all the activities scheduled during the 3-day conference such as the workshops, panels, and visits to the main contemporary art exhibitions in the city where the Annual Conference takes place.

The grant will cover the following:

Conference registration. Includes access to all conference sessions, lunches, dinners, refreshment breaks, access to organized visits, and coach service to and from planned visits during the 3 conference days.
Travel expenses (train, bus, or round-trip economy flight ticket).
Four-night accommodation in one of the hotels recommended by CIMAM.
CIMAM membership for the period awarded (until December 2025).

The distribution of funds is set on a case-by-case basis for each recipient.

CIMAM books and pre-pays all expenses directly (travel and accommodation) avoiding reimbursements to any grantee to facilitate accountability and tracking of the funds that CIMAM is accountable for.

The grant will not cover:

Registration and expenses related to the pre and/or post-conference tour.
Transportation to/from the airport, visa expenses, travel insurance.
Any additional expenses such as mini-bar items, room service, telephone, etc.

Selected candidates should arrange their insurance and their entry visa to the country where the CIMAM Annual Conference takes place. While CIMAM will support the candidates’ visa application process, neither the Travel Grant Funder nor CIMAM will be held liable for the visa application process and outcomes, or any personal accidents, losses, or damage to the private property of any candidates.

4) Application Process:

Candidates are invited to complete an online application form and include a short résumé, a motivation statement, the list of exhibitions and publications produced in the last 5 years, and two letters or email messages of recommendation in support of the candidates - they should be issued by museum professionals or scholars who are familiar with their work and/or qualifications.

Current Members of CIMAM (2023-25) need to provide the names and contact details of 2 referees but are exempt from providing 2 letters or emails of recommendation.

Applicants will need to select for which Travel Grant Funder they want to apply for support.

Candidates should check before submitting a grant application if they are required to obtain a visa to enter the country where the CIMAM Annual Conference takes place and to ensure they are eligible to obtain the entry visa, and that it is a feasible process.

Successful candidates will need to complete an online Acceptance Form and agree with the Travel Grant’s standard Terms and Conditions, as well as the travel and accommodation arrangements.

5) Timeline:

CIMAM will follow the proposed calendar below, although some dates may be slightly adjusted:

29 April–9 June 23:00 hrs CEST: Open call for travel grants.
12 June – 30 June: Selection of candidates.
5 July: Beneficiaries are informed.
8 – 22 July: Travel and accommodation are arranged for grantees.
18 September 2024: Announcement of CIMAM 2024 Travel Grant Beneficiaries.
22 December 2024: Deadline for Travel Grant Beneficiaries to submit their written reports.

6) Becoming a CIMAM Ambassador:

When awarded a CIMAM Travel Grant, professionals become CIMAM Ambassadors and are invited to actively participate in CIMAM programs throughout the year. They will be expected to assist other professionals in their region wishing to join the CIMAM network by being their referees, encourage other professionals to apply for the Travel Grant Program and attend the Annual Conference, participate in the Rapid Responses Webinars and CIMAM Connects sessions as well as taking part in OMPA’s Award by identifying and nominating outstanding museum practices in their region. These events are unique opportunities to strengthen the international community of professionals promoting the best contemporary art museum practice.

Should you have any questions about your grant application or membership status please email us before submitting your application to travelgrants@cimam.org.