Celebrating 20 Years of the CIMAM Travel Grant Program

In 2025, CIMAM proudly celebrates the 20th anniversary of its Travel Grant Program, an initiative that has supported the participation of over 400 museum professionals from around the world in CIMAM’s Annual Conferences.

Since its creation, the Travel Grant Program has been key to fulfilling CIMAM’s mission to provide a forum for communication and collaborative learning among modern and contemporary art museum professionals worldwide. CIMAM seeks to foster the exchange of ideas and develop resources that support ethical leadership and best practices toward a common vision where the contribution of museums to social and economic development is recognized and valued.

At the heart of CIMAM’s activity is the Annual Conference, the organization’s flagship event and a vital and safe space for critical reflection. Now in its 57th edition, the conference brings together modern and contemporary museum directors and curators from across the globe to address the most pressing issues facing museums today—anticipating challenges, identifying trends, and sharing innovative models.

To ensure this forum remains inclusive, diverse, and globally representative, the Travel Grant Program supports professionals from emerging economies, supporting their professional growth by encouraging them to contribute their voices and perspectives to international conversation, while fostering their education and museum practices development through dialogue, exchange, and expanded professional networks. These voices are essential to recalibrating how CIMAM articulates and promotes best practices for the museum sector.

CIMAM Celebrates 20 Years of the Travel Grant Program in Partnership with the Getty Foundation

The celebration of this anniversary would not be possible without the steadfast support of our principal program sponsor, the Getty Foundation, a long-standing partner of CIMAM since the inception of this program, and the contributions of other funders over the years. On this special milestone, CIMAM is also pleased to welcome back Fundación Cisneros/Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, a key founding supporter of the Travel Grant Program from 2005 to 2016. Their renewed involvement underscores a continued commitment to fostering professional development and international exchange in the field of modern and contemporary art.

Thanks to this collective support, more than 400 professionals from around the world have been able to join the conversation and expand their networks and knowledge during and after the conferences, as all grantees become members of CIMAM for the current term.

The Getty Foundation is not only a vital supporter of the Travel Grant Program, but also a key partner in CIMAM’s Rapid Response Webinars, a series of online meetings moderated by CIMAM Board members and featuring expert voices across the museum field, which helps us keep the conversation going between members throughout the year approaching urgent topics, and preserve these spaces for communication and shared learning.

We are deeply grateful for Getty’s continued trust and generous support, which helps sustain spaces for connection, reflection, and professional growth—championing inclusion and diversity across the global museum landscape.

Last year, CIMAM’s Annual Conference took place in Los Angeles for the second time in the organization’s history. Attendees had the opportunity to visit the Getty supported PST ART exhibitions and installations and meet Joan Weinstein, the Foundation's Director.

As part of this celebration, we are honored to interview Joan to reflect on the significance and future of the CIMAM Travel Grant Program.

Interview with Joan Weinstein, Director, Getty Foundation

The Getty Foundation has supported CIMAM’s Travel Grant Program since its inception. What drew Getty to this initiative, and why has it remained a priority for two decades?

CIMAM has always had its finger on the pulse of critical issues in modern and contemporary art museums, and the annual conference continues to be an essential forum for discussion and debate. As an international funder, we’ve consistently prioritized the inclusion of new voices and fresh perspectives from around the world in field-shaping conversations. We also believe in creating networks. Supporting the CIMAM Travel Grant Program has been and continues to be a great way to ensure this.

From your perspective, what impact do these travel grants have on the professional trajectories of the recipients and the field at large?

I’ve heard countless stories of fruitful partnerships that started with CIMAM travel grants, and I know that several travel grant recipients have gone on to serve on CIMAM’s board. From everything I’ve observed, the new perspectives that have come from professionals working in very different contexts around the world have broadened the discussions about what museums are and what they can be. Personally, I’ve benefitted greatly from these conversations as well!

How do you see the role of international gatherings like CIMAM’s Annual Conference in shaping museum practice today?

Civic discourse has grown increasingly divisive, and people are yearning for connection. We also know that today’s biggest problems such as the climate crisis or rising authoritarianism require collaboration and collective action. International gatherings like the CIMAM conference provide the space to foster dialogue, build new professional connections and partnerships, and sustain existing relationships. In particular, when it comes to preserving curatorial freedom in places of political tension, gathering in person offers a welcome safe space to share stories and get support from colleagues.

Why is supporting diversity and inclusion in these global conversations so important, especially now?

I already mentioned the climate crisis as one of the most important global conversations now, and we know that this disproportionately affects vulnerable regions that have historically been underrepresented in the field. If we want to make real change, we need to make sure everyone has a seat at the table.

In addition to the Travel Grant Program, Getty supports CIMAM’s Rapid Response Webinars, online peer-to-peer discussions that foster knowledge sharing and inspirational talks. How do you see these digital platforms complementing in-person gatherings?

We started supporting the Rapid Response Webinars during and after COVID as a way to help CIMAM preserve connectivity when it was impossible to gather in person. We also supported hybrid conference attendance in the first couple of years returning to in-person events, recognizing that the pandemic unfolded at different timelines globally. Now these interstitial gatherings have proven their effectiveness, complementing the annual conference. Given the pace of change these days, and ongoing political and economic tensions across the globe, I think CIMAM’s leadership in making it possible for professionals to gather around a topic or issue is invaluable.

Looking ahead, what challenges and opportunities do you think museums and museum professionals will face—and how can initiatives like CIMAM’s Travel Grants and the Annual Conference help address them?

Making the field more sustainable is a real opportunity. We’re just wrapping up a Climate Impact Program for the latest edition of PST ART, our regionwide festival of thematically-linked exhibitions across Southern California. We’ll be releasing a report on the Climate Impact Program later this year—the biggest dataset ever on the climate impact of museum exhibition-making. A key driver of success in this effort was creating a community of practice. Organizations like CIMAM can help bring their members together around this kind of collaboration.

As for challenges, there are so many: attacks on freedom of expression and fragile economies, to name just two. Modern and contemporary art museums are routinely at the forefront of tackling difficult issues, and I imagine they will continue to do so, even under pressure. In continuing to strengthen the network, CIMAM plays a vital role in advocating for its members, providing resources, and facilitating collaboration and connection.

Finally, what would you say to a museum professional considering applying for a CIMAM travel grant for the first time?

Prepare to have an eye-opening adventure hearing inspiring speakers, seeing great art, and meeting talented and generous peers you will call on for years to come. Oh, and bring comfortable shoes!