From Outstanding Practices to Future Possibilities
CIMAM invites all museum professionals to join us on May 22 for a live webinar where we’ll revisit the inspiring 2024 OMPA awardees and present the updated Award Criteria for 2025 — a must for professionals committed to advancing best practices in museums and considering a nomination for the 2025 OMPA edition.
🗓️ Thursday, May 22, 2025
- 🕖 7 PM Singapore, Singapore (STG)
- 🕖 4.30 PM Bengaluru, India (IST)
- 🕖 2.00 PM Kyiv, Ukraine (EEST)
- 🕖 Noon London, UK (BST)
- 🕖 8.00 AM Rio Janeiro, Brazil (BRT)
From Outstanding Practices to Future Possibilities: Shaping the Museum of Tomorrow with the Outstanding Museum Practice Award (OMPA)
Abstract:
We live in times of great change and even as the world searches for a response, so too must museums. How do we move beyond our traditional roles as institutions to innovate, inspire and renew? Do we use the valuable collections that we are guardians of, to respond to the needs of our communities? Are the museums of today spaces where accessibility and inclusion lie at the heart of our functioning creating a platform for education, reflection, cultural exchange and meaningful dialogue with their audiences? Can museums build a network of support that encourages the sharing of innovative practices amongst one another?
These are questions we explore in this webinar that introduces the Outstanding Museum Practice Award (OMPA), an initiative launched by CIMAM in 2021 to highlight modern and contemporary art museums that embody ethical and sustainable values, prioritize cultural and social relevance, and promote inclusion and care for communities within their missions. As we approach the fifth edition of the award in 2025, we are inviting the 2024 awardees to share their exceptional practices and the positive influence they have had on their communities. This conversation looks to engage with all museum professionals, encouraging them to reflect, reimagine, and discuss what constitutes "outstanding" practices in the years to come.
Guest Panelist:
Moderated by Kamini Sawhney, CIMAM Board Member and OMPA Committee member, Head, Public Arts Projects, BlrHubba, Museum Management Expert and Independent Curator from Bangalore, India, this session will feature presentations from the 2024 winners:
- Deniz Oral, Education Program Specialist, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Shion L, Educational Coordinator at the Pedagogical Programs Division of the Education Department at the Museum of Modern Art, (MAM Rio), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Yuliya Vaganova, General Director, Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Art, Kyiv.
Through their stories, we will explore how local, context-based practices can influence global standards. And we’ll invite you to be part of this shared conversation — not just to witness outstanding practices, but to join a collective effort to shape the future of modern and contemporary art museums.
Whether you’re considering a nomination or looking to be part of a wider dialogue on the evolving role of museums, we invite you to join this session.
This Rapid Response Webinar is free of cost for all museum professionals.
Register here to join this Rapid Response Webinar
Sessions are recorded and posted in CIMAM's Members Only section for those who missed the time.
Review the Projects Case Studies:
Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Istanbul, Turkey
Program: Following a Dream
The "Following a Dream" program is a sustainable educational model that empowers young women aspiring to pursue art by connecting them with established female artists and art professionals. In collaboration with schools, NGOs, and local governments, this program fosters creative expression and champions gender equality within Turkey's art ecosystem. By specifically addressing social exclusion and gender empowerment, the program creates a supportive space for the next generation of female artists, making it a replicable model for other institutions.
Selection Rationale: The program's commitment to long-term mentorship addressing the specific cultural context of Turkey while taking a universal approach makes it a standout initiative. By focusing on the empowerment of young women, it takes a necessary and impactful approach to gender equality in art that is emancipatory and that has the potential to empower future generations.
Istanbul Modern’s program addresses the complexities of social exclusion and women's empowerment, a vital issue in its context. Its clear focus and potential impact make it worthy of recognition.
Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Program: Incluir
The Museum of Modern Art in Rio's "Inclusion" program, a long-term accessibility initiative, integrates individuals with disabilities as active contributors within the institution. This residency program invites participants with disability to experience, evaluate, and inform museum practices, ensuring accessibility is not just an add-on but an integral institutional priority. Emphasizing professional growth and agency, this initiative goes beyond compliance by embedding inclusive representation into the museum's framework.
Selection Rationale: "Inclusion" exemplifies a progressive and long-term approach to accessibility, emphasizing the importance of agency and ongoing representation within institutional spaces. By centering individuals with disabilities in decision-making processes, the program fosters systemic change and serves as an inspiring model for museums aiming to create environments where accessibility is woven into the fabric of their operations.
The "Incluir" program does not view accessibility as a one-time solution; instead, it sees it as an ongoing commitment that engages individuals on multiple levels: as professionals, audiences, and contributors. This fosters a sense of agency and provides professional development opportunities.
Emphasizing representation is critical, as it tackles the common issue that mere presence does not automatically equate to agency. Furthermore, the program is not a standalone initiative; it has become an integral part of the museum. The Inclusive Residency is embedded within the museum's core activities, reflecting a commitment to long-term structural change and its ability to institutionalize the capacity to engage with people with disabilities.
Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Art, Kyiv, Ukraine
Responding to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Khanenko Museum redefined its role, transforming its space into a center of community solidarity, safety, and resilience. Despite not having a contemporary art collection, the museum introduced programs featuring contemporary artists to support mental well-being and promote unity among residents. This initiative has extended beyond immediate crisis response, laying the groundwork for a more resilient, adaptive institution model capable of operating meaningfully under conditions of war and geopolitical conflict.
Selection Rationale: The Khanenko Museum's brave response to societal adversity during armed conflict highlights the potential of museums as safe havens and spaces for cultural expression. The museum has shown its capacity to adapt to crisis by embracing the languages and tools of contemporary art, allowing it to redefine its role in society and provide a public space that fosters care, solidarity, resilience, protection, and cultural connection amid the challenges of war.
By engaging with contemporary art to reflect on the museum’s mission and collection, it has created a platform for reflection and shared experiences. This approach, which positions the museum as a site for new experiences and connections with the community, is significant because it illustrates how cultural institutions can adapt and drive structural changes in times of adversity.
This initiative not only addresses the immediate challenges posed by conflict but also reimagines how museums engage with the public during crises. It expands our understanding of what it means to be inclusive, adaptive, and community-centered cultural institutions.
Speakers Biographies
Deniz Oral
Deniz studied Art History at the University of Strasbourg and Arts and Cultural Management at Bilgi University. With a solid academic foundation, Deniz began her professional journey in the learning programs at the Pera Museum, where she gained valuable experience and skills in art education.
For the past two years, Deniz has been a dedicated member of the Education Programs team at Istanbul Modern. In this role, she contributes to the development and implementation of innovative and inclusive educational programs aimed at various age groups. Deniz is passionate about the transformative power of art and strives to make art more accessible and engaging for all participants.
One of the key projects Deniz manages is the "Following a Dream" program, sponsored by Bosch Home Appliances. This year-long initiative supports gender equality by providing art education to young girls, helping them enhance their talent and artistic perspectives. The program collaborates with schools, local governments, and non-governmental organizations, and is conducted by academics, artists, art historians, and museum experts. It aims to introduce teenage girls to creative and courageous role models and artists, strengthening their artistic expression skills and enabling them to enhance their creative and innovative perspectives.
She works collaboratively with her team to promote creative thinking and support artistic expression through a variety of activities. Deniz believes that art should be accessible to everyone and continues to work towards this goal, helping to expand the museum's educational vision and bring art closer to the community.
Shion L
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a researcher and educator. She currently holds the position of Educational Coordinator at the Pedagogical Programs Division of the Education Department at the Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro (MAM Rio), where she focuses on the development and management of teaching programs, residencies, courses, and ongoing projects. Her academic background includes a Bachelor's degree in Art History from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) complemented by training and professional development experiences at institutions in Brazil and abroad. Her practice is situated at the intersection of education and curatorship, with research interests spanning gender studies, semiotics, and dissident pedagogies. Throughout her career in cultural institutions, Shion has collaborated with both museums and independent art initiatives to develop methodologies that bridge curatorial and educational approaches. In recent years, she has coordinated key projects such as the Professor-Researcher Residency (2025), Research in the Arts (2024), and Curatorial Territories (2023).
Yuliya Vaganova
Art-historian, curator. Director General, The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts, Kyiv, Ukarine.
Education: The National Academy of Fine Art and Architecture, Kyiv, Ukraine, department of art history and theory
Run museum during the war.
Run museum during the full-scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine. Conservation collection during the war, open museum and run new programs in empty museum. Among them exhibitions with contemporary Ukrainian artists, contemporary opera, architectural workshop, discussions about the role of museum during wartime. Also, emergency activity for conservation of the damaged museum building after Russian missile attack.
During 2023 – Vice President of ICOM Ukraine
Till October 2021 - Deputy Director for exhibition and museum projects in Mystetskyi Arsenal. 2013-2016 - Deputy Director in Exhibition, Partnership and International relation of the National Art Museum of Ukraine. Previously is Director of the Center for Contemporary Art at NaUKMA, Kyiv.
Part of the team for the strategy development and its implementation for mentioned institutions.
Initiated, organized and served as a leader for a number of trainings on art management focused on Institution development and Site Specific projects. Invited lecturer at the National Ukrainian Art Academy and Kyiv Academy of Media Art. Run several international trainings for museums (transformation of museums, exposition, communication).
CIMAM 2025 Rapid Response Webinars are made possible with the support from the Getty Foundation through its Connecting Professionals/Sharing Expertise initiative.