Apsara DiQuinzio Highlights CIMAM’s Key Role in Advancing Sustainability
At the 2024 CIMAM Annual Conference in Los Angeles, Apsara DiQuinzio, Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the Nevada Museum of Art, emphasized the value of CIMAM’s role in advancing sustainability:
“I am here today participating in the CIMAM Annual Conference on Sustainability, which is, I believe, one of the most crucial issues of our time. I think many of the institutions that participated in the first session are really modeling this important behavior of how to be a sustainable institution in our current moment. Learning how to navigate this really difficult moment is something we need to do together as a community, and that's where CIMAM can play a really important role, because we can't do it ourselves as institutions isolated from each other. We have to engage with each other, and we can do that by participating in and being part of this community and using the really important resources that CIMAM has provided."
CIMAM Toolkit on Sustainable Museum Practices: Latest Update
February updates of the Toolkit for Sustainable Museum Practices. Please send your contributions to info@cimam.org. With your valuable insights, we'll be delighted to expand our Toolkit for Environmental Museum Practices.
As part of its ongoing commitment to promote sustainability in the cultural sector, CIMAM shares the February updates of its Toolkit for Sustainable Museum Practice.
Action Plans, Guidelines and Protocols
BC Museum Association presents the Gender and Sexuality Inclusion Toolkit for Museums, Heritage and Cultural Institutions: Museums and cultural institutions tell the stories and preserve the histories of an area, aiming to be representative of the local region and foster a strong sense of community. How does gender and sexual orientation inclusion align with these goals? This toolkit aims to support museums, galleries and heritage organizations in their journeys to increase 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusivity and representation in an empowering manner, particularly smaller organizations who may not have abundant resources.
NEMO guide helps museums organise community forums on climate action: In an increasingly polarised world, museums hold a crucial role in fostering dialogue and social cohesion. As trusted institutions, they can provide safe spaces for meaningful discussions on pressing issues such as climate change, ensuring that diverse voices are heard and promoting a fair and inclusive transition to a sustainable future. Recognising this, the NEMO Working Group Sustainability and Climate Action has developed a new resource. ‘Fostering dialogue in divisive times - A guide for museums regarding engagement with community forums on climate action’, authored by Giulia Valentina Paglia, equips museums with practical tools to organise and facilitate community forums. It highlights the evolving role of museums—not only as guardians of heritage but also as active facilitators of public discourse.
A Call to Collective Action: 9 Actions to Develop More Sustainable Exhibitions: Article for ICOM Voices by Elise Foster Vander Elst, Head of Exhibitions and Environmental Impact Lead, the Design Museum, UK. Where do we start to move from individual to collective action? When we share tools, case studies and resources, we can accelerate learnings and forge a new understanding of what best practice looks like. At the Design Museum in London, we have been working since 2020 to change the way we develop exhibitions and advocate for design’s role in the green transition. Wherever you are on your journey to become a more environmentally resilient museum, these nine actions for change should help you progress.
Inspiring Projects, Platforms, and Resources
The Gender Equity in Museums Movement (GEMM)is a coalition of individuals and organizations committed to raising awareness, affecting change, and championing transparency about intersectional gender equity in the museum workplace.
To fulfill this mission, GEMM:
● Promotes equitable and transparent museum workplaces
● Provides direction and offers resources for museum workers
● Collects resources for individuals who are affected by workplace harassment
● Advocates for research and policy development addressing equity issues
● Forms alliances with organizations and coalitions working on related equity issues
Indian Museums Against Climate Change (IMACC): Driven by the urgency of the climate crisis, the IMACC is a pioneering initiative led by us to mobilise the Indian museum community. Through this initiative, we hope to create impactful, sustainable change, building a network of committed partners dedicated to integrating climate-conscious practices into museum operations. IMACC serves as the India hub for Culture Declares Emergency, a global movement advocating for sustainability through arts and culture. It also aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11, 12, and 13, advancing efforts towards sustainable communities, responsible consumption, and climate action.
Museum and public funding International Research Alliance on Public Funding for Museums (IRAPFM): The International Research Alliance on Public Funding for Museums (IRAPFM) has conducted a comprehensive study on the state of public funding for museums worldwide, highlighting the critical financial challenges facing these vital cultural institutions and the innovative strategies they adopt in response to a research project generated by ICOM-IMREC, the international research and exchange partnership established by ICOM and Shanghai University. This report, spearheaded by the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and supported by a global consortium of experts, offers a detailed analysis of funding trends, their impacts, and museums’ responses to them across different world regions. Additionally, the report proposes targeted calls for action to address these challenges, support the sustainability of museums and identify key areas for future research'.
Please send your contributions to info@cimam.org. With your valuable insights, we'll be delighted to expand our Toolkit for Environmental Museum Practices.
Thank you for your ongoing dedication to sustainable practices in the arts.