AAM Conference – 2-4 September 2015

Join the American Alliance of Museums for Reimagining the Museum: Conference of the Americas in Buenos Aires

AAM presents a three-day program in partnership with Fundación TyPA – Teoría y Práctica de las Artes

The Alliance presents Reimagining the Museum: Conference of the Americas, 2-4 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a first-of-its-kind convening of museum professionals from Latin and North America that will explore the transformation of museums and museum leaders to better meet the changing needs of their communities. The program will bring together approximately 400 visionaries and change-makers from the Americas to discuss challenges, share examples of innovation and foster cross-cultural collaboration.

Reimagining the Museum will explore topics such as institutional change, leadership transformation and strategies for strengthening the impact of museums in their communities. Sessions will stimulate dialogue and debate on a diverse range of topics to include: the representation and inclusion—or lack thereof—of particular communities in museums; the museum role in addressing social inequity, community loss and healing; and how ever-changing social realities influence access and representation in museum exhibitions, programs, and institutional mission and planning. Sessions will include examples of best practices, inventive methodology, visionary ideas and creative approaches for problem solving.

The conference will feature three keynote presentations by influential thought leaders, who will share cross-cultural perspectives on the 21st century museum and the influence of globalization on audience engagement. Keynote speakers include Marcelo Araujo, Secretary of Culture, São Paulo State (Brazil), Lonnie Bunch, Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (US) and José Nun, former Secretary of Culture (Argentina).

The conference also includes:

• Ten panel discussions comprised of 50 museum experts primarily from Latin and North America
• Presentations of exemplary case studies and visionary projects
• Seven intensive, small group workshops on timely and practical issues including prototyping, exhibition layering, visual thinking, audience research, museum standards, financial strategies, social networking and fundraising
• One plenary workshop to formulate a “Manifesto for Museums of the Americas”
• Group visits to local museums and social events

Confirmed speakers include: David Anderson, Museums Association (UK); Maria Eugenia Salcedo Repoles, Instituto Inhotim (Brazil); Alice Greenwald, National September 11 Memorial & Museum (US); Denise Ledgard, Lugar de la Memoria, La Tolerancia y la Inclusión Social (Peru); Rob Stein, Dallas Museum of Art (US); and more.

Translation will be provided in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The conference hashtags are #CulturalExchange and #AAMGlobal.

For more information, visit the conference website.

Reimagining the Museum is made possible in part by support from the Getty Foundation and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.