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PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES FOR ART CURATORS IN NONPROFITS
Adopted by the CAA Board of Directors on October 28, 2007. Published by the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) in 2007; updated in 2020; revised on October 15, 2023.
As best practice for curators of art, the College Art Association references the Professional Practices for Art Curators in Nonprofits guide created by the Association for Art Museum Curators. First published by AAMC in 2007, this guide was updated and rereleased in 2020 to provide a comprehensive scope on professional practices for art curators. In 2023, the CAA Museum Committee reviewed and updated.
In recognition of the need for a standardized curatorial best practices guide, the AAMC Foundation has produced the Professional Practices for Art Curators in Nonprofits. The guide highlights the significance of cooperation (internally and externally), transparency, and engagement, as well as the importance of embracing inclusivity and accessibility in every aspect of the curatorial field, including but not limited to collection development, exhibitions, hiring, and mentoring.
Key issues discussed in the guidebook include:
- Pathways to developing a curatorial career
- Strategies for engagement and collaboration with the public
- Sustaining meaningful momentum supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in the field
- Successful applications of digital strategies
- Increased focus on open sharing of provenance, including conditions of transfer and colonialism
- Shifts in how the for-profit and nonprofit sector work together.
***Language from the AAMC.
Explore the Professional Practices for Art Curators in Nonprofits guide here.