CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award

29 July 2022

About the Award

The CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award recognises exemplary practices in museums around the world. It is dedicated to promoting excellence in innovation in modern and contemporary art museums, and to encouraging public accessibility and exchange, and sustainability within the sector.

Launched in 2021, the CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award aims to give visibility to exemplary practices that can serve as a reference for the international community of modern and contemporary art museum professionals. Recipients of the Award are acknowledged during the CIMAM General Assembly held in November of each year during the last day of the Annual Conference.

Who can submit a nomination?

The CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award is open to anyone in the museum field who wishes to submit a nomination of an outstanding museum practice or project that should be recognised by CIMAM. Nominations are invited from museum professionals or institutions nominating another institution. CIMAM membership is not required for a museum to be nominated. Institutions may not nominate themselves.

How are nominees selected?

The CIMAM Board will review the nominations and identify one exemplary museum practice as the winner and two exemplary museum practices as finalists. The selected practices will be announced during the CIMAM Annual Conference and published on the CIMAM website and social media.

Should the CIMAM Board deem that none of the nominated museums be suitable for recognition in a particular year, no candidates will be selected.

What are the criteria for nomination?

Practices and initiatives that are exemplary in achieving the mission of the museum or collection through innovative approaches to core activities, including conservation, education, collection, exhibitions, publications, research, public access, communication, governance and sustainability, and fundraising.

Among the criteria for review and recommendation:

  • Introduces new forms for the presentation of collections and exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and their relevance for the publics they serve, their scale and their context.
  • Innovation and sustainability in programs for social outreach, accessibility, and diversity.
  • Fulfills and innovates on current standards of museum practice with a vision for a sustainable future
  • New forms of museum practice that address changing social and cultural realities with a view to ensure relevance for museum publics of the future.

Applications that show a commitment to long-term practices are particularly welcome.

How to submit your nomination?

A nomination form will be available online for completion with the following information:

  1. Description and explanation of max. 500 words that details the outstanding nature of the nominated practice.
  2. Images of the project
  3. Provide links to website and other relevant supports.
  4. Submit your nomination here

What happens to selected museums?

The museums selected will receive the public recognition of CIMAM and its members. Information about their work will be accessible on the CIMAM website as examples of outstanding museum practices. They will be also announced and acknowledged during the CIMAM General Assembly held every year during the last day of the Annual Conference in November.

The deadline to take part in the CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award is 30 September 2022