Nominations are accepted until the end of April 2020

28 January 2020

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CIMAM announces the creation of a new award to acknowledge visionary practice within the museum sector.

About

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

Launched in 2019, the CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award aims to give visibility to outstanding cases of success in modern and contemporary art museums and to establish an online directory of examples as references for the international community of modern and contemporary art museum professionals. Recognized museums are also acknowledged during the CIMAM General Assembly held every year during the last day of the Annual Conference in November.

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 recognized by CIMAM.

Nominations may be submitted by individuals and institutions responsible for the area of activity, or by a third party.

CIMAM membership is not required for a museum to be nominated. Members of the CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award committee are excluded from nominating their respective institutions.

How are nominees selected?

The CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award committee consists of members of the CIMAM board. The committee will review nominations and identify a shortlist of up to 10 museum practices deemed to be exceptional. Shortlisted museums will be presented to CIMAM members to invite their votes.

The shortlisted applications will be published on the CIMAM website and social media. CIMAM members will vote online. A total of 3 museums receiving the largest number of votes will be recognized.

If the CIMAM Outstanding Museum Practice Award committee deems that none of the nominated museums suitable for recognition in a particular year, no candidates will be selected. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

What are the criteria for nomination?

Practices and initiatives that are exemplary in achieving the museum's mission and for 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. Full project description and explanation of max. 600 words (1 A4 approx.) that details what makes this case an outstanding achievement and how it meets the selection criteria.
  2. Images of the project.
  3. Provide links to the institution website as relevant support material.

All materials should be digital, do not send anything by post to the CIMAM office.

What happen 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.

Program Calendar

  • End of April 2020 is the deadline to submit nominations.
  • June 2020 the shortlist of practices by the Award Committee will be made public.
  • In October 2020 CIMAM Members will vote online for the final best 2–3 practices.
  • In November 2020 the most voted proposals will be announced at the CIMAM Annual Conference in Poland.