Once perceived as static “cabinets of curiosities”, museums are now evolving their missions to meet the needs of their ever-changing communities. As we think about how museums will look in the future, we also need to think about how collections serve diverse audiences. The question remains: Do museums still need objects?
The MAAM Annual Conference will examine this question in its entirety. We will discuss the ways in which art, history, and science collections can play a new, or different, role in the museum. We will discuss how digital technologies make collections more accessible to communities. We will discuss how museums thrive with and without collections. We will discuss tough topics regarding collections. We want to know what you think about this question!
Registration will open the week of September 1, 2020.
What is the theme?
The theme of this year’s conference is “Do Museums Still Need Objects?”. Our Program Committee found this theme to be relevant amidst the pandemic and period of social activism that we are seeing today. We recognize that the theme is larger than a simple question of whether a museum needs to have objects, but also begs the questions: how do we interpret the objects we have? How do we manage interpretation without a collection? How do we use controversial objects to discuss difficult topics?
What will the program look like?
The Virtual Annual Meeting will take place over October 5-16, 2020. We will have approximately 10 days worth of content including webinars, program affinity group meetings, the Weil Lecture, our Annual Meeting, and other networking opportunities. A formal schedule will be shared prior to the opening of registration in September.