Celebrating 100 Years

1916

AAMD welcomed our first member museum from Canada.

1920s

1921

AAMD passed a resolution to protest a tariff on the importation of works of art.

1926

Directors formulated guidelines for what would become the first membership programs for museums.

1930s

1948

AAMD approved a Reproduction and Reproduction Rights code specifying how each class of reproduction should be controlled at all art museums.

1950s

1962

Published Reproductions and Reproduction Rights for Museum-Owned Objects.

1966

Adopted a formal Code of Ethics, revised from the original Canon of Ethics from 1947.

1968

AAMD helped the IRS establish an art advisory panel to regulate donations.

1969

AAMD officially incorporated; hired its first employee, Cecily B. Kerr; and doubled the frequency of its meetings from annual to semi-annually.

1973

Created the position of Executive Director. Millicent (Mimi) Hall Gaudieri became the first Executive Director and led the Association for over 30 years.

1973

Passed a resolution to prevent illicit trafficking of cultural property.

1977

AAMD was awarded a grant by the Donner Foundation to study how directors are trained and to recommend improvements to the system.

1978

The AAMD Educational Foundation was created to accept charitable contributions for professional development, program sessions, and publishing purposes.

1979

AAMD membership unanimously approved the first Guidelines for Reproductions of Works of Art.

1980s

1986

AAMD's Statistical Survey and Salary became annualized.

1987

AAMD approved its first long-range plan with both long and short-term goals.

1990s

1991

AAMD trustees added a clause to the Code of Ethics forbidding the practice of selling art to cover operating expenses.

1991

AAMD inserted a clause into Professional Practices in Art Museums forbidding the acquisition of stolen or illegally imported property.

1992

Created the position of Director of Government Affairs as part of an agreement between the members of the American Arts Alliance.

2000s

2001

Began what would be the first of many professional development training seminars for museum directors.

2001

AAMD welcomed our first member museum from Mexico.

Looking Ahead

AAMD will continue to generate its annual publications to advance member museums and support the larger art museum field. It will continue its grant programs, including the pilot program for UNCF Fellows, the Kress Provenance Research Fellowship, and the AAMD/Kress Fellowship at the Academy in Rome. It will continue to provide workshops and leadership development programs to support art museum directors and their staff.

In 2016, AAMD released: