The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) will hold its 2020 annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, from January 26-28. The Association and its members were invited by four local member institutions: Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, High Museum of Art, Michael C. Carlos Museum, and Spelman College Museum of Fine Art. 

In addition to the Association’s schedule of committee meetings, the members will hear from a number of different speakers, including:

• Mary Anne Carter, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), speaking about the continuing importance of the NEA in supporting the arts across the United States
• Elizabeth Alexander, President, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, detailing her vision for the Foundation, followed by a conversation with Thelma Golden, Executive Director, Studio Museum in Harlem
• Robert Zimmer, President, University of Chicago, addressing the theme of “Education, Free Expression, and Intellectual Challenge: Where We Are, Where We Should Be
,” followed by a Q&A with Madeleine Grynsztejn, Executive Director, MCA Chicago
• Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President, Strategic Foresight and Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums, American Alliance of Museums
, presenting scenarios on the role of art collections in the museum of the future
• Jeff DeGraff, Dean of Innovation, Innovatrium, sharing case studies for evolution and innovation within three different organizations, as models for growth

The 2020 Annual Meeting will have an active social media presence, with attendees encouraged to live-Tweet and Instagram their experiences with the hashtag #AAMDAtlanta. The full schedule for the meeting is available here. This is AAMD’s primary, membership-wide meeting for 2020, with more than 150 members expected to attend. An additional, smaller meeting will be held in Spring 2020, to be focused on a specific set of topics. 

Financial support for portions of the meeting have been provided by Hindman Auctions, with sponsorship for an event at Clark Atlanta University Art Museum and Spelman College Museum of Fine Art provided by the Souls Grown Deep Foundation.

About AAMD

The Association of Art Museum Directors advances the profession by cultivating leadership capabilities of directors, advocating for the field, and fostering excellence in art museums. An agile, issues-driven organization, AAMD fosters engagement, leadership, and shared learning. Further information about AAMD’s professional practice guidelines and position papers is available at www.aamd.org.