AAMG/UMAC Annual Conference: Call for Proposals

CALL FOR PROPOSALS
AAMG & UMAC CONFERENCE 2018
June 21-24, 2018
Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, FL

This year, AAMG is partnering with UMAC (University Museums and Collections), a committee of ICOM (International Council of Museums) for our 2018 Annual Conference in Miami, FL.  We look forward to sharing great ideas and pressing concerns—and learning and networking with our global colleagues.

This Year’s Theme:
Audacious Ideas: University Museums and Collections as Change-Agents for a Better World      

We live in a dangerous, often unstable, and environmentally compromised world. What can academic museums, galleries, and collections do to remedy this situation? If we are dedicated to teaching and training new generations of students, to serving increasingly diverse communities, how do we make a positive difference? How do we know we are making that difference?

Audacious Ideas asks presenters to share with us exciting and unusual ways that their museums, galleries, and collections are serving as change-agents. We’re interested in proposals that address how you are adopting new roles and adapting old ones, welcoming new constituencies while keeping current visitors, and creating new paradigms that make our institutions more valued and critical partners in higher education and in building a more peaceful and healthy world.

Please note: all proposals should be submitted in English, as the entire conference will be conducted in English.

We invite proposals that address:

  • New models of teaching across campus, including exhibitions and collections.
  • New strategies for equity and inclusion on and off campus.
  • Innovative transnational collaborations.
  • New ideas for advancing our mission as change-agents in society – locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Presentation Formats

Presenters may select from the following formats for their proposals:

  • Roundtable Facilitator: Would you like to lead a conversation on a specific topic? These lively discussions will be held on Thursday afternoon at the Donna E. Shalala Student Activity Center (University of Miami). We invite you to propose a topic and explain why your skills, experiences, and interests will contribute to your success as a discussion leader, particularly as this relates to conference’s theme.  As the Roundtable Facilitator, you will welcome attendees, offer a 5-10 minute overview about the topic and your personal connection to it, and then facilitate a conversation with those present.  Roundtables run 1 ¼ hours.
  • Throwdown: We select up to 10 presenters for 5 minute (no more than 20 slides) talks on Thursday evening, during our opening reception.  We call it a “Throwdown” because it’s high energy, quick-paced, and foregrounds powerful ideas. This is an excellent opportunity for students and emerging professionals to share a special program or practice.
  • Panels: Panels are the heart of our conference.  Over two days, we anticipate having 18 panels. That breaks out to 9 per day: 3 simultaneous sessions 3 times per day, one in the morning and two in the afternoon.  Panels are 1 ¼ hours each and have 2-4 presenters, with one panelist or convener serving as moderator.  A minimum of 15 minutes should be used for dialogue with your audience, following the presentations. All presentations should be in PowerPoint format, and the moderator is responsible for gathering them and bringing them on a laptop. The moderator is also responsible for time-keeping. You’ll need to tell us the topic, what each presenter will contribute, and how the proposal relates to the conference theme. If you’d like to lead a panel but need to find panelists, you can query the AAMG and UMAC listservs for participants.
  • Poster Sessions: Tell us the topic, why it’s relevant to the theme, and confirm that you will be present. Poster specifications will be sent later and posters may be brought to the conference or mailed earlier.
  • Workshops: Would you like to lead a workshop that strengthens museum practice? We’re willing to share the income.  Tell us what you would teach, what your experience is leading this, how long you would like your workshop to run (full or half day), and how many attendees you would prefer.  Workshop day to be determined, but it will likely be Sunday morning.

We now have a Google form for proposals: please find the link here.

Deadline for submitting your proposal is: October 30, 2017

Questions? Please contact the Program Committee Co-Chairs:
Jill Hartz, hartz@uoregon.edu (AAMG representative)
Barbara Rothermel, rothermel@lynchburg.edu (UMAC representative)