ICOM-US Annual Meeting and Activities at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting 

New Orleans, May 19–22, 2019

ICOM-US holds its annual board meeting, annual business luncheon, and special membership activities during the annual meeting of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). ICOM-US also partners with AAM to present sessions as listed below and hosts a booth at the AAM Expo.

Click here for Information, Registration, Housing, and Program for AAM Annual Meeting 

ICOM-US Events

Board Meeting: Sunday, May 19, 12-5 pm, Headquarters Hotel Marriott New Orleans (Canal Street), Invitation only.

Tom Loughman, Co-Chair                        Lonnie Bunch, Co-Chair

Annual Luncheon and Business Meeting: Monday, May 20, 12-1:20 pm, Headquarters Hotel Marriott New Orleans (Canal Street) Anyone attending AAM may purchase tickets on the AAM 2019 event website for $40 each. Tickets purchase during AAM registration (to add to an existing registration, choose upgrade and select the tickets to purchase).

Moderator: Thomas J. Loughman, Director and CEO, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and Co-Chair, ICOM-US Board of Directors

Keynoter: Lonnie G. Bunch III, Founding Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), and Co-Chair, ICOM-US Board of Directors.    

Public History and the Challenge of Building a National Museum
In his address, Bunch will present the history and struggle to create the Smithsonian NMAAHC, focusing on challenges such as building on the National Mall, conceptual frameworks, public expectations, and contextual terrain of race. He will discuss the strategies used to successfully navigate these issues and update the audience on the status and future projections for the museum. In closing, Bunch will explain how the museum will facilitate the transition of the Smithsonian from a 19th-century institution to a 21st-century enterprise.                             

Private Collector’s Reception: Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 5:30-9:30pm CT, Purchase tickets on the ICOM-US website HERE. The evening will include a visit to Lin Emery's private collection, Roger Ogden's private collection and a behind the scenes tour of Newcomb pottery followed by a dinner reception at the Newcomb Art Museum, Tulane University.

ICOM-US Sessions

For details on each session, click on Full Schedule. 

Monday, May 20, Convention Center:
9-10 am- Rm 244
Managing Emergencies in Cultural Heritage: Sharing Knowledge and Strengthening Networks in the Americas
Moderators: Deborah Ziska, David de la Torre. 
Presenters: Samuel Franco, Beatriz Haspo, Corine Wegener

9-10 am- Rm 252/253
How AAM & ICOM Networks Can Help Museums Address Environmental Issues
Presenters: Diana Pardue, Sara Sutton, Emlyn Koster, Stephanie Shapiro

2-3 pm- Rm 335/336
What Is a Museum in 2019?
Presenters: Kathy Dwyer Southern, Rick West

2-3 pm- Rm 252/253
The (ICEE) Business Case for Exhibition Exchange
Presenters: Isabel Salgado, Lourdes Ramos, Antonio Rodriquez, Hillary Spencer

3-4 pm- International Lounge, room 254
International Committees: How to Grow Your ICOM Network (sponsored by ICOM)
Moderators: John Wetenhall, Lyndel King, Antonio Rodriguez, Alejandra Peña Gutierrez

Tuesday, May 21, Convention Center:
11 am-12 pm- International Lounge, room 254
ICOM Kyoto 2019
Moderator: Melissa Rinne

1-2 pm- International Lounge, room 245
International Hot Topics
Moderators: Kathy Dwyer Southern, Bill Eiland, Mandi Lyon

2:15-3:15 pm- International Lounge, room 254
A Conversation on Cultural Diplomacy When a Nation Must Be “First” 
Moderators: John Wetenhall, Bill Eiland (ICOM-US and AAM joint session), Kennedy Atsutse, Andres Felipe Roldan, Pablo Zuniga

3:30-4:30 pm- Rm 245
Franco’s Body: Whose Heritage is It? 
Presenters: Bill Eiland, Corine Wegener, France Desmarais

3:30-4:30 pm- Rm 352
Fostering Universal Ethics and Compassion: A Summit with the Dalai Lama
Presenters: Elif Gokcigdem, Karleen Gardner, Ruth Shelly, John Wetenhall