International Conference on the Inclusive Museum - "Shared Visions and Shared Histories"

The International Conference on the Inclusive Museum is held annually in locations around the world to engage museum practitioners, researchers, thinkers, and teachers in discussion of the historic character and future shape of the museum. The event asks the question, "In this time of fundamental social change, what is the role of the museum, both as a creature of that change, and perhaps also as an agent of change?"

The conference is presenter-based and is currently accepting abstracts for presentations. Themes are intentionally broad to encourage a wide range of backgrounds, ideas, and discussions. Abstracts should address the museum through Visitors, Collections, or Representations.

In 2014, we are excited to be partnering with The Autry Center, a landmark collection of tales and artifacts of the American West. Inspired by this collection, we have chosen "Shared Visions and Shared Histories" as our special focus for 2014.

Additional Info:Abstracts are accepted in monthly rounds and deadlines are updated regularly.

Special Registrations for ICOM, UNESCO, and other organizational members are available.

Graduate Scholar Award applications are currently accepted for outstanding graduate students in the field. The Award comes with a full conference waiver, the opportunity to present and network, and further participatory options.

All registrants with accepted abstracts are eligible to submit full articles to the peer-reviewed International Journal of the Inclusive Museum.

Plenary Speakers

The International Conference on the Inclusive Museum will feature plenary sessions by some of the world’s leading thinkers and innovators in the field, as well as numerous parallel presentations by researchers and practitioners. This year's plenary speakers include:

Dr. Richard Kurin

Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture, Smithsonian Institution
Dr. Kurin travelled to India in 1970, studying a Punjabi village and collecting artefacts for the American Museum of Natural History. He specialised in anthropology and the study of South Asia, with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1981 for a dissertation entitled Person, Family and Kin in Two Pakistani Communities. He has since taught anthropology and related disciplines at several universities in the USA, Pakistan and Australia. His distinguished career includes among many leadership achievements, Directorship of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage; founding the Smithsonian Folkways which won more than a dozen Grammy winning and nominated albums; production of many of the Smithsonian’s major public programs on the National Mall, such as the Smithsonian’s Birthday Party in 1996, the National World War II Reunion for the opening of the National World War II Memorial and the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian. He produced public programs for Presidential Inaugurals in 1993, 1997, 2005, 2009 and 2013. He worked with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games to produce a cultural festival in Centennial Park during the games in 1996, and with the White House to produce public programs for the celebration of the Millennium at the end of 1999. He was awarded the Smithsonian Secretary's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service in 1996.  He is the Smithsonian’s permanent Under Secretary for History, Art and Culture, responsible for oversight of Smithsonian’s Museums and Programs, Libraries, Archives, Fellowships, Collections and International Programs with the Under Secretary for Science. In 2010, Kurin founded and organized the Haiti Cultural Recovery Project with the President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities and other cultural organizations to help save that nation’s heritage after the devastating earthquake. His outstanding publication record includes his latest book entitled The Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects, Penguin, 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE668xj6vSg

Nina Simon

Nina Simon has been described as a “museum visionary” by Smithsonian Magazine for her audience-centered approach to design. She is currently the Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, where she led an institutional turnaround based on grassroots community participation. Nina is the author of The Participatory Museum (2010) and the popular Museum 2.0 blog. Previously, Nina worked as an independent consultant and exhibition designer with over one hundred museums and cultural centers around the world. Nina began her museum career as Experience Development Specialist at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

W. Richard West Jr. 

President and CEO, The Autry, Los Angeles, California

W. Richard West Jr., a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Nation of Oklahoma and a Peace Chief of the Southern Cheyenne, Founding Director and Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, has devoted his professional life and much of his personal life to working with American Indians on cultural, educational, legal, and governmental issues. Before becoming director of the National Museum of the American Indian, West practiced law at the Indian-owned Albuquerque, New Mexico, law firm of Gover, Stetson, Williams & West, P.C. (1988 – 1990). He also was an associate attorney and then partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson (1973 – 1988). He served as general counsel and special counsel to numerous American Indian tribes, communities, and organizations. In that capacity, he represented clients before federal, state and tribal courts, various executive departments of the federal government, and the Congress. West’s affiliations and memberships include:  Kaiser Family Foundation (2007-present); International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (2007-present);  Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (2011 – present); Center for Native American Youth (2011 – present); National Support Committee of the Native American Rights Fund (1990-present); and American Indian Resources Institute (1973-present). He previously also has served on the boards of trustees of the Ford Foundation and Stanford University. He served as chair of the board for the American Association of Museums, the nation’s only national membership organization representing all types of museums and museum professionals, from 1998-2000. From 1992-1995 and 1997-1998, he served as member-at-large of the association’s board of directors and in 1995-1996 as vice chair of the board of directors. West also was a member-at-large (2004 – 2007) and Vice President (2007 – 2010) of the International Council of Museums. He served until recently as the Interim Director of The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C before becoming the President and CEO of The Autry, Los Angeles, California.

Amareswar Galla

Chairperson, Inclusive Museum Knowledge Community

A champion of cultural democracy, UN Millennium Development Goals and safeguarding all forms of heritage, Prof Galla, is an alumnus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is the founding Executive Director of the International Institute for the Inclusive Museum, Copenhagen & Hyderabad. His latest book World Heritage: Benefits Beyond Borders, Cambridge University Press & UNESCO Publishing, 2012, is the flagship project of the 40th Anniversary of the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention. He is currently working on the establishment of the international centre of excellence in Inclusive Museum Studies at the University of Copenhagen. He was Professor of Museum Studies, University of Queensland, Brisbane and Professor  & Director of Sustainable Heritage Development Programs, Australian National University, Canberra. During 1994 - 99 he was the International Technical Adviser for the transformation of Arts Councils, National Museums and the National Parks Board (now SAN Parks) in post- apartheid South Africa. He was an expert adviser to the UN World Commission for Culture and Development. He worked on the implementation of Museums and Cultural Diversity Promotion at the National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, Netherlands. His work, listed as best practice in the 2009 World Culture Report by UNESCO, includes the establishment of World Heritage Areas as culture in poverty alleviation projects - Ha Long Bay and Hoi An, Vietnam and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, India. He has been honoured internationally on several occasions including Outstanding Conservationist of the Year Award by the Vietnamese government in 2002 and the European Best in Heritage Award in 2008. ICOM Australia conferred the 2012 Individual achievement award for excellence for Amar's extensive and on-going commitment to museums, sustainable development and poverty alleviation through culture: http://icom.org.au/site/activitiesiaair2012.php  Amar spends half his time building community grounded museums with his graduate students in low economic indicator countries. His enduring commitment to inclusive heritage development informs his community engagement, professional achievements and keynote addresses worldwide. As the 2nd and 3rd Editor-in-Chief of theInternational Journal of Intangible Heritage he provided seminal leadership for firmly establishing the journal as a quality assured scholarly journal that is inclusive and representative with emphasis on cultural and linguistic diversity of the world. Email. director@inclusivemuseum.org; Web. www.inclusivemuseum.org