The Museums Association of the Caribbean Announces its 32nd Annual Conference to be held in 2023 in Nassau, The Bahamas: The Power of Museums: Relevancy, Advocacy, Transformation
The Museums Association of the Caribbean (MAC) has partnered with the National Gallery of the Bahamas (NAGB), Central Bank of the Bahamas (CBB), the Antiquities Monuments and Museums Corporation (AAMC), and the University of the Bahamas (UB) to host the 32nd Annual MAC Conference in Nassau, Bahamas. This is the first time the conference will be hosted in The Bahamas in the history of MAC.
The Bahamas’ diverse cultural landscape and variety of artistic and cultural offerings make it an ideal location for the 2023 conference. In addition, Nassau has a great variety of heritage museums, historical sites, and art museums and galleries, making it a fitting and relevant backdrop for the conference’s discussions this year. Register for the conference here.
The 2023 conference theme, The Power of Museums: Relevancy, Advocacy, Transformation, will provide opportunities for sharing the changes in the museum field since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenters will explore how museums and cultural heritage sites have, and must now continue to question, how their role is evolving alongside the world surrounding us. How have, and can, museums stay relevant, advocate for change, and provide transformative experiences for visitors and communities?
MAC and the conference’s host venues, NAGB, CBB, AAMC, and UB, all look forward to seeing museum and heritage site professionals coming together and discussing these topics, representing different institutions, geographies, backgrounds, and perspectives. The conference welcomes professionals from museums, cultural heritage sites, libraries, archives, historical societies, universities, and other cultural organizations, March 1-5, 2023, at the Courtyard Marriott in Nassau Downtown/Junkanoo Beach.
Joanne Hyppolite, MAC President, says she is “excited and energized to be hosting our first on-site conference in the Caribbean since the pandemic. In a region where professional development and networking opportunities are scarce, the MAC conference plays a vital role in connecting and uplifting museums and cultural heritage professionals and the work they do.”
First-time conference host The Central Bank of the Bahamas (CBB) is looking forward to co-hosting the conference. CBB Curator Ulrich Voges says, “Being one of the hosts of the 2023 MAC conference lies perfectly in line with our understanding of the importance of culture as a backbone of a nation and as a relevant part in creating and sustaining the Orange Economy.
The 2023 MAC conference in The Bahamas will give us and our fellow institutions the possibility to put our unique culture even further on the global map. It is exciting to be part of the MAC community.”
Antiquities Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC) is also hosting the MAC Conference for the first time. Managing Director Dr. Christopher Curry states, “As the government agency responsible for protecting, preserving, and exhibiting elements of antiquity, we at the Antiquities Monuments, Museum Corporation of The Bahamas are excited about the annual MAC conference being hosted in The Bahamas in 2023 Located on Bay Street and with a large exhibition space on the second floor, [The Pompey Museum, overseen by AMMC] provides ideal opportunities for MAC participants to engage in a unique cultural space in the heart of downtown Nassau.”
About the Museums Association of the Caribbean (MAC)
Established in 1987, MAC works to strengthen links among Caribbean museums, their staff, and associates so that they may foster and promote an appreciation and understanding of their common heritage through education and the development of professional standards of practices. The association serves as a forum for the exchange of information and ideas through meetings, publications and museum exchanges. MAC’s main objectives are to develop common policies relative to the role of museums and duties of curatorial staff, to act as an advisory board for governments and institutions regarding museum development and to develop relationships with international and other regional museum-related organizations.
About the Antiquities Monuments & Museums Corporation (AMMC)
The Antiquities Monuments & Museum Corporation (AMMC), also known as the National Museum of the Bahamas, is a quasi-government agency that oversees many of the Bahamas’ national historic sites, helping to preserve the rich history, culture, and traditions of The Bahamas. Sites overseen by AMMC include: all of the historic forts in New Providence, the Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation, the Balcony House Museum, and more.
About the Central Bank of the Bahamas (CBB)
The Central Bank of the Bahamas is the Bahamas’ federal reserve bank and oldest cultural institution. The Central Bank of the Bahamas has a long tradition of promoting Bahamian culture and art, hosting many exhibitions and events, with a collection of around 500 pieces held in their headquarters. They also have many artifacts and artworks on loan at international diplomatic sites including embassies and consulates.
About the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (NAGB)
The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (NAGB) is an art museum that examines Bahamian history and culture through the lens of Bahamian art. NAGB collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets historic and contemporary Bahamian art and hopes to inspire generations of Bahamians and other visitors to be change-makers by telling their stories and through their art.
About the University of the Bahamas (UB)
Chartered on 10th November 2016, University of The Bahamas (UB) is a beacon for national transformation. Approximately 5,000 students are enrolled in the University of The Bahamas system which includes campuses and centres on New Providence, Grand Bahama, San Salvador, and Abaco, as well as UB online education. UB’s diverse academic programmes, research engagements, athletics, and leadership development experiences equip our students to become global citizens in a dynamic world.
