The Spring Meeting in Fontainebleau underscored the proactive engagement of FRAME members in steering the network’s direction. This recap encapsulates the highlights and strategic initiatives discussed, reflecting FRAME’s proactive approach of fostering collaboration, innovation, and cultural exchange within the network and beyond. A central theme of the meeting was the evolving crisis of museum legitimacy in Western societies, amplifying their societal responsibilities across all domains.
I) FRAME Strategic Plan – Steps for Implementation
- Strengthening DEIA: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) will anchor all FRAME initiatives.
- Expanding Research and Development: Encouraging transdisciplinary collaborations across curatorial and educational realms.
- Reviving FRAMEWorks: Introducing professional seminar programs to enhance existing FRAME initiatives, complemented by a series of online publications.
- Embracing Longevity in Exhibitions: Fostering enduring France-NA exhibitions, integrating long-term loans into permanent exhibitions and coordinating educational programs.
- Affiliate Criteria: Establishing pathways for collaboration between FRAME and non-FRAME museums, facilitating project proposals and touring exhibitions, such as during museum renovations.
II) Preparation for the 2024 FRAME Annual Conference – Nancy
The workshop sought member input to identify areas of interest for further exploration at FRAME’s annual conference in Nancy.
- Urban Culture: Exploring urban culture’s connections with museums , particularly highlighted by the Museum of Fine Arts in Nancy.
- Provenance Research: Deepening the discourse on provenance research practices, focusing on scholarly insights from esteemed American and French speakers.
- Hospitality in Museums: Shifting focus towards strategy in promoting well-being, aligning French-American perspectives.
III) Universal Accessibility in Rennes 2025
- Tactile Gallery: Assessing the impact of the Please Do Touch! initiative after 8 years of circulation within the FRAME network. Organizing study days in March 2025 in Rennes to evaluate visitor, partner, and museum team experiences and fostering transatlantic discussions on museum accessibility.
IV) Main Outcomes of Other Projects
- Simon Vouet Exhibition: Scheduled for Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris.
- Art at the Court of Philip the Good and Isabella of Portugal: Exhibitions planned at Cleveland Museum of Art and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon.
- Women Associated with Surrealism: Exhibitions set for Musée d’arts de Nantes and Centre de la Vieille Charité, Musées de la Ville de Marseille.
