Bringing Together French Curators in the United States: A New Momentum for Museum Cooperation

Over two days, these professionals—based in around fifteen U.S. states—shared their career paths, practices, and visions for the future of the museum sector, resulting in a strong collective desire to build a lasting network.

Exchange, Compare, Imagine

Throughout workshops and discussions, participants explored the major trends currently reshaping museums in the United States, including new narratives, reimagined mediation, outreach to more diverse audiences, programming innovations, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Each person contributed their experience, often very different depending on the regions and institutions represented.

These intersecting perspectives highlighted the richness of approaches and the ability of French and American museums to learn from one another.

A New Momentum for Professional Mobility

One of the key moments of the seminar focused on opportunities for international mobility. Several American institutions expressed growing interest in profiles specialized in European and French art. Additionally, a shared observation emerged: France continues to train young professionals with rare and sought-after expertise.

This gathering helped identify new avenues to facilitate the circulation of skills between the two countries, strengthen the visibility of opportunities, and encourage transatlantic professional trajectories.

Villa Albertine at the Heart of Cultural Connections

Participants also discovered—or rediscovered—Villa Albertine’s programs: the Etant donnés grants, the Museum Next Generation program, and events such as Night of Ideas. Several museums expressed their desire to collaborate more closely with Villa Albertine, confirming the importance of a shared space to develop innovative projects.

Toward a Structured Network of French Curators

At the end of these two days, the idea of a lasting network emerged naturally. By facilitating the sharing of information, connections, and collective reflection, such a network could become a true accelerator of cultural cooperation between France and the United States.

Villa Albertine will continue to support this momentum by facilitating future meetings, supporting mobility, and accompanying the development of ambitious museum projects on both sides of the Atlantic.