Are you a woman working in the museum sector?

On March 9th 2023, Athena Art Foundation and art dealer Mercè Valderrey launched a new platform for women curators, gallerists, conservators and others to meet and support each other. The event took place as part of the International art fair TEFAF in Maastricht, and we were delighted by the level of interest, with a number of directors and curators of world-class museums, private collectors, representatives from art fairs, as well as gallerists, art dealers, and other professionals filling the venue.

In a brief keynote, Carmen Willems, General Director of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, told the group about her career trajectory and the many obstacles and challenges along the way.  The ensuing conversations highlighted the need for increased representation of women in leadership positions as well as greater commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality. The event's success demonstrated the need for an international platform to celebrate women's often overlooked contributions to and achievements in the museum and art market ecosystem. 

The following museums were among those represented: Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, National Gallery in Dublin, Whitechapel Gallery in London, National Gallery in Washington, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Baltimore Museum of Art, Meadows Museum,  Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Cleveland Art Museum, Princeton University Museum, North Carolina Art Museum, High Museum in Atlanta, Museum Prinsenhof in Delft, Sinebrychoff Art Museum - Finnish National Gallery in Helsinki, Het Noordbrabants Museum in Den Bosch, RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History in Den Haag, Teylers Museum in Haarlem, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. 

In response to the enthusiastic feedback from attendees, we hope to make this important event an annual occurrence and to organise similar events in different venues around the world and online.

If you would like to get involved, please get in touch via the submission form below

March 2023