The 2023 MAC Conference will take place in Nassau, Bahamas from Wednesday, March 1 to Sunday, March 5, 2023. This will be MAC’s first in-person conference since 2019, and will feature:
Note: The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will NOT take place during this conference. The 2023 AGM will be held virtually in November 2023.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, museum and cultural heritage sites faced numerous challenges in relation to how to sustain themselves and how to support their local communities. We recognized once more the power we hold to bring people together, promote healing, and advocate for change in difficult times. As we approach a post-pandemic era, the time seems ripe to assess how museums and their roles have evolved alongside the surrounding world. For the 2023 conference, we ask museum and other cultural heritage workers to look at the past, their present or the future and consider:
This work is based on archival images from the 1932 Great Abaco Hurricane which devastated Abaco and Green Turtle Cay. The artist, Leanne Russell, is an Abaconian descended from settlers, who still lives on the tiny island (Green Turtle Cay) where her forefathers settled. She is active in the community and lived though Dorian on Green Turtle Cay and has led the restoration efforts. The artist overlaid contemporary images post-Dorian with historical images to speak to the recurring trauma. Working on them gave her hope that the community could rebuild as it had before.
Bonefish Pond, Bahamas Photo Courtesy of Girl with Her Views, YouTube
MAC 2023 Conference attendees will have the opportunity to stay in the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in the Downtown/Junkanoo Beach area for a discounted conference rate. Discount code to follow.
W Bay St, Nassau, Bahamas
Just a 9 minute walk to the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas & a 13 minute walk to the Central Bank of the Bahamas, two of our host institutions!
Located in the heart of Downtown Nassau, within walking distance of restaurants, cultural sites and entertainment, our conference hotel (insert name) is only steps away from our host venues, making it easy for attendees to have an enjoyable conference experience. While it is also possible for attendees to find their own accommodations, we recommend using (insert hotel name), which, in addition to having a special discounted hotel rate, will also be more convenient than most AirBnB or VRBO that require renting a car or relying on Nassau’s public transit system.
Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 is required. Additionally, we will follow all masking and social-distancing requirements of the Bahamas’s national and local government as well as of any venue where conference activities will be conducted.
Bahamas Ministry of Health https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/health
Bahamas Travel Updates https://www.bahamas.com/travelupdates