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Individual Membership Categories and Eligibility

Working- $135: Museum professionals working, or other persons who, because of their experience or professional services rendered to ICOM, are eligible to become individual members.

Examples include:

  • Museum professionals
  • Professor working at or above the Master's Degree level in museum and museum-related studies, including art history
  • Professional workers/personnel of Special Libraries and Archives, in reference to libraries and archives with thematically specialized collections or holdings
  • Museum service companies/independent consultants 
  • Museum volunteer docent/educators depending on the resume, employment contract, and letters of recommendation. Active/not retired docents and volunteers need a letter from their museum supervisor/official confirming their active position.

  • Further information required for those below (case by case):

    • Museum architects (working 50% or more of their time with museums or eligible at supporting category)
    • Independent exhibit media/graphic and installation designers (working 50% or more of their time with museums or eligible at supporting category)
    • Museum Trustees (working 50% or more of their time with museums or eligible at supporting category)
    • Museum board members (working 50% or more of their time with museums or eligible at supporting category)

Retired- $75: Retired museum professionals.
(Retired docents and retired volunteers are not eligible).

Student- $60 (non voting): ICOM-US will accept undergraduate or students working on their Master's Degree or PhD in museology, museum studies, museum education, museum management, conservation, art history or an equivalent museum-related subject. A scanned copy of the student's ID is required for approval.

Supporting- $500 (non voting): Persons or institutions providing substantial assistance to ICOM both financially and otherwise, due to an interest in museums and the international cooperation between museums.

Examples include:

  • Media (such as magazine publishers)
  • Attorneys and Counselors representing museums and not-for-profit organizations in all aspects of art and cultural heritage law, policy, and practice.

Important Notes
Membership fees represent more than 90% of ICOM’s budget. Thanks to its Members, ICOM is able to fund initiatives all over the world in favor of the international museum community: from responding to catastrophes threatening cultural heritage, to training museum professionals in developing nations.

Resumes or business cards are required with all new memberships and also by those who are changing membership categories.

ICOM Statutes Article 4 Membership Section 1:
"Membership shall be open to Museums, Institutions recognised by ICOM and Museum Professionals. All persons eligible for membership shall indicate to ICOM that they wish to become Members, agreeing to accept and adhere to the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, and shall complete the application form to request membership. ICOM membership shall not be available to any person or institution (including its employees) that trades (i.e. buys or sells for profit) cultural property - including works of art and natural and scientific specimens - taking national laws and international conventions into consideration. Likewise, persons or institutions engaged in an activity that conflicts with ICOM´s ethical standards shall not be eligible for membership."

Individual Membership Application
Institutional Membership Application

 

References
ICOM Statutes, 2022
ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, 2004