Cultural News

The International Council of Museums, the largest museum organization in the world with 45,000 members, is revising its core document, the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, which will be of interest to everyone involved with museums including staff, boards and visitors as well as stakeholders in the arts and sciences. The process is a highly consultative one, as explained by Sally Yerkovitch, chair of the International Council of Museums Ethics Committee in a recent webinar organized by the Canadian chapter of ICOM.

In 2022, ICOM approved a new definition of museum: “A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”

The ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums is intended to help museums establish and support policies and procedures to guide the work of museums, their staff and funders, whether government or private. The ethics are not legally binding; but they are aspirational. As one member of the committee said: “the ethics are a guiding star.”

It is planned that after one more cycle of consultation, the ethics will be adopted at the ICOM triennial conference in Dubai in November 2025. Lord Cultural Resources has been an enthusiastic member of ICOM for decades, and all employees are provided an ICOM membership as part of their total rewards. 

Every year, for Women’s History Month, we shine a spotlight on incredible women who are making a real difference. This year's nominees are four incredible women who are making a huge impact in the independent foundation sector thanks to their extraordinary dedication and vision. 

We also asked them all the question: “How do you stay positive in these challenging times?” Read on to see what they had to say!

“Canada Post has issued a new Black History Month stamp featuring Marie Joseph Angélique. Her story not only sheds light on the tragic history of enslavement in what is now Canada – it also reveals a woman who sought to resist her bondage and empower herself in ways that were available to her. Marie Joseph Angélique was a Black woman who was enslaved by Thérèse de Couagne in Montréal. She had a reputation for defiance – including, at one point, allegedly threatening to kill her enslaver.”

Marishana Mabusela, Lord Senior Consultant, provided a comprehensive research package on the life and legacy of Marie Joseph Angélique, including significant research into images and digital media assets looking at how she’s been represented, since there are no known photographs of her. 

The Globe and Mail, January 23, 2025

“It was very exciting for me to be interviewed by Josh O’Kane, a leading journalist for Canada‘s national newspaper, The Globe & Mail. I hope you can take a few minutes to read the article and see what he chose out of our two-hour conversation on the future of museums.” – Gail Lord