One app for all your study abroad needs
Every year the world unites to celebrate International Museum Day on May 18. The day raises awareness about the importance of museums as an effective and handy means of cultural exchange. Moreover, it also helps people recognize the key role of museums in building cooperation and peace between communities. Museums are the keyhole through which we can take a look at our past, and historic movements, and learn about the pivotal role of eminent personalities. In this blog, we will explore the history, theme, and significance of International Museum Day.
| Name of the Day | International Museum Day |
| Observed on | 18 May |
| Reason | To promote the importance of museums as a means for cultural exchange, understanding, and education. |
| Theme | Museums for Education and Research |
Table of Contents
History of International Museum Day
- The International Council of Museums (I.C.O.M.) organized the conference “Crusade for Museums” in 1951.
- The theme of the conference was “Museums and Education.”
- This meeting produced the museum accessibility policy, the catalyst for the creation of International Museum Day.
- The I.C.O.M. General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the formation of an annual celebration. It aimed at merging artistic ambitions and museum efforts to raise awareness of the benefits of museums to humanity
- Subsequently, the first International Museum Day was observed in Moscow in 1977.
- Additionally, it promotes the idea that museums can operate as venues for dialogue, social interaction, and intercultural understanding.
- The group decides on a different theme each year.
- Since 1977, all museums worldwide have been asked to plan and take part in events to increase public awareness of the value that museums provide to society.
- International Museum Day has steadily gained prominence throughout the years. The fact that more people have joined over the past 15 years attests to how important history is in helping us understand how society functions.
Also Read: World Mental Health Day
What is the Theme of the International Museum Day 2024?
The theme of the International Museum Day 2024 is, “Museums for Education and Research”. It highlights the role of museums in educating people about the past.
Here is a list of themes of the past few years:
| Year | Theme |
| 2017 | Museums and Contested Histories: Saying the Unspeakable in Museums |
| 2018 | Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics |
| 2019 | Museums as Cultural Hubs: the Future of Tradition |
| 2020 | Museum for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion |
| 2021 | The Future of Museums: Recover and Imagine |
Also Read: World Art Day- History, Theme, Significance
Significance of International Museum Day
- The ICOM asserts that museums are enduring and nonprofit institutions in their communities. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize and conserve them.
- International Museum Day serves as a reminder to support our regional museums so they can continue to educate visitors and benefit the local community.
- By preserving cultural artefacts and conducting historical and scientific research, they serve society and aid in its progress.
- In order to inform and entertain the audience, they make artefacts and information available to them.
- If it weren’t for the experts who study them and take care of them, museums would lose or destroy priceless works of art, historical artefacts, and items of human and animal heritage.
- We wouldn’t be able to see, comprehend, and interact with the numerous artefacts that chart our society’s history and progress without museums.
Also Read: World Theatre Day
How To Celebrate International Museum Day
On this day, thousands of museums engage in the events and provide free admission, workshops, performances, and educational lectures to entice people to visit museums once more. No matter where you are, make an effort to pay a visit to a nearby museum today to support the job they do. If not, you may still view all of those works of art and cultural artefacts from the comfort of your home by using the virtual tours that many international museums provide on their websites.
- Create a recurring gift to a museum of your choosing today. In order to stay open, museums rely on the support of their visitors.
- Make a note to visit them if you’re ever around and learn more about strange and obscure museums that you haven’t heard about.
- Every time you visit a new city, resolve to go to at least one museum there.
- Arrange a visit to a museum for kids so that they can learn more about the past.
Related Blogs
| International Day of Acceptance | International Day for Older Persons |
| World Development Information Day | International Nurses Day |
| National Science Day | World Veterinary Day |
FAQs
Ans: International Museum Day was established in 1977 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Every year, the organization plans a different theme for the day.
Ans: More than 150 countries celebrate International Museum Day every year since its inception.
Ans: Archaeologist Leonard Woolley made an intriguing find of artefacts in 1925 while working on a palace in Babylon. They were from numerous various eras and locations, but they were nonetheless orderly arranged and even named. Woolley had found the first museum ever.
For more information about such informative articles, check the trending events page of Leverage Edu.