PARTICIPATE IN THE ICMA
Leadership and committees
Call for nominations and self-nominations: Secretary, Board of Directors, Associates, and Nominating Committee
Volunteer for a committee
Put simply, the ICMA is able to do its work thanks to the members who volunteer their time, energy, and ideas to the organization. As everyone knows, this is a critical moment for our organization and for the arts and humanities more broadly. We are seeking members who are willing to help guide the ICMA in supporting our intellectual community.
How can you help? By offering to stand for election to the ICMA Board of Directors or in another leadership capacity, or by volunteering to serve on a committee.
Several leadership roles available in 2026: Secretary, membership on the Board of Directors, membership as an Associate, and membership on the Nominating Committee. Full descriptions of these positions can be found in our bylaws, available HERE. To nominate yourself or a colleague for one of these positions, see the links below.
We also are seeking volunteers to staff our committees. You can offer your service to any of our committees (those noted with asterisks * are new this year), with service starting this fall:
75th Anniversary Committee (beginning the planning for our anniversary which will occur in 2031) *
Advocacy
Audit
Development (formerly Friends of the ICMA)
Digital Resources
Finance
Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA)
International Engagement *
Membership
Programs and Lectures
Publications
Social Media Working Group*
Website Task Force *
For more details on the roles of these committees, or to volunteer for one of them, please see below for descriptions and time commitment.
The ICMA is an inclusive organization. We seek participation from members at every career stage, with a broad range of research specialties, and from diverse professional and geographic origins. In addition to traditional research strengths, we also seek participation from scholars who query the “edges” of our discipline and who engage in the theorization of our methods and objects of study. We are brought together by a shared commitment, in the words of our Mission Statement, to “the study, understanding, and preservation of visual and material cultures produced primarily between ca. 300 CE and ca. 1500 CE in every corner of the medieval world.”
LEADERSHIP ROLES
Nominations due 20 August 2025
We seek nominees (and self-nominees) for the following posts:
Secretary (3-year term, 2026-29)
Part of the Executive Committee, Required to attend two annual board meetings, three annual Finance Committee meetings, plus 1-2 Publications Committee meetings. Must create and edit minutes for each meeting.
Estimated time commitment: 30 hours per year
Board of Directors (3-year term, 2026-29)
Required to attend two annual meetings and committee meetings (all Directors serve on a committee). The Board of Directors shall establish policy for the ICMA, supervise activities of the ICMA, and approve the annual budget. International members are encouraged to self-nominate.
Estimated time commitment: 6-10 hours per year
Associates (3-year term, 2026-29)
Lend expertise to the ICMA and will help further the goals of the organization. Associates are invited to attend meetings of the Board without vote. Individuals residing anywhere in the world who engage with medieval art and architecture, but who may not view themselves as an art or architectural historian, are encouraged to self-nominate.
Estimated time commitment: 6-10 hours per year
Nominating Committee (1-year term, 2026)
In charge of creating the slate of leadership candidates for the annual election
Estimated time commitment: 10 hours per year
HOW TO SUGGEST CANDIDATES (OR YOURSELF) FOR A LEADERSHIP ROLE:
Nominate a colleague HERE
You will be asked to provide your name and email in the first stage; for the second stage, you will be asked to provide nominees’ name, email, post (can be multiple), and information to share with the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee will follow up with the nominee.
Self-nominate HERE:
You will be asked to provide your name, email, and country along with a brief statement on why you would like to be a candidate. A CV and short biography is required.
If you have any questions, please contact our 2025 Nominating Committee Chair, Andrea Myers Achi at Andrea.Achi@metmuseum.org.
COMMITTEE ROLES
Nominations due 20 August 2025
(new committees marked with an asterisk *)
75th Anniversary Committee *
This is a newly formed committee to begin envisioning a celebration of the ICMA’s 75th Anniversary in 2031.
Estimated time commitment: 10 hours annually
Advocacy Committee
Devises ways to prepare ICMA members to advocate for the field of medieval art history and more broadly for the arts and humanities.
Estimated time commitment: 20 hours annually
Audit Committee
Oversees the annual financial review or audit (the latter occurring every third year), including approval of results from the previous year’s review/audit. The committee meets twice annually.
Estimated time commitment: 6 hours annually
Development Committee * (formerly Friends of the ICMA)
Tasked with high-level donor relations and securing funding for ICMA programming. This includes follow-up with specific individuals and being able to engage with donors who believe in ICMA’s mission.
Estimated time commitment: 10 hours annually
Digital Resources Committee
Creates online programming to benefit ICMA members, including “Mining the Collection” (at least once each year in conjunction with the ICMS/Kalamazoo conference) and “Medieval Coming Attractions” (twice each year).
Estimated time commitment: 20 hours annually
Finance Committee
Oversees the ICMA’s financial needs, budget, and endowment performance. The committee meets three times annually and recommends endowment draws and budgets for a board vote.
Estimated time commitment: 10 hours annually
IDEA Committee
Works to create useful programming and resources for ICMA members to enhance the inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility of their professional spaces (classrooms, museums, etc). Advises the Executive Committee on issues that arise which might inspire the ICMA to contact others outside of our membership circles to advocate on behalf of the organization on a matter of professional concern to the membership. Members also audit the ICMA’s activities to ensure our values are met.
Estimated time commitment: 15 hours annually
International Engagement Committee *
Offers suggestions on how best to engage with and serve our members outside of North America. In 2025-26, this committee will continue the development of a lecture series to take place in Europe.
Estimated time commitment: 15 hours annually
Membership Committee
Oversees member activities, engagement, benefits, and recruitment.
Estimated time commitment: 15 hours annually
Programs and Lectures Committee
Sends out Calls for Proposals and selects our sponsored sessions at conferences, as well as working to organize the Forsyth and Stahl Lectures.
Estimated time commitment: 20 hours annually
Publications Committee
Meets once (and occasionally twice) each year to oversee our current publications: Gesta, the Viewpoints series, and ICMA News.
Estimated time commitment: 5-10 hours annually
Social Media Working Group *
Will consider a social media strategy for the ICMA, specifically examining ways that the organization could produce what might be called “micro-learning” productions for dissemination online.
Estimated time commitment: 30-50 hours annually
Website Task Force *
During the 2025-26 year, will carefully review our website, clarifying its navigation and working with the ICMA’s Coordinator for Digital Engagement to edit and update portions of it as necessary.
Estimated time commitment: 20 hours annually
HOW TO VOLUNTEER FOR A COMMITTEE:
To volunteer your service, use the form that you can find HERE. You will be asked to submit your CV and a brief paragraph describing your interest in the committee(s) you select. The staffing of committees is coordinated between the Executive Committee and Committee Chairs. We strongly encourage you to consider multiple committees, and to express an interest in serving where you are most needed if we are unable to accommodate your top choice.
If you have any questions, please contact our Executive Director, Ryan Frisinger, at icma@medievalart.org.