World Day 2026
The first edition of the World Day of Friends of Museums will take place this year on the second Sunday of October to celebrate the community of 2 millions enthusiasts worldwide, under the theme “Your museums, our passion!”
It follows on from the European Day of Friends of Museums celebrated since 2023.
150 associations of 14 countries participated in 2025.
We hope more this year to showcase to the public in their museum the actions they carry out throughout the year to share their passion and contribution to their museums’ influence.
LOGOS 2026
You can find below our logos to download in English, Spanish and French.
Assemblée Générale 2026 à Athènes : inscriptions et programme
La WFFM tiendra son assemblée générale 2026 à Athènes du 23 au 26 avril.
Les inscriptions des membres sont désormais ouvertes à l’adresse suivante :
https://forms.gle/iS9pPrrfR7Z6QtzX9
Nous commencerons le jeudi 23 au Musée de la Guerre avec un colloque organisé par la Fédération hellénique des Amis des Musées, ΕΟΣΦΙΜ, sur les défis auxquels les musées sont confrontés aujourd’hui, avec la participation de représentants d’institutions muséales grecques et internationales. Nous poursuivrons dans l’après-midi avec notre session académique habituelle, qui permettra à chaque pays de discuter des actions menées par ses Amis des Musées au cours de l’année écoulée. Un cocktail de bienvenue clôturera cette première journée.
Vendredi et samedi matin, le Conseil et le Conseil des jeunes prépareront les travaux pour l’avenir, tandis que les autres membres de la WFFM et les accompagnants visiteront des lieux emblématiques d’Athènes.
Nous nous retrouverons les après-midi pour visiter les musées remarquables de la ville, tels que le musée de l’Acropole, le musée Benaki et le musée de la culture grecque moderne.
Le samedi soir, nous célébrerons le 50e anniversaire de la WFFM et le 40e anniversaire de l’ΕΟΣΦΙΜ.
Puis, le dimanche matin, nous tiendrons l’Assemblée générale de la WFFM au Musée historique d’Athènes, à l’endroit où siégeait autrefois le Parlement grec, avant de nous retrouver pour un déjeuner d’au revoir dans les jardins du Musée numismatique, si le temps le permet.
Programme prévisionnel :
Jeudi 23 avril, tous les participants
Amphithéâtre du Musée de la Guerre
● 09h00-09h30 Accueil et inscription des participants au WFFM
● 10h00-14h00 Colloque « Les Amis des musées : défis et perspectives dans un monde en constante évolution », organisé par l’ΕΟΣΦΙΜ, la Fédération hellénique des Amis des musées
● 14h00-15h00 Déjeuner léger sur place
● 15h00-17h30 Session académique : les réalisations des membres de la WFFM en 2025
● 19h00 Réception et animation culturelle
Vendredi 24 avril
Réunions du Conseil, salles de l’hôtel Royal Olympic
● 09h30-12h30 Réunion du Conseil et du Conseil des jeunes : à la suite du colloque, comment les Amis des musées pourraient-ils répondre aux nouveaux défis auxquels les musées sont confrontés ? Puis sessions séparées du Conseil et du Conseil des jeunes
Autres membres et accompagnateurs
● 09h30 Visite du Musée de la culture grecque moderne (MNEP) suivie d’une visite du Musée Herakleidon des technologies de la Grèce antique
Tous les participants
● 13h00 Visite de l’Acropole et du Parthénon
● 14h30-15h30 Temps libre pour le déjeuner
● 15h30-17h00 Visite guidée du Musée de l’Acropole
● 18h00-19h00 Visite de l’Hôtel de Ville d’Athènes : visite guidée et rafraîchissements
Samedi 25 avril
Réunions du Conseil, salles de l’hôtel Royal Olympic
9h30-12h30 Séances du Conseil et du Conseil des Jeunes, puis réunion du Conseil et du Conseil des Jeunes pour les conclusions
Autres membres et accompagnateurs
● 09h30-12h30 Visite du Musée archéologique, puis transfert au Musée byzantin et chrétien
Tous les participants
● 13h00-14h00 Visite du Musée byzantin et chrétien
● 14h00-15h00 Temps libre pour le déjeuner
● 15h30-17h00 Visite du Parlement grec, de l’ancien Palais royal de Grèce et de ses expositions
● 19h00 : Visite du musée Benaki
● 20h00 Dîner officiel au musée Benaki pour célébrer le 50e anniversaire de la WFFM et le 40e anniversaire de l’ΕΟΣΦΙΜ
Dimanche 26 avril, tous les participants
● 09h30-12h00 Assemblée générale au Musée historique d’Athènes, premier siège du Parlement grec
● 14h00-14h30 Déjeuner d’adieu dans les jardins du Musée numismatique





National Meeting of the Federação de Amigos dos Museus de Portugal, October 26th-28th
In September 26th, 27th and 28th, the National Meeting of the Federação de Amigos dos Museus de Portugal (FAMP) was held at the Douro Museum in Peso da Régua.
Over three days, the idyllic landscape of the Douro Valley provided a stunning backdrop to an event filled with engaging and enriching experiences, including an exclusive visit to the museum and a peaceful boat trip along the river. These moments allowed for reflection and conviviality in a truly special setting.
The programme was designed by FAMP to encourage meaningful discussion on the role of friends of museums, and featured several sessions in which associations from across the country – from north to south – shared the work they have been developing. Among the highlights were the contribution of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, as well as the testimonies of the directors of the Lamego Museum, the D. Diogo de Sousa Archaeology Museum, and the National Coach Museum. All emphasised the crucial role played by the friends of museums in promoting and enhancing cultural heritage, underscoring the significance of the event within Portugal’s cultural sphere.
FAMP also gave prominence to its younger voices. Young participants from Lisbon, Coimbra, and Évora looked back on the three previous Youth Meetings and presented the activities carried out throughout 2024, reflecting on the early stages and development of the group. They discussed Portugal’s representation on the Youth Council of the World Federation of Friends of Museums, offering insight into their current project. They also highlighted the strengthening of ties and the fruitful exchange with young friends of museums from other countries – connections that have greatly enriched their experience. The group revisited its participation in several international gatherings, including the WFFM General Assemblies held in Luxembourg and Naples, as well as the special session in Rome with Pope Francis.
The young participants reaffirmed their commitment to bringing new generations closer to museums and expressed genuine enthusiasm for the group’s steady growth, particularly noticeable in recent months. The meeting also provided an opportunity to outline proposals for activities to be developed in 2026 – always with the aim of encouraging young people to take an active role in cultural life – and offered moments of relaxed social interaction, strengthening bonds of friendship and cooperation among participants.
The 2025 National Meeting showcased FAMP’s thoughtful planning and high-standard coordination, which played a key role in making this edition a success. It reaffirmed the vital role of friends of museums in promoting culture and heritage in Portugal, while celebrating both the natural beauty of the Douro region and the collaborative spirit that unites all those committed to this cause.




Report: WE’RE NOT JUST A TREND: ART HAS ALWAYS BEEN QUEER. GUIDED TOURS & EVENTS ON QUEER PERSPECTIVES IN ART AT THE HAMBURGER KUNSTHALLE
Written By Shanice Page
Sep 24, 2024






“WE’RE NOT JUST A TREND: ART HAS ALWAYS BEEN QUEER. GUIDED TOURS & EVENTS ON QUEER PERSPECTIVES IN ART AT THE HAMBURGER KUNSTHALLE”
Change happens very quickly for those, who keep their eyes on the past. This seems to be especially true, if you look at Old Masters in an Art Museum, which show us a world that does not exist anymore – or has never existed?
Last Tuesday, Jenny Saitzek from the Hamburger Kunsthalle introduced us to a series of formats, that present a different perspective on art and that were initiated in 2022 related to an exhibition. “Femme Fatale. Gaze – Power – Gender” at the Hamburger Kunsthalle was the starting point to explore another view on history – a queer feminist perspective. This very successful exhibition gave the necessary courage to explore new topics, in the form of a Salon Fatale. Within the Salon, conversations about diversity, inclusion and queerness were initiated, laying the groundwork for what was to come the following year.
In her half hour talk, Jenny Saitzek laid out the four different formats that were organized by the Kunsthalle, namely:
- Queer Collection Tours
- Drag – Guided Museum Tours
- Queer Salon
- Pride Week
Jenny explored the team’s idea of introducing a queer gaze to the museum, and the doubts and difficulties that crossed their path in the process, even though the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. But one major assumption was, that the museum would need a queer collection to carry out such an event. She realized, during her work with the LGBTQ+ Community within the collection, that the museum can reshape its perspectives, by explicitly recognizing queer content and opening up to queer perspectives. This reframing emphasizes the fact that museums do not need to create a separate « queer collection » but rather, that it is possible to integrate and recognize queerness within existing works and collections.
Jenny Saitzek then provided the audience with a series of hard facts and data, that show how well received these events are – in fact, they are so popular, that the maximum capacity of participants is exceeded on a regular basis. She ended her talk with a key sentence for her experiences with her newly developed events: Success begins with courage and ends with luck.

Portrait of Jenny Saitzek
© Sinje Hasheider

WFFM European Mediterranean meeting
Members are gathering in Paris from October 24th to 26th.
They will have 2 workings sessions at the Safeguarding of French Art Foundation around the following topics:
- Extended European Day of Friend of Museums
- Preparation of the 4th International Day of Friend of Museums
Past, present and future activities will be presented and discussed including the presentation of new members.
The members will also visit the:
- Cartier Foundation for contemporary art
- Institut of the Arab World
- International Cultural Heritage Fair
They will have dinner at the:
- Cercle national des Armées
- Brasserie Mollard
European Day of Friends of Museums at MUSEC: Museo delle Culture, Lugano
On Sunday 12 October, MUSEC will offer two guided tours open to the public to raise awareness of the activities of the CLUB of CULTURES.
On this occasion, there will be an opportunity to take part in a free guided tour of two temporary exhibitions at MUSEC and, during an aperitif, to discover the activities of the CLUB of CULTURES. In addition, every new member of the CLUB will receive a free MUSEC branded cloth bag as a gift.

Visit to the Fortabat Foundation by FADAM Youth Program
On Friday, September 26th, the FADAM Youth Programme visited the Fortabat collection.
Young people from different associations were invited to a guided tour of the foundation led by director Germán Barraza.
Students from the University of San Andrés (@udesa) were also invited to take part in the visit, allowing them to learn about the different programmes offered to young people by the associations that form part of FADAM.





Association of Friends of Villa Ocampo, UNESCO Plaque, Argentina
Dear Friends,
On 24 July, a plaque was unveiled at Villa Ocampo by UNESCO to thank the Association of Friends of Villa Ocampo for the comprehensive restoration of Manuel’s Room and the Shop.
The ceremony was attended by Ernesto Polcuch, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office based in Montevideo; Marta Alvarez Molindi, President of the Association of Friends of Villa Ocampo; the Association’s Board of Directors; Ernesto Montequin from the Villa Ocampo Documentation Centre; the restorer, Daniel Suarez; and staff from the House and the Association.
We would like to thank our Friends, whose support made this possible.
Attached are some photos of the event.
We will continue working to preserve Villa Ocampo and the legacy of Victoria Ocampo.
We are counting on you!




European Day 2025

The third edition of the European Day of Friends of Museums will take place this year on October 12th to celebrate the community of a million enthusiasts across Europe, under the theme “Your museums, our passion!”
150 associations of 10 countries participated in 2024. We hope more this year to showcase to the public in their museum the actions they carry out throughout the year to share their passion and contribution to their museums’ influence.
Friends of Museums Day Celebration in Argentina
On June 12, FADAM celebrated Friends of museums Day at the Tigre Art Museum (very
close to Buenos Aires). Most of the country & 39 associations attended. Marta Alvarez Molindi,
president of the Argentine Federation of Friends of Museums (FADAM), opened the event by
commenting on the WFFM meeting and assembly in Naples and Caserta, and the museum
director gave a lecture on the management of art donations. At the end, there was an
exclusive guided tour of the exhibits of works donated by two important collectors, followed
by lunch and a toast. Several Friends Associations donated items from their shops for a
raffle. It was a wonderful day of fellowship and exchange of experiences.











