1 8 3 2 , ▁the ▁W ad sw orth ▁Ath ene um ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Museum ▁of ▁Art ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 . ▁After ▁nearly ▁two ▁centuries ▁of ▁cur atorial ▁practice ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁the ▁A AM C ▁has ▁been ▁established ▁as ▁North ▁America ' s ▁first ▁professional ▁organization ▁for ▁art ▁museum ▁cur ators ▁active ▁in ▁all ▁fields ▁of ▁scholar ly ▁purs uit . ▁ ▁The ▁A AM C , ▁a ▁ 5 0 1 ( c )( 6 ) ▁membership ▁organization , ▁grew ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Forum ▁of ▁Cur ators ▁and ▁Conserv ators ▁at ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Museum ▁of ▁Art , ▁a ▁recognized , ▁non - union ▁body ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁members . ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁news ▁of ▁staff ▁re organ izations ▁at ▁several ▁major ▁US ▁museum s , ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Forum ▁created ▁an ▁ad ▁h oc ▁committee ▁to ▁explore ▁the ▁feas ibility ▁of ▁a ▁national ▁organization ▁of ▁museum ▁cur ators ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁Over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁two ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁years , ▁cur ators ▁at ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Museum ▁- ▁including ▁Kath ar ine ▁Ba et jer , ▁Stef ano ▁Car b oni , ▁Col ta ▁I ves , ▁Peter ▁Ken ny ▁and ▁Gary ▁T inter ow ▁- ▁draft ed ▁the ▁mission ▁statement ▁and ▁by - la ws ▁of ▁the ▁proposed ▁organization . ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁they ▁held ▁a ▁meeting ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁attended ▁by ▁represent