In August, members representing all 10 cohorts gathered in Montréal, first at HEC Montréal and then at the MMIAM Co-Director François Colbert’s country house—a home many students are familiar with—for a celebration of the MMIAM program’s 10th anniversary. Over the course of the weekend, former students, professors, program organizers, and their families gushed about how much they loved the MMIAM and how appreciative they were of this unique learning experience.
If you’ve been a student in the MMIAM program, you no doubt have countless stories—site visits that wowed you, travel mishaps, all-night study sessions, and stories of how you bonded with the other students in your cohort. However, in attending the reunion, I realized that what we don’t have are stories of how the program has touched those who work all over the world to make this program happen each year.
Below, I’ve asked many of the program’s representatives, past and present, to share their reflections on the program. And I also added a selection of photos from the reunion, for your viewing pleasure.
Enjoy!
Brittany Johnson, MMIAM Editor
What strikes me most about being in the company of MMIAMs past and present is the amount of love and leadership I encounter in the room. There’s a palpable sense of both not only for each other, but also for making a meaningful impact in the arts and, ultimately, society. MMIAMs continue to inspire important work wherever they go. It’s such a joy to watch them succeed.
— Sandy Duhé, Southern Methodist University
The month of May brings us the MMIAM students in Milan!
It has been and it is always a pleasure for me to see them joining MAMA students for some weeks at SDA Bocconi. I am one of their first contacts in Italy and they are always so nice and energetic that is really amazing to have them with us, as they arrive like a fresh breeze after very intensive months.
It’s always so nice to see how well they integrate with the MAMA students during classes and study tours!
— Laura Matera, SDA Bocconi
I had the opportunity to teach during the MMIAM program both in Milano and in India. Being around the MMIAM students is always stimulating: they bring an international perspective to the arts management and always challenge their professors and peers to think different. Their love for the arts, at 360 degrees, is contagious!
One of my best memories about MMIAM? In India, while discovering the arts and crafts of Jaipur, learning from the local artisans the history of ancient traditions and how to maintain them modern.
— Piergiacomo Mion, SDA Bocconi
As a student, alumni and now coordinator of the campus abroad in Bogotá I have been fortunate enough to meet most students and it is wonderful to see that regardless of the place of birth, we are united by the same passion: the arts. Every conversation, experience, including traveling with the MMIAM family has been enriching and memorable. To name some highlights; the visit to the headquarters of Cirque du Soleil, the MMIAM meetings at Francois’ country house, the nights without sleep writing papers, Montréal and its cold but fun and beautiful winter and the magical nights in Villa de Leyva with the talented MMIAMs.
— Mónica Muñoz, Universidad de los Andes
What still excites me? The students! I’m their first contact; I see them from the first info session or the first time they reach out with questions to the start of the program…through graduation and hopefully, as we keep in contact. Through all of this, I get to see the students evolve and grow. I am doing my best to reassure them and solve problems. It is very rewarding.
— Anne-Marie Panneton, HEC Montréal
Continue getting to know Anne-Marie through her MMIAM interview here.
For me, the incorporation of the MMIAM experience in Bogotá is a source of great pride, yet it also presents an enduring challenge. I derive immense satisfaction from the fact that, after a decade, the Campus Abroad program in Bogotá provides students with the opportunity to delve into the realm of Cultural Management within the unique context of a Latin American country, marked by distinct developmental conditions when compared to more advanced economies. From my perspective, this exposure enriches their outlook on the art and culture management domain with fresh and diverse perspectives. Nevertheless, with each new annual cohort that graces our institution, we are confronted with the ongoing challenge of elevating the learning experience. This entails empowering students to discern and comprehend the distinct characteristics inherent to our Latin American setting, and more specifically, the Colombian context, which significantly shapes these management strategies.
— Jaime Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Universidad de los Andes
Continue getting to know Jaime Ruiz-Gutierrez through his MMIAM interview here.
I have been so committed to the MIAMM program that I have been not only an enthusiastic member of the faculty at its very beginning and later a co-director of the program, but actually I “did” half of the MMIAM journey, working in Milan at Bocconi, SMU Dallas, and having attended the study tour in Bogotá.
My best memory? Watching the personal and intellectual growth of all the MMIAMs throughout the program and beyond, students’ curiosity during visits and meetings with arts managers in Dallas, and their shared confidence (our shared confidence) that the world might be better thanks to the arts.
Viva MMIAM!
— Alex Turrini, SDA Bocconi
Continue getting to know Alex Turrini through his MMIAM interview here.
Among my many wonderful MMIAM moments was the initial spark that set the program in motion. Francois Colbert visited Dallas in 2009, my first year at SMU. I picked him up from the airport and in the car, he told me he had a crazy idea he wanted to share for a new master’s program that could be offered jointly and focus on international arts management. We discussed it in the car on the ride to campus, where we were about to meet with my Dean. After initial pleasantries, Francois and I shared with the Dean the crazy idea. He immediately and enthusiastically said yes, let’s do it. That afternoon we wrote to colleagues at Bocconi. The rest is history. My sincere thanks to Francois and to dear colleagues at Bocconi who have been extraordinary partners throughout the journey.
— Zannie Voss, Southern Methodist University
Continue getting to know Zannie Voss through her MMIAM interview here.
