Image: Depiction of an O’Neill cylinder’s interior by artist Rick Guidice
Dispatches from the Future of Museums is now in its new home—on the web!
As of January 2026, roundups for Dispatches that contain these news summaries are only updated on this page and no longer delivered as a dedicated newsletter. As part of this shift, existing Dispatches subscribers were transitioned to a receiving a single new weekly newsletter from AAM.
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Dispatches: Week of May 4
This week on the CFM blog, Jenny McBurney is interviewed about Save Our Signs, a crowdsourced effort to combat censorship at National Parks.
Could agentic AI topple grant-funding systems?
from Nature, 4-27-26 [Projections]
A new wave of AI tools, known as agents, can now generate a research grant application, review it and submit it. AI agents are large language models (LLMs) equipped with tools that let them search the web, read documents, write and execute code, and call external services, for example. Evidence is mounting of a surge in the use of generative AI across science. A 2025 survey of 3,234 researchers across 113 countries found 41% were using it to help draft grant proposals. A survey by the publishing company Frontiers suggests that more than half of researchers already use AI to assist with peer review. When both proposals and reviews are mediated by agents that are trained on the same body of previously funded work, the system will no longer be evaluating the quality of ideas. It will be evaluating how well agents have learnt to simulate the ideas that funders have previously rewarded.
How a Museum Doubled Its Attendance in Just One Year
from The New York Times, 4-24-26 [Museum Innovations]
The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens is a success story at a moment when many cultural institutions are struggling to attract audiences and retain funding. A jewel box of a space — at less than 100,000 square feet, it’s one-seventh the size of the Museum of Modern Art — MoMI has more than doubled its visitors in the last two years, to over 300,000, and increased membership by nearly 50 percent since 2024. Across most of its life, the museum did not have much of an endowment, and pandemic-era cuts had meant little money for improvements. Aziz Isham, a former film producer who became the museum’s director in 2023, [prioritized] fixing the museum’s air-conditioning — which allowed for more school groups — and upgrading the sound system and seating in its movie theater. The institution, Isham said, is “very, very focused on the in-person experience, the analog experience, on the connections that people make with each other and through the material”
The Impact of State and Federal Policies on Academic Researchers
from Ithaka S+R, 4-20-26 [Research]
As of late 2025, 21 states had enacted legislation limiting postsecondary instruction on a range of topics, while imposing new requirements and restrictions in areas such as curriculum and shared governance. These laws focus on what supporters have referred to as “divisive concepts,” “woke ideologies,” “DEI,” or “critical race theory.” They limit how topics such as racial or gender identity, and in some cases policy issues such as immigration, foreign relations, and climate change, can be taught. [This report] groups these state laws under the umbrella of “divisive concepts and similar laws” or “laws restricting academic speech”. Twenty percent of all respondents, and 29 percent of researchers working in states with divisive concepts or similar laws, reported having avoided certain research topics because of state laws and policies. Forty-eight percent who lived or worked in states with divisive concepts or similar legislation or policies in effect during our survey period described those laws as limiting their academic freedom over their research.
Editor’s note: While this research studied the impact of state and federal legislation on academic researchers, the results foreshadow potential impacts of similar legislation on the content and activities of museums that receive government funding.
Explore recent weeks
This week on the CFM blog, Michael Holloman, Bailey Placzek, and Nicole Cromartie of the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver explore their partnership with the Colville Confederated Tribes, including the development of an exhibition with Tribal youth.
Climate Change Concern Near Its High Point in U.S.
from Gallup, 4-14-26 [Trends]
Americans’ concern about global warming or climate change remains elevated compared with what it had been prior to 2017. At least four in 10 U.S. adults have expressed “a great deal” of concern about the matter throughout the past decade (except for a 39% reading in 2023). Between 2009 and 2016, worry was typically in the low-to-mid 30% range but dropped to as low as 25% in 2011. Currently, 44% of U.S. adults worry a great deal about global warming or climate change, among the highest in the full trend since 1989, along with 46% measured in 2020 and 45% in 2017. In addition to the 44% now worrying a great deal about global warming or climate change, another 22% worry “a fair amount,” while 12% say they worry “only a little” and 23% do not worry at all. While a solid majority of U.S. adults believe the effects of global warming have already begun, less than half, 45%, believe those effects will pose a threat to them or their way of life during their lifetime.
Museums might: The Annual Survey of Museum-Goers and the associated General Population Survey has found that an overwhelming majority of the American public want museums to address the topic of climate change. As trusted sources of information, museums can help the public understand the impact climate change will have on their communities, foster climate resilience, and help people cope with climate anxiety.
Finish Line: The quiet rise of “prescribing connection”
from Axios, 4-16-26 [Trends]
With the rise of “social prescribing,” physicians are sending patients to choirs, art studios, walking clubs and lakesides. Overstretched health systems and a worsening loneliness epidemic are forcing a hard look at how social interventions can improve mental and physical health. The term can encompass anything from programs that connect people with access to affordable produce to prescriptions to paint or volunteer. The U.K. has been leading the charge globally. The National Health Service (NHS) has offered social prescribing since 2019, as part of a $6 billion primary care expansion. That push has produced more than 5.5 million referrals in England over five years — far exceeding the original 900,000 target. U.S. pilot programs are running in some states, including California, Florida and Massachusetts. Social Prescribing USA, a nonprofit, is aiming for nationwide access to services like art or music therapy, dance classes and outdoor activities for every American by 2035.
Go deeper: Use AAM’s Museums and Healthcare: A Practical Guide to Partnership to equip your museum with the strategies and tools it needs to design and manage health partnerships such as those described in the Axios article.
At a Difficult Time, a Minnesota Museum Offers Respite to Somalis
from The New York Times, 4-14-26 [Museum Innovations]
Amina Shire is affectionately known as one of the “grandmas,” a group of Somali elder master weavers who teach at the Somali Museum of Minnesota in Minneapolis. One of the few Somali museums in the world, [it was] founded it in 2011 to preserve and promote Somali culture and to teach this heritage to the Somali American youth in Minnesota, which is home to one of the largest Somali populations outside East Africa. It has become a place of respite for the Somali community of Minnesota, especially as Somalis have been the target of enforcement efforts by federal immigration agents. The current political climate has had an impact on visitorship — many in the Minnesota Somali community, and other immigrant communities, have been fearful of leaving home. The museum’s social media posts have also been bombarded. In spite of the negative attention, the museum has become a healing center where
This week on the CFM blog, Elizabeth Merritt, VP of strategic foresight and founding director of CFM, announces applications are open for the CFM Foresight Scholarship, supporting participation in the Foresight Certificate program at the University of Houston.
Transfers Of Wealth Might Be Excluding Nonprofits
from The NonProfit Times, 4-13-26 [Projections]
Nonprofit executives anticipating intergenerational transfer of wealth have a better chance of getting the cash after it has passed to the next generation. Only 1% of older Americans versus 3% of younger Americans have factored in philanthropy as a primary purpose for their wealth according to new data from The Harris Poll in the study “America’s Great Wealth Transfer.” The majority of older Americans plan to leave inheritance to their children (81%). When this transfer occurs, the new generation will have views on wealth and financial priorities that differ from those of their parents. Older Americans primarily see their wealth as a path to security (42%), and as a means to live their desired lifestyle/for enjoyment (35%). Younger Americans likewise share these sentiments (32%, 23% respectively). Significantly more often than older Americans, they see wealth as a method of building a legacy (22% younger, 12% older) and to achieve personal fulfillment (18%, 8% respectively).
The State of the Mission-Driven Workforce in 2026
from Momentive Software, 4-9-26 [Research]
This report, conducted by Wakefield Research and commissioned by Momentive Software, examines the priorities, challenges, and experiences of nonprofit and association employees, identifying the key factors shaping engagement, career mobility, and organizational sustainability. Some key findings: 64% of [nonprofit] professionals don’t see a clear career path at their organization; 65% of employees with clear career paths are not considering leaving versus only 27% of those without; 92% agree that intentional employee development would make their organization more effective; 66% would choose focused skills development over a pay raise to improve job satisfaction.
Go deeper: Read about how the Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Taft Museum of Art are building internal pathways for advancement in The Looming Leadership Crisis chapter of this year’s TrendsWatch report.
The New Internet is Coming
from TechRadar, 4-10-26 [Projections]
For the first time in the internet’s history, bots outnumber humans online. This milestone signals a deeper shift in how the web functions and for whom (or what) it’s designed for. What started as an ecosystem built by and for humans is increasingly becoming one optimized for [AI] agents. AI agents are already crawling, scraping, synthesizing, and increasingly generating content at a scale no human workforce could match—reshaping the web in real time. Within ten years, we may see hundreds of billions—perhaps even close to a trillion—agents operating online. The more we build for agents, the more uniform the digital landscape becomes. The internet that was once chaotic, occasionally quirky, and deeply human starts to flatten under the weight of optimization. The human internet, on the other hand, will trade in trust, context, creativity, and emotional intelligence, qualities agents can’t fully replicate.
Go deeper: Read the full article to explore how the web may split into AI-driven spaces and the “human internet,” and the implications for marketing, trust, and the future of online communities.
This week on the CFM blog, Aisha Shillingford, Artistic Director of Intelligent Mischief re-imagines museums as sites of repair, which she will further explore through an installation and learning lab at the 2026 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo.
Intelligent Mischief’s participation in the 2026 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo is generously supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Italy’s Uffizi Galleries targeted in cyber-attack but deny security breach
from BBC, 4-3-26 [Trends]
The Uffizi Galleries in Florence have confirmed they were subject to a cyber-attack – but denied that the security systems protecting their famous works had been compromised. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that hackers had infiltrated the museums’ IT systems, allegedly extracting access codes, internal maps and the locations of CCTV cameras and alarms, before issuing a ransom demand. The attackers appeared to have moved through interconnected systems, computers and phones, gradually piecing together a detailed picture of the museum’s operations, Corriere reported. A ransom demand was later sent to museum director Simone Verde’s personal phone, the newspaper said, with a threat to sell the data on the dark web. Two floors of the Palazzo Pitti normally house the “Medici Treasure,” and Corriere claimed the hack had led to parts of the palace being closed since 3 February and valuable items being temporarily transferred to a vault of the Bank of Italy for safekeeping.
Be prepared: Ransomware attacks increased by 58% in 2025, and nonprofit targets have including the British Library, the Toronto Zoo, and several prominent US museums. Use the CFM post Is Your Museum Prepared for Ransomware? as a guide to preventing and preparing for ransomware attacks at your institution.
Hate crimes against Latinos and Sikhs hit record high in 2025
from Axios, 4-9-26 [Trends]
Anti-Latino and anti-Sikh hate crimes in the U.S. soared to new records in 2025, even as overall hate crimes declined, according to preliminary FBI data reviewed by Axios. Overall hate-crime incidents fell 11% in 2025 from the previous year. However, anti-Latino hate crimes rose 18% to a record 1,014 incidents in 2025. Anti-Sikh hate crimes shot up from 6 in 2015 to 228 last year — a 3,700% increase. [Researchers] cautioned that anti-Sikh hate crimes had just been introduced as a category at that time. Anti-Jewish hate crimes dropped 29%, a sharp annual drop. Despite a 6% dip, anti-trans hate crimes have remained on a sustained plateau — 98% above its 13-year average — amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. 2025 ranked as the 5th-highest year for hate crime in the 34-year history of FBI-collected police data.
Go deeper: Download the free AAM resource Audiences and Inclusion: A Primer for Cultivating More Inclusive Attitudes Among the Public to explore how museums can create safe and welcoming spaces for the most marginalized and at-risk communities and guide visitors towards more inclusive attitudes and behaviors that benefit society as a whole.
The museum as medical school training ground
from University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 3-31-26 [Museum Innovations]
The Weisman Art Museum, in partnership with the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Center for the Art of Medicine, will launch “Visual Art + Medicine 7753” this spring, a new course aimed at increasing the observational, interpretative and creative problem-solving skills of future physicians through hands-on art-making and guided gallery discussions. The course will include hands-on work with a ceramicist, where students use clay to slow down and learn through touch, alongside sound, abstraction, and color-based experiences that deepen listening skills and presence. Students and artists will use Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), an approach originating with art museums. VTS uses facilitated discussions of art to build critical thinking, communication and visual literacy skills. The model reflects WAM’s broader commitment to hands-on learning — which has been shown to foster empathy, evidence-based interpretation and reflective practice — skills directly transferable to patient encounters.
Go deeper: AAM’s new toolkit, Museums and Healthcare: A Practical Guide to Partnership, provides a practical, research‑based guide to designing, managing, and evaluating cross‑sector partnerships such as
This week on the CFM blog, Elizabeth Merritt, VP of strategic foresight and founding director of CFM, shares 2026 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo sessions for attendees interested in AI, including one presented by Elizabeth herself.
Unbossing: Your Next Leaders Just Quit Before They Started
from Forbes, 4-6-26 [Trends]
Conscious unbossing is an emerging reality where people are rejecting middle management roles—a structural crisis hiding in plain sight. A report by a world-leading professional recruitment consultancy found that 52% of Gen Zers don’t want to be middle managers; 72% would rather opt for a career route that is focused on personal growth and skill development rather than taking on a management role. 62% of Gen Z think that middle management roles are too high stress for too low reward – citing longer hours, increased responsibility, increased risk taking, and little to no salary growth. [And these positions are at increasing risk,] in 2023, middle managers made up one-third of all layoffs, and in 2025, 41% of employees surveyed reported that their organizations had cut middle management layers. About half of those surveyed said they either have left or will be leaving their middle management role because of a lack of fulfillment or advancement.
Go deeper: This year’s TrendsWatch report examines how a growing aversion to management positions may contribute to a “looming leadership crisis” in our sector. Museum leaders might examine this data for how to make management roles more rewarding and sustainable.
After LA’s Devastating Fires, Local Art Spaces Unite for Climate Action
from Ocula, 3-10-26 [Museum Innovations]
More than a year since the wildfires that devastated Southern California, five Los Angeles art museums and galleries [have] signalled their commitment to climate action through the formation of a new consortium committed to implementing best practices from the Bizot Green Protocol, a set of recommendations tailored to arts organisations outlining environmentally sustainable practices and reducing carbon emissions in the long-term care of collections. In a joint statement, the consortium said: “Though not a direct cause, climate change was an exacerbating factor in the size and devastation of the recent Los Angeles-area fires, which took a toll on our cultural institutions, galleries and artists. Increasingly, the cultural sector is being shaped by and is responding to climate change as part of fulfilling our mission of caring for and exhibiting our shared cultural heritage. It is vital that our sector take action to both reduce our environmental impact and improve our resilience, so that we can continue to fulfill this mission.”
The People’s Role in American Democracy
from Gallup, March 2026 [Research]
The Kettering Foundation and Gallup have published the second The Democracy for All Project report, drawing from the views of more than 20,000 adults nationwide, examining citizen involvement, barriers to participation, the role of social media and information, and the impact of civic education. Only 25% of Americans say the people’s role in the democratic process is working well, while 37% say it is working poorly. Americans with both formal and informal civic education are more than twice as likely as those with little or no civic education to have volunteered in the past 12 months (42% vs. 20%, respectively). 74% of Americans report multiple barriers to getting involved in causes they care about. Americans who are struggling financially, younger adults and those with weak ties to their local community face the greatest barriers to participation.
Go deeper: A growing number of museums are fostering civic engagement, often through coalitions and programs such as Made By Us and Civic Season. How might your museum lower the barriers to civic participation?
A new archive of Dispatches
An archive of news stories is available if you want to browse past roundups – covering from January 2026 onward, and older than the most recent 5 weeks on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Center for the Future of Museums Blog shares musings on the future of museums and society, where you’ll read posts authored by CFM director Elizabeth Merritt and guest author posts. If you have a story to share, email us at futureofmuseums [at] aam-us [dot] org.
Explore more resources from the Center for the Future of Museums in the AAM Resource Library.
The new annual TrendsWatch report has been released as the January/February 2026 issue of Museum magazine for AAM members and subscribers. Get a free preview here. It will be available as a free PDF report later this spring.
Dispatches shares summaries of recent news stories illuminating trends and events shaping society, technology, economics, the environment, and policy today. Fuel your museum’s strategic foresight by thinking about the implications of these “signals,” and the kinds of future they might create.
The most frequent categories that you’ll see articles filed under include: Tools for the Future, Museum Innovations, Projects, Trends, and Research.
If you don’t currently receive a weekly AAM email newsletter, you can! The newsletter you’re eligible for depends on your AAM membership status:
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The Dispatches roundup published as a webpage began in January 2026 and will contain the most recent 5 weeks of news roundups.
In February, we made available an archive of contents older than 5 weeks (from January 2026 onward).
From October 2009 through December 2025, Dispatches was sent as a weekly newsletter from our Center for the Future of Museums. In that time, it grew to be an invaluable resource for over 40,000 subscribers!
In recent years, AAM has also sent other in-depth weekly newsletters: Aviso with news and opportunities to AAM members, and Field Notes, a newsletter we began several years ago with stories and insights for museum people which was free to subscribe.
Readers told us they wanted to receive fewer weekly newsletters from AAM. By consolidating content and moving Dispatches stories to the web, we can ensure that just one weekly newsletter hits your inbox.
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