Posts
Leadership
What It Means to Be a University Museum in the Twenty-First Century
These days, when I stop by the café at the Chazen Museum of Art, I often find myself in conversation with my University of Wisconsin–Madison colleagues—students, staff, and professors from …
Toxic Philanthropy
We live in a time in which the public is hyper sensitive to the ethics of where money comes from, and where it goes. As I observed in TrendsWatch 2015, nonprofits don’t get a free pass in …
You’re Doing What?!: Becoming “The Founder”
Museum professionals have creative aging journeys of their own, which might mean figuring out how best to cap off a career in the field. But in today’s world, with more people …
Inspiring Success: Why and how The Henry Ford developed its leadership program
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2019 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. How do you retain talented staff? How do you develop their skills, …
Lonnie Bunch isn’t afraid to address white supremacy. What else will that change for the Smithsonian?
Philip Kennicott reflects on Lonnie G. Bunch III’s appointment to secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and what it might spell for the future of Smithsonian museums. Bunch’s …
The Self-Care Ritual of Retreats
One reason I love museum people is that they work so hard to make the world a better place. But all too often, I see colleagues burn out and leave our field because they did not make time …
A Place at the Table: Developing diversity and next-generation leaders
In 2018, the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) in Ohio named Asmaa Walton, a Detroit native with a master’s degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, its first KeyBank Museum Fellow. The …
Finding Resilience in Challenging Times
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2019 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of membership with the Alliance. Click here to learn more about membership! Museums must embrace …
When Dual Leadership Works, 1+1=3
What is dual leadership and how does it work? Recently, over coffee, I asked these questions of Cheryl Donaldson Moses and Donna Jared, the Co-Executive Directors of the Fort Collins Museum …
Making it all about Them: the New Bedford Whaling Museum High School Apprenticeship Program
Each year AAM’s Education Committee (EdCom) Professional Network recognizes outstanding museum educators and supporters, programs and resources that exemplify excellence. The 2018 Award of …
Killer Mike, the High Museum’s Newest Board Member, on How He Wants to Make Art More Accessible to the Working Class
“I’m a product of the High Museum. I’m a product of Atlanta. I’m a product of the Atlanta public school system. The Atlanta public school system and the High, in my day, were …
Join me in Detroit to Explore the Future of Immersive Practice
I’ve spent the past week designing some futurist exercises for a convening the Alliance is organizing at Detroit Institute of Arts, September 6-7. My colleagues and I are organizing …