New TrendsWatch! Navigating a Disrupted Future

In a normal year, TrendsWatch explores the impact emerging forces of change may have on museums in the next decade or longer. Some, such as demographic shifts, affect all museums in the present. Others, such as the rise of blockchain …

onePULSE, Many Perspectives: Collaborating with Diverse Stakeholders to Develop the National Pulse Memorial & Museum

In the aftermath of a tragedy, there is no one way for communities to grieve and heal. This is especially true when the event impacts people on a national or even international scale. The response, as well as any attempt at permanent …

TrendsWatch: Building Financial Resilience in a Time of Crisis

Here at the Alliance, we know that COVID-19 is inflicting severe damage on museums. Our sector is just beginning to assess the impact of closures, travel bans, cancellation of major events (including fundraisers), and the implementation of …

Double Duty: How a historic botanical garden reached a balance in managing its plant and art collections

All museums face many challenges maintaining and displaying their collections. But these challenges are exacerbated when collections of vastly different needs and care protocols share the same display space. At Phipps Conservatory and …

Pursuing Learning through Intentional Practice

Most museum staff yearn to affect those who visit their museum; they want to create meaningful experiences that will be remembered long after people’s encounters. Stephen Weil believed that museums are uniquely suited to make a positive …

A Case Study—in Progress—of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Brand Refresh

With the arrival of a new director and CEO in 2016, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco expanded its largely encyclopedic approach to art history by introducing a curatorial department dedicated to collecting and presenting contemporary …

Attack of the 100-Year Old Startup

At first glance, museums and startups may not seem to have an overwhelming amount in common. The majority of museums are not-for-profit, mission-driven institutions and operate in a different realm than the high-growth (and high risk) …

Restructuring Nonprofit Organizations: Mergers, Acquisitions, Consolidations, Partnerships and Separations

*Please note that I am not your attorney, I am not giving legal advice and there is no attorney-client relationship. All legal questions should be directed to your legal counsel. This article seeks to raise awareness of some key …

Internet and Cyberlaw Issues Impacting Cultural Organizations

*Please note that I am not your attorney, I am not giving legal advice, and there is no attorney-client relationship. This article seeks to raise awareness of some key internet and cyberlaw issues that impact cultural organizations, but is …

Latest Stories from AAM

Civics on View: Using Museum Collections to Foster Greater Civic Knowledge and Understanding

At a time when much of the nation is thinking about what citizenship means, museums, …

The Formula for Relevance

Category: Center for the Future of Museums Blog
I love finding examples of museums that use their resources to boost the fortunes of …

Museum Ethics in a New Gilded Age

Category: Center for the Future of Museums Blog
Readers of this blog may remember Erik Ledbetter, who served as the Director of …

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