2020 – Page 4 – American Alliance of Museums

National Snapshot of COVID-19 Impact on United States Museums (October 2020)

By American Alliance of Museums

Between October 15-28, AAM and Seattle-based Wilkening Consulting conducted the second iteration of a survey of 850 museum directors to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on the museum field. The survey asked the same questions as the first …
Why Museum Store Sunday Matters More Than Ever This Year

By Susan Tudor, Emily Kowalski, and Stuart Hata

Museum Store Sunday, the Museum Store Association’s (MSA) signature advocacy initiative, is fast approaching, happening this year on November 29 during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. While this year’s event will look different due to …
Museums Advocacy Day and Post-Election Outlook

By American Alliance of Museums

Support Field-Wide Advocacy for Museum Relief: The current crisis is taking a distressing financial toll on cultural organizations, and AAM is no different. In these challenging times, we ask that if you can, consider supporting our …
Art Museum Director Survey 2020

By American Alliance of Museums

Foreword This inaugural Art Museum Director Survey launched in early 2020. At the time, we did not know that a global pandemic would claim the lives of millions over the following months, that it would raise unemployment in the United …
The Shifting Sands of Excellence: A Q&A with Accreditation Leaders

By Joseph O'Neill

One of AAM’s closest-watched programs is Accreditation, the flagship program on a continuum that measures and confers excellence, giving museums an external seal of credibility which helps further their ambitions. The process, in …
AAM Announces Latest Accreditation Awards: 13 Museums Receive this High Honor

By American Alliance of Museums

For Immediate Release Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced 13 reaccreditation awards made at the October 2020 meeting of the …
Tales from Campus: Connecting Community in the Time of COVID

By Elizabeth Merritt

What’s it like to be an undergrad this year? The social experience of college is as important as the academic content, but many students are attending class online from their dorm rooms, and most social groups and events are on hold. In …
Running with Scissors: Creating a Sustainable History Experience (2017-2020)

By Franklin D. Vagnone

You may know that Old Salem Museums & Gardens (OSMG) and The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, have been making considerable changes over the past four years. What you may not know is …
How to Start an Accessibility Movement at Your Museum

By Katy Menne

Think back to a childhood trip to a museum, aquarium, or historic home. Chances are the first thing you heard was a directive: “Hands in pockets and do not touch anything.” Today, we still see similar interactions in museums …
A Q&A with George Corsillo, Designer of This Year’s Winner for Excellence in Publication Design

By American Alliance of Museums

After reviewing hundreds of entries every year, the jury for AAM’s annual Museum Publications Design Competition awards only one publication with the Frances Smyth-Ravenel Prize for Excellence in Publication Design, recognizing it as the …