2023 – Page 4 – American Alliance of Museums

Resisting the Colonial Imagination: The Role of Exhibition Design in the Decolonial Project

By Adrienne Lalli Hills, Margaret Middleton

It is Monday morning at First Americans Museum (FAM), and a group of fifth graders are bustling with excitement as they embark on a gallery tour. A museum educator welcomes the students in her native language and emphasizes the uniqueness …
Earth Works: Establishing a Green Team at Your Museum

By Ivey Rucket

“People don’t have to do heroic things. Very few of us can do heroic things. But we can do little things. And at certain points in history, millions of those little things accumulate and you have a movement, and you have power, and …
Do You Like Podcasts about Museums? Want to Start Your Own?

By Elizabeth Merritt

One of the BEST PARTS of the virtual Future of Museums Summit is going to be the breakout sessions at the end of each day. Many of the moderators and speakers have volunteered to join attendees in virtual rooms later on the day of their …
October Advocacy Updates – Make the Case for Museums this Fall

By American Alliance of Museums

Advocacy Alert – October 13, 2023 In this Alliance Advocacy Alert: Take Action (Part I): A Critical Time to Contact Congress Take Action (Part II): Ask Legislators to Cosponsor the Charitable Act Mark Your Calendar: Museums Advocacy …
Using an Annual DEAI Report as a Tool for Transparency, Accountability, and Change

By Joe Imholte

At science museums, we spend considerable time and effort instilling the notion in our visitors that mistakes are not something to shy away from, but opportunities for learning and growth. But we don’t always seem to embrace that idea for …
Crushing on Our Summit Speakers

By Elizabeth Merritt

If I were a different age, I might be saying “OMG OMG!” (or possibly “squee!!!”) but being who I am I’ll just say that our speaker lineup for the virtual Future of Museums Summit is mass…
Disrupting Museum Behavior: An Exploration of the Art Institute of Chicago’s “Cripping the Galleries”

By Emma Cieslik

On a hot Sunday afternoon, Sydney Erlikh, seated in a wheelchair, leaned against Maypril Krukowski, a woman with glasses seated on a bench. Sounds of church bells, shuffling footsteps, and walking filled the gallery of landscape paintings …
Peering Over the Next Horizon of Museum Practice

By Elizabeth Merritt

Why is it so hard to make change?! Even when we (museum people) know that parts of our work are in urgent need of reform, progress can be glacially slow. In fact, that’s natural. Humans are hardwired for caution, and it often seems …
Immersive Auditory Experiences at the Molina Family Latino Gallery within the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

By Cristofer Osden

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino unveiled its first gallery dedicated to Latino history and culture, the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History. The 4,500-square-foot gallery serves …
Supporting the Mental Health of Museum Staff Tipsheet

By Ann Fortescue

The American Alliance of Museums offers the following guidance from Ann Fortescue, Executive Director, International Museum of Art & Science. It is adapted from a blog post and subsequent roundtable discussion she led on the topic at …