Editor’s Letter: Present Tense, the Spring 2026 issue of Exhibition Journal

This letter by Exhibition‘s editor Jeanne Normand Goswami first appeared in the Spring 2026 issue, Vol. 45 No. 1 and is reproduced with permission. If you don’t read the journal, become a member to receive your digital copy of the full upcoming issues.

Dear Friends,

How are you? I want to acknowledge how disorienting and downright scary things have become. It feels indulgent to consider the role of exhibitions at a time when people’s rights—and even lives—are at stake.

I hope you will find reasons for hope as you read this issue, if only in small ways. Each of the projects assembled here acknowledges the tensions of the present moment while seeking to bridge divides and bring communities together, providing space for growth, reprieve, and new understanding. We begin with a data snapshot of the pressures facing exhibition makers in the U.S.—not only setting the scene but suggesting ways forward for those navigating tensions while continuing to present meaningful exhibitions.

In our features section, colleagues from across the field share various approaches and strategies for tackling complex topics with visitors. We begin with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights’ approach to the display and interpretation of contested individuals. From there, three articles explore how various museums are responding to pressing issues in the current moment: the Baltimore Museum of Industry shares what it has learned from a project on the collapse of the Key Bridge; the Smithsonian reveals how engaging with teens about their cellphones helped it to rethink communication strategies; and the Denver Art Museum hypothesizes an evolving role for museums in the age of AI. Next, two articles look at the intersections of science and art: CoLab Studio shares its rapid-paced, collaborative approach to exhibition-making while the Carnegie Museum unravels the connections between science communication and how we think about our fellow humans. Finally, the Collin County Farm Museum shares how it is documenting change to its community in real time.

In our Nuts & Bolts section, we offer concrete takeaways on a variety of topics that you can put into practice now: how to craft contracts that protect your exhibitions from uncertainty; training front-line staff to engage meaningfully with today’s visitors around complex topics; and how we can move toward more sustainable exhibitions by rethinking the materials we use in object mounts. A primer on Restorative Justice suggests new methods for the creation of equitable exhibitions, while an exhibition critique from a Portuguese museum illustrates a novel approach to confronting our field’s colonial roots.

Before signing off, I want to extend our deepest thanks to designer Charita Patamikakorn. If you’ve enjoyed reading Exhibition at any point over the past 10 years, it is in no small part because of Charita’s keen eye and thoughtful visual aesthetic. She has been an invaluable partner in bringing the journal’s themes and articles to life and we will miss her collaboration.

I hope you find inspiration in these wide-ranging articles. Moreover, I hope you find safety, strength, resilience, and perseverance in this moment—wherever and however you can.