From the Trenches: Advice from an Emerging Museum Professional
I didn’t always see myself working in museums. For most of my life, I was immersed in archaeology and the ancient world—focused on digs, research, and physical culture. At the time, I thought museums were places to visit, not places to …
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, historic sites, and other cultural organizations are uniquely poised to offer the public opportunities for civic engagement through direct encounters with …
Museums for Midlife: A Q&A with Chip Conley
If you’ve ever seen my library or chatted with me about what I’m reading, you’ll know that I have a soft spot for TED Talk–style books. If Adam Grant or Simon Sinek has a new book, I’ve likely already bought it, read it, or I’m waiting for …
Gen Z Has Entered the Chat: What We Want from Museums
One hundred members of the Youth250 Bureau offer free advice to museums seeking to reach young adults. When it comes to engaging Gen Z in museums, I know it’s not always easy. My generation spends more time online than in person, often …
Better Than Imagined: How a Holocaust Museum Builds Trust and Community
There is a certain kind of experience people think they will have at a Holocaust museum. We understand. Most expectations stem from a narrow view of what is possible. But when you widen the lens and expand the imagination, you see: Imagine …
The Gen Z Guide to Civic Season
You may have heard of Civic Season, the annual civics-and-history learning sprint held between Juneteenth and the Fourth of July every summer. The program was created by, and is activated by, Made By Us, a network of more than four hundred …
Strategies for Building Community: Lessons from the “Gallery Guide Guide”
Hi! We are Sydney Skelton Simon, the Bradley Associate Curator of Academic Affairs, and Molleen Theodore, the Jane and Gerald Katcher Curator of Programs, at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, CT. We are colleagues in the …
The Path to Director: A Q&A with Jay Xu of Asian Art Museum
I lived in San Francisco for almost six years while working at the Oakland Museum of California, and during that time, I came to know and love the city’s Asian Art Museum. When I heard the recent news that its longtime director, Jay …
Demystifying Accreditation: Perspective from Peer Reviewers
AAM accreditation comes with significant benefits, including national credibility, enhanced relationships with peers and supporters, and institutional sustainability. But what does the process of obtaining these benefits entail, and how do …
Breaking Down Visitation by Museum Type: A 2024 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Data Story
This visual Data Story is based on findings from the 2024 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, a national survey of American museum visitors from AAM and Wilkening Consulting. Every year, the survey partners with individual museums to research …
