Alliance Blog

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Advancing DEAI in a Polarized World

By Minal Bopaiah & Jakob Wolf-Barnett

Recently, we hosted a webinar with museum leaders on values-based communications for diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI). While all attendees were eager to commit fully to DEAI, many acknowledged the risks of doing so in …
Mission Made: How Museum Stores Are Embracing Sustainability and Inclusivity

By Melody Caban & Elizabeth Price

When most people think of museum stores, they likely envision shelves filled with postcards, magnets, and keychains featuring famous artworks or other exhibits. In recent years, however, many have been making an effort through their …
3 Trauma-Informed Practices for Museums to Follow

By Jackie Armstrong

Earlier this year, I presented at MuseumNext’s Museums, Health, and Wellbeing Summit about what we risk by not integrating trauma-informed practices and values into our work. In my talk, I chose to use reflective prompts and storytelling …
Museums and YouTube: You’ll never believe these 3 tips to improve your channel

By Xiomara Blanco

When the pandemic forced museums to make a hard pivot to online content, the importance of reaching audiences beyond gallery walls became clearer than ever. As The Historic New Orleans Collection’s first in-house media producer, figuring …
4 Ideas to Create Linguistic Accessibility at Museums

By Irma Cedeno Verdon

Though the word “accessibility” has often been equated with giving access to those with disabilities, it can also mean something broader. Accessibility means looking at everything we create through the lens of inclusivity and diversity and …
The Messy and Vulnerable Truth about Trust and Museums

By Dawn DiPrince

You could almost hear the cheers across the museum field early in March when Colleen Dilenschneider’s email hit inboxes announcing that “More People Trust Museums Now Than Before the Pandemic.” The numbers are compelling—nearly 75 …
The Carbon Inventory Project and Collective Climate Action in the US Cultural Sector

By Danielle Sakowski

The energy use of buildings is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions worldwide, at an estimated 40 percent of total emissions, and cultural institutions are no exception. The buildings that house your museum, zoo, aquarium, …
In Good Relation: Reimagining the Grant Process for Community-Based Projects

By Kate Hadley Toftness & Lois Taylor Biggs

In recent years, there have been renewed calls for museums to adopt more inclusive and equitable practices, with significant changes to the ways we work and collaborate at all levels of our institutions. As a grants manager, I think about …
AAM’s Strategic Framework: A Progress Report

By Joseph O'Neill

Whether you’re new to the museum field or have been around for decades, you’ve probably noticed that the watchword of this moment is “change.” Our museums, which have conservation in their DNA, are increasingly focused on becoming dynamic, …
Building Community and Connection: Guidelines for Museum Educators Teaching Memory Care Programs

By Beatriz Galuban

In the words of renowned museum educator and empathy expert Elif Gokcigdem, “Museums are safe, informal learning spaces, uniquely equipped to help audiences explore and imagine our human heritage and collective experiences.” Museum …