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Making a Museum in the Age of 3D Digital Models

By Michael D. Cherney and Adam N. Rountrey

In 2005, not long after the advent of tabletop 3D printing technology, the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology (UMMP; a research institution) used this approach to generate elements missing from a skeletal mount of the Buesching …
Programs for People “Fifty-five and Better”

By Teresa Bonner

In 2018, twenty organizations enrolled in a special museum cohort of Aroha Philanthropies’ Seeding Vitality Arts® program. This is the third cohort of grantees that have received funding from Aroha, and training provided by Lifetime Arts, …
The Top Ten Alliance Blog Posts of 2019

By Joseph O'Neill

It was a whirlwind year of museums making themselves over for our changing world. Evolving ethics, social and technological transformation, and the looming presence of the bottom line are turning our institutions inward, searching for …
Take a Look Around: A customer journey analysis of the museum store

By Michael Latta, Mark Mitchell, and Robin Gabriel

Today’s successful museum operators are finding new ways to provide visitors with an active, interactive learning experience that recognizes personalized learning, social experiences, evolving technologies, and customer service. This …
Let it Bloom: Reconstructing a hurricane-stricken historic garden

By Adam Levine

Like many museum professionals, I am drawn to the idea that objects and places connect us to cultures throughout history. We handle the works entrusted to our institutions with extreme care, in no small part because these links to our past …
What Can Catching Flies Teach Us About Creative Aging?

By Bill Tramposch

I recently read the book The Fly Trap by Fredrik Sjöberg, which I highly recommend to museum colleagues, for reasons which get to the very essence of museums and creative aging. Sjöberg is an entomologist who lives on the island of Runmarö …
Two Case Studies in Decolonization

By Daryl Jorgenson & Mae Sevedge

In this series of posts, EdCom’s Trends Committee is taking a deeper look at emerging phenomena identified in the most recent edition of TrendsWatch from the Center for the Future of Museums. In this post, they explore how the push for …
Zoos and Aquariums: Inspiring visitors, inspiring museums

By Elena Gonzales, PhD

I’ve been researching curatorial work for social justice for more than fifteen years and curating for more than ten. One of the biggest surprises I’ve had in this work came while I was writing my new book, Exhibitions for Social Justice. …
When It Comes to Protecting Collections, One Size Does Not Fit All

By Anna Zagorski

“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.” —Frank Zappa Too hot? Too cold? Too dry? Too humid? What is that perfect balance? Those responsible for the care of collections in museums and other institutions, such as …
Celebrating Personal Histories: The Neon Museum’s creative aging performance workshops

By Joanne (Jo) Russ

In 2018, twenty organizations enrolled in a special museum cohort of Aroha Philanthropies’ Seeding Vitality Arts program. With funding from Aroha, and training provided by Lifetime Arts, these museums are developing high-quality, intensive …