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What Mexican bugs have to do with Italian Paintings: How digital tools can be used to explore complex connections
How is a red bug from Mexico so deeply tied to the representation of papal power in the late-1400s? First some background. It all starts with small red bugs, called cochineal, that live on cacti. They were first discovered by the Aztec and … -
Simple Ways Museums Can Use Content Marketing to Engage Their Audiences (and Attract New Ones)
Most foodies are familiar with the concept of Michelin starred restaurants. If you’re not, The Michelin Guide is revered by food-centric travelers and ambitious chefs stake their entire careers on receiving one, two, or the most-coveted, … -
Small Museums Go Big
The November/December 2018 issue of Museum magazine focuses on small museums. We asked our Small Museum Administrators Committee to submit some examples of small museums doing innovative or interesting things with little resources. Below … -
Learning Cultural Competence
Read the stories of three institutions that grew their capacity for diversity and inclusion via the Cultural Competence Learning Institute: The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY; the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and the Cincinnati Muse… -
A Case Study—in Progress—of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Brand Refresh
With the arrival of a new director and CEO in 2016, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco expanded its largely encyclopedic approach to art history by introducing a curatorial department dedicated to collecting and presenting contemporary … -
Where the Seats Have No Name: In Defense of Museum Benches
Sitting gets a bad rap. The last few years have seen articles and media outlets touting that “Sitting is the new smoking.” Standing desks are the latest office furniture trend. And in museums too, it seems like visitors are primarily … -
Museum Store Sunday: A Tale of One City
This article is republished with permission from the Museum Store Association. When I heard of Museum Store Sunday for the first time, my immediate thought was “brilliant!” What a perfect way to promote museum stores. Not only do we have … -
Labor Pains at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose
One might think that a new restaurant chain called “Now Hiring” has opened in urban centers across the nation. Especially in the Bay Area, the blessing of “full employment” has become a curse. I would have liked to start this blog by … -
Serving on the Facing Change: Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group
I have always believed that the “alliance” in the American Alliance of Museums’ title is truly descriptive of its aspirational aims: that together we derive strength from the service we render to the museum field. As I consider similarly … -
Gone Digital: Creating Space-Saving Museum Exhibitions
Most museums, large and small, have space issues, but the problem can be much more acute for local history museums. Developing creative, space-conscious methods for mounting exhibitions and displaying artifacts at low costs can be an …
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Latest Stories from AAM
AAM Welcomes New Board Officers and Five New Board Members
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Press Release
For immediate release Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the …
“Growing Your Elders”: “Tell Clyfford I Said ‘Hi”: An Exhibition Curated by the Children of the Colville Confederated Tribes
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Center for the Future of Museums Blog
Museum standards emerge over time as the museum sector challenges norms, reexamines …
Affinity Community Town Hall On-Demand Program
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On-Demand Programs
The American Alliance of Museums is launching new affinity communities in 2026! Organized …