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Taking Chances: 6 Strategies to Encourage Risk-Taking in Exhibit Design

By David Whitemyer, AIA

Attractive and engaging exhibition projects are born from more than just good designers and interesting subjects. Successful projects are also the result of teams and leaders who take risks. Risks may include bucking industry trends, …
Difficult but Necessary

By Laura Lott

I am privileged to be part of many special museum events—openings, re-openings, milestone anniversaries and the like. Each is special—for the museum; for the hardworking boards, staffs, and volunteers; and for the proud local communities. …
When an Artist Becomes Director

By Scott Stulen

I want to change people’s lives through art. Simple as that. I thought I would accomplish this goal as an artist, but as my career progressed, doors opened in a different direction. I quickly discovered that I could impact more people in a …
Take time to reflect on the AAM Annual Meeting

By Seema Rao

Museum workers often fulfill singular positions in their institutions. The annual American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference is one chance to meet up with global peers. These tribespeople understand the nuances of the work, and so …
How to Take Part in the Annual Meeting Even if You Can’t be in Arizona

By Cecile Shellman

The 2018 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo is a time to learn from and with thousands of your closest friends—museum enthusiasts, professionals, and newcomers to the scene. The scene changes from year to year within the US—at times …
Name Badge Faces *OUT* (& Other Conference Suggestions…) Beatty ‘s Maxim #5

By Bob Beatty

This post was originally published on Medium, March 20, 2018. Republished here with permission. The past decade or so, I have marked the true beginning of spring not with the flowers blooming or my allergies acting up, but with the start …
Get Prepared: MayDay 2018

By Janet Vaughan

Join museums around the country in doing at least one thing in the month of May to prepare for an emergency. MayDay is an annual call to action for cultural organizations to improve their disaster readiness. Need ideas for steps to take? …
Encouraging Respectful, Productive Dialogues: Introducing AAM’s New Code of Conduct

By Lauren Griffin

Even before joining the staff at AAM, I closely followed AAM’s ongoing work in the field of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. As a member of the Membership department here at the Alliance, I was excited to have the …
A Fragile but Resilient Eco-System: Santa Barbara’s Museum Community and Natural Disasters

By Bruce Robertson

Santa Barbara, as it is known to the world, is a small city that is a major tourist destination—on the Pacific with great beaches, close to Los Angeles but far enough away to leave the stress of the metropolis behind, and a very pretty …
From Stodgy to Story – Glensheen’s historic transformation

By Lucie B. Amundsen

In 2013, it was clear that Glensheen, the historic Congdon estate on Lake Superior was in decline—and it wasn’t just a brick and mortar problem. “Our attendance that year was at a low of 61,000, down from a high of 139,000 in the early …