Curatorial Practice

Making Space for Community Partners

By Ravon Ruffin

The 2019 AAM Annual Meeting was hosted in Louisiana—a state known for its rich culinary and musical traditions that attract droves of tourists. But another notable, though less touristy, aspect of Louisiana is that it has historically had …
Forging Deeper Connections

By Redmond J. Barnett, Elisa Phelps, Jennifer Schantz, and Pam Schwartz

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2020 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. A look at two museums that are successfully engaging their audiences through their collections. By Redmond W. Barnett and …
A Modest Proposal for Museum Collections: Apply the principle of direct costs for deaccessioning

By John Wetenhall

Some years ago, shortly before I assumed the directorship of the Ringling Museum of Art—the state art museum of Florida—the leader of the Florida Legislature declared, “I love Rubens.” The Ringling was widely known for its rare and …
Curators Take Flight: Four curators cast a wide eye on the shifting landscape for curatorial practice

By American Alliance of Museums

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2020 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. It’s an exciting time to be a curator. The role is evolving and the field is broadening. Recently, four professionals at …
The Museum Inside Out: The Chicago History Museum’s three decades of transformation offers a window into the changing role of curators and community engagement.

By John Russick

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2020 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. Founded in 1856, the Chicago Historical Society was imagined at a time of dramatic change in the city. Despite being only …
Knowing Better, Doing Better: The San Diego Museum of Man takes a holistic approach to decolonization

By Micah D. Parzen, Ph.D., J.D.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2020 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. As museum professionals, we typically think of the word “curate” as a verb meaning “to collect, organize, and present” a …
Speechless: A sensory exhibition charts a new path to accessibility in learning

By Sarah Schleuning

Museums are constantly experimenting with how we can present content in ways that engage and inform a wide audience. Part of the challenge is to consider issues of accessibility and disability, to develop different ways of communicating …
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 …
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. …
Sharing the Wealth: Museums as Equity Engines

By Elizabeth Merritt

Recently, I’ve been speaking of museums as banks—repositories of enormous wealth of reputation, knowledge, and influence, in addition to the sheer value of their endowments. I’ve advanced the thesis that by managing this wealth as a type …