Excellence in DEAI Report
Download the report Download a print-friendly version Navigation Introduction and how to use this report Next Steps Thank you and resources Support this work and contribute feedback, resources, and examples Introduction Co-chaired by …
Core Concept Primer: DEAI work must be measured and assessed
The current system in which we operate and live is one that allocates resources and opportunities unequally, creating disparities within and outside of our institutions. Pursuing and ultimately achieving equity within our museums requires …
Core Concept Primer: DEAI is an ongoing journey without a fixed endpoint
A museum’s DEAI work should be a process of continual assessment, recognizing and reflecting the changing environment not just within the institution’s walls but in the wider world. No singular policy change or anti-oppression action can …
Core Concept Primer: DEAI is the responsibility of the entire organization
Sustained, meaningful, and impactful DEAI work must be reflected in all aspects of museums, from individuals to organizational culture, to policy and process. This work must not solely rely on the people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, or …
Core Concept Primer: DEAI demands an ongoing commitment of resources
Just as embarking on your museum’s DEAI journey is a task with no defined endpoint, allocating resources to this work must be ongoing. Implementing equity cross-functionally and sustaining excellence requires museums to commit significant …
The Best Museum Bathrooms, According to Museum People
When you think of all the memorable, thoughtfully designed spaces in museums, the bathrooms may not be the first thing that come to mind. They aren’t usually considered the feather in an architect’s cap, and they can often feel more like a …
‘Relationships Don’t Have an End Goal’: A Q&A with the Burke Museum’s Decolonization & DEAI Team
Some of the newest, and most defining, jobs in the current era of museums are those focusing on decolonization and diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. In recent years, as more institutions have come to prioritize undoing …
Speak the Truth and Point to Hope: An #AAM2022 Keynote by Sandra Jackson-Dumont
Sandra Jackson-Dumont, Director & CEO of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, opened the Organizational Culture focus area of the 2022 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo with her keynote “Speak the Truth and Point to Hope,” …
Building Salary Equity at the Bakken Museum
Some of the most interesting conversations I had at #AAM2022 were about workplace issues, notably pay equity, and I was heartened to find many people in leadership positions are looking for guidance and models of how to begin the process …
The Uses of Discomfort: LGBTQ Collections Their Repositories and Their Legacies
People left out of traditional cultural narratives are forced to become the custodians of their own histories. For queer institutions, this means collecting stigmatized materials that other institutions may find irrelevant. Changing this …
