Posts
Facilities & Risk Management
How Australian Art Museums Are Protecting Their Collections From Fire Threats
In response to the devastating bushfires that have been sweeping through Australia since November 2019, arts institutions have been introducing various strategies for protecting both the …
A Modest Proposal for Museum Collections: Apply the principle of direct costs for deaccessioning
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 …
Let it Bloom: Reconstructing a hurricane-stricken historic garden
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 …
Museums Are Trying to Fireproof Themselves in the Age of Climate Change
As California suffers through yet another devastating fire season, flames have not just been driving people from their homes and filling the air with smoke, but threatening the state's …
The battle to rebuild centuries of science after an epic inferno
Nearly a year after flames consumed Brazil's National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, researchers are struggling to revive their work and resume their lives. Nearly a year after flames consumed …
Welcoming Service Dogs to Your Museum
Service dogs are becoming more common as the years go on, and as museum professionals it can be a challenge to welcome them in among our collections. We worry about hair and dander, …
Reflections on the Historic House Summit from Scholarship Attendee Sarah Ortiz-Monasterio
On February 3-5, 2019, AAM’s Historic Houses and Sites and Environment and Climate networks hosted a rare convening of experts at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami, Florida, for …
Collaborating with Emergency Responders to Protect Cultural Heritage
Protecting cultural heritage collections is crucial to preserving our nation’s history, sustaining the economy, and fostering resilience so that communities can respond to and recover from …
Reflections on the Historic House Summit from Scholarship Attendee Abigail Winslow
On February 3-5, 2019, AAM’s Historic Houses and Sites and Environment and Climate networks hosted a rare convening of experts at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami, Florida, for …
Up On the Roof: The McNay Art Museum’s re-roofing project
The McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, TX houses a world-class collection of more than 22,000 works by masters from around the world—Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse, O’Keefe and many more. …
Wikipedia Is Digitally ‘Preserving’ Items Destroyed in the Brazil National Museum Fire
This world-changing genius was born into poverty on September 22, 1791. Fortunately for us, Michael Faraday refused to let his background stand in his way. 1. HE WAS LARGELY SELF-EDUCATED. …
The scary vulnerability of museums
Around midday on April 15, 1958, New York's Museum of Modern Art erupted in flames. The three-alarm fire spread rapidly, threatening the world's pre-eminent collection of 20th-century …