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Facilities
Explore dozens of articles and member resources on financial sustainability in museums.
Never Waste the Walls: What PK-12 Schools Can Learn from Museum Design
Generally speaking, children are much more enthusiastic about heading to a children’s museum than school, even though learning occurs in both places. Visit a children’s museum any day of …
Will COVID-19 Change Museum Architecture?
Here’s a happy thought: COVID-19 will—at some point—recede, and like pandemics of the past it will be history, another story to tell. But after the disease is gone, will any of the …
Diary of a Museum Reopening
As of May 7, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is officially reopened to visitors. The BBCW is a massive AAM-accredited facility located in rural Wyoming in the Yellowstone National Park …
Security and Operational Priorities for Reopening Cultural Institutions
Support Free COVID-19 Resources for the Field: The current crisis is taking a distressing financial toll on cultural organizations, and AAM is no different. In these challenging times, we …
Earth Day during COVID-19: Green Tips for Closed Museums
In 2020, Earth Day falls during a time when much of the coronavirus-stricken world is staying at home. Every part of the global community is impacted, and museums have been hit particularly …
Making a Splash! 6 Things to Know about Exhibits with Water
It’s no surprise that many museums choose to entertain and educate visitors with the stuff that covers 71 percent of our planet’s surface. Water can contribute greatly to a wide variety of …
The Case for Digital Facility Reports
Facility management is one of the core elements of running a museum. As AAM’s core standards say, it is “incumbent upon [museums] to ensure the safety of their staff, visitors and …
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 …
Serving Broader Audiences, Museums Engage Communities with Public Space
Many of today’s museum leaders recognize a need to engage more closely with the public, and a related desire to make their facilities and programs more flexible and valuable. In order to …
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 …
When It Comes to Protecting Collections, One Size Does Not Fit All
“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.” —Frank Zappa Too hot? Too cold? Too dry? Too humid? What is that perfect balance? Those responsible for the care of collections …
Leveraging MAP for Capacity Building: The Sierra Mono Museum experience
The Sierra Mono Museum and Cultural Center—a small, rural, nonprofit museum set in the California foothills just south of Yosemite National Park—is today undergoing a one-million-dollar …