Future Forecasting – American Alliance of Museums
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Revisiting Wild Times: The Loss of Nonprofit Status

In 2018 I published a scenario titled “Wild Times” set in a version of 2040 in which museums lost their nonprofit status due to a combination of political attacks, economic stress, and a …

Livable Communities for Our Elders

This is an excerpt from TrendsWatch: Museums as Community Infrastructure. The full report is available as a free PDF download. “Ageism is a prejudice against our own future selves and takes …

Right-Sizing the World

This excerpt is adapted from TrendsWatch: Museums as Community Infrastructure. The full report is available as a free PDF download. “I don’t know why people feel unhappy when the curve of a …

TrendsWatch: Navigating a Volatile Future

Welcome to TrendsWatch, CFM’s annual forecasting report. This year the report explores volatility—strategic foresight parlance for the speed of change. That speed has been increasing …

When Robots Learn to be Creative, What Happens to Informal Learning

The proliferation of AI, particularly Large-Language Models, has rapidly emerged as a transformative force in formal education. This presentation explores the factors driving the increasing …

Sharing Authority with Indigenous Peoples

Museums are in the early stages of repairing their relationships with Indigenous communities, learning how to undo some of the harm resulting from traditional museum practices. In this …

Effective Strategies for Strengthening Americans’ Democratic Attitudes

American democracy is under a significant threat from a concerning number of partisans who tolerate anti-democratic practices endorsed by political elites and/or harboring strong hostility …

Trend Alert: Combating the Loneliness Crisis in Museums

This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s January/February 2024 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. In May 2023, Dr. Vivek Murthy released Our Epidemic of Loneliness and …

Dropping the Degree for Museum Work

This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s January/February 2024 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. Sixty percent of Americans may find their job search stalling when they hit a …

Digital Twins and Doom Loops

This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s January/February 2024 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. A brief guide to terms that may be popping up in your news feeds. Digital …

Welcome to TrendsWatch

Standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards in a rapidly changing world. — Lauren Bacall This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s January/February 2024 issue, a …

Decarbonizing the Future

Adults keep saying we owe it to the young people to give them hope, but … I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. … I want you to …
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April Alert: Advocacy Activities, Updates on Federal Funding and IMLS

Advocacy Alert – April 28, 2025 In this Alliance Advocacy Alert: Upcoming Advocacy Activities Are you attending the 2025 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo? Learn about and connect …

Conference Confidence: How to connect and learn with purpose!

This recorded webinar on how to make the most of your in-person conference experience through Connection, Community, Collaboration, and Content. Learn practical strategies to engage …

Eyes on Target: Overcoming Challenges with a Vision for Storage

How the Pritzker Military Archives Center harnessed the potential of its new museum space with a comprehensive approach to design and capacity…

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