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Lessons in Leadership: Transition Planning for Executive Directors of Small Museums

By Kimberly Bender

As I researched the “looming leadership crisis” for this year’s TrendsWatch report, I heard two things loud and clear. First, that succession planning is immensely helpful in smoothing transitions, and second, that …
Reading the Declaration Together

By Steve Light

In today’s post, Steve Light, Vice President for Education and Guest Experience, shares how Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is fostering nonpartisan civic engagement during our country’s semiquicentennial and sharing resources …
What do Hollywood and Museums have in common? They are America’s greatest storytellers

By Karissa Raskin

The lastest data from the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers shows that trust in museums is rising from already high levels, even as trust in the government declines. That gives our sector a unique platform from which to bridge partisan divides …
Learning from History: Museum Heroes in the Archives

By Marjorie Schwarzer

Powerful stories about the past can inspire positive action in the future. In the wake of ongoing political threats like Executive Order 14253, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” and the White House’s letter to the …
How a Chatbot is helping museums wish about the future

By Cory Garfin and Devon VanHouten-Maldonado

As a futurist, there is nothing I love more than encouraging people to think both forward AND back. America’s 250th anniversary is a great opportunity to reflect on our country’s past and to “remember the future” we …
Speculating on the Futures of Here

By Anand Pandian and Jordan Tierney

“I don’t exist in an after climate crisis—we know now that there is no after, only varying degrees of loss, varying degrees of change. My mother was a climate writer who found that her words had run dry one day, that she had run out …
Becoming a Museum Leader: Perspectives from Gen Z and Millennials

By Ariel Waldman

One of the chapters in this year’s TrendsWatch is on the Looming Leadership Crisis. If you haven’t read it yet (which I highly encourage you do!), Founding Director of the Center for the Future of Museums and Vice President of Strategic …
When a Hurricane Hits: Lessons from a Natural Disaster

By Ross Pristera

One of the critical issues addressed in this year’s TrendsWatch is the profound impact climate-related disasters are having on museum insurance. As the frequency of severe weather events and wild fires rises, insurance is becoming …
Beyond the Ask: Securing the Future with Community-Centric Fundraising

By Jessica Proctor

This year’s TrendsWatch examines changes reshaping philanthropy. While charitable giving overall remains strong, that total masks a troubling trend: a shrinking number of US households engage in giving while wealthy individuals play …
Introducing the 2026 Edition of TrendsWatch

By Elizabeth Merritt

It’s the start of a new year, and that means a new edition of AAM’s annual forecasting report. While it is the culmination of months of work (shout out to the commenters and guest essayists who enriched the content) it is also the …