Center for the Future of Museums Blog

The Center for the Future of Museums Blog shares musings on the future of museums and society.

Get more resources from the Center for the Future of Museums.

Explore all Publications from the Alliance.

Explore the AAM Resource Library by topic, and further filter by subtopic or resource types to find what matters most to you!

Closing 2024 and Opportunities to Engage with CFM in 2025

By Elizabeth Merritt

“Hope is a muscle, a practice, a choice that actually propels new realities into being. And it’s a muscle we can strengthen.” –Krista Tippett (journalist, author, creator and host of On Being) I’m going to close out the year by penning a …
Podcasts for Edification, Inspiration, and Comfort

By Elizabeth Merritt

According to Edison Research, about 100 million Americans listen to at least one podcast every week, and regular podcast listeners average a bit over 8 episodes a week. Full confession: I’m one of that 100 million, and my average is …
Introducing Fifteen Visions of Museum Futures

By Elizabeth Merritt

Today AAM published a collection of fifteen papers exploring the next horizon of museum practice with regard to voluntary repatriation, restitution, and reparations. This is your invitation to explore the collection together with thoughts …
Introducing our Summit Speakers

By Elizabeth Merritt

I’m hunkered down writing introductions for the speakers taking the virtual stage next week for the second annual Future of Museums Summit. One of the things I like best about this event is that it gives me a chance to share with you some …
Cultivating AI: Developing AI Guidelines and Literacy Resources at the Carter

By Michelle Padilla & Jane Thaler

Each year, AAM’s TrendsWatch serves as the launch pad for a longer, deeper exploration of the forces shaping our world. In the following months following the release of the forecasting report, I look forward to emails from museums …
Announcing the Museum Playful Learning Collective: Shaping the Future of Early Childhood Education

By Deborah Spiegelman

I’m a huge believer in museums as essential educational infrastructure. Not just as providers of supplemental out-of-school experiences, but as organizations that excel in place-based, hands-on, experiential learning. This blog has …
Reviving Roots: Clyfford Still Museum and the Colville Confederated Tribes Partner for the Future

By Bailey Placzek & Michael Holloman

As part of the Alliance’s current Next Horizon of Museum Practice project, CFM has been highlighting stories of museums trying to redress the cumulative historical effects of harm to Indigenous communities, including damage to mental and …
Museum Apprenticeships as Entry Points for Future Leaders

By Margaret Koch, Samantha Garza, and Minsu Kwon

Earlier this year, the National Council of Nonprofits released a report documenting that workforce shortages continue to be a major problem for US nonprofits. The report also identified strategies being successfully deployed to recruit and …
Join Me for a New Series to Chat About the Future

By Elizabeth Merritt

Starting in August, AAM is piloting Future Chats, a series of short dives into some of the latest news. These one hour, online sessions will be dedicated to informal, interactive conversations about trends and events that are changing our …
Mental Health for All

By Elizabeth Merritt

This is an excerpt from TrendsWatch: Museums as Community Infrastructure. The full report is available as a free PDF download. “What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” — Glenn Close, …