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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 global pandemic. At the time, I emphasized its … -
Your Guide to the Future at AAM 2025
AAM’s annual meeting is a gigantic buffet of content, and I know from experience that navigating the offerings can be somewhat overwhelming. In this post I offer one specialized menu of sessions related to issues I’m watching with a … -
TrendsWatch: Download, share, and go deeper
The 2025 edition of TrendsWatch, AAM’s annual forecasting report, is now available as a free PDF download! In this post I’ll tell you how to snag your copy and preview some opportunities to delve more deeply into this year’s topics, … -
Special Screening of Repatriation Documentary at AAM 2025
I’m excited to announce that AAM has arranged a special showing of the 2024 documentary Dahomey at the upcoming AAM Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Dahomey, directed by French Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop, explores the repatriation of 26 … -
Against Efficiency
On occasion, I use this space to comment on norms and practices that I feel do active harm to our sector and our peers. (See, for example, my short rant on “quiet quitting” and the pernicious effects of workplace heroism.) Today I’m going … -
Living in a Wild Future
In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic upended the world for Americans and American museums, my job shifted from focusing on the far future to the immediate present. As museum leaders struggled with urgent decisions about keeping people … -
How to Face the Future, Cultivate Optimism, and Defy Dystopia
Over the past month I’ve been immersed in conversations with directors, staff, independent professionals, funders, and association staff, all trying to find a way forward in the face of the massive uncertainty created by the new … -
Strengthen Your Museum with Data
The past few weeks have many of us feeling uncertain about the future. I’m writing to remind you of an opportunity to reduce some of that uncertainty with cold, hard facts. Since 2020, AAM has partnered with Wilkening Consulting to provide … -
Responding to Rapid Change by Assessing Risk and Asking Questions
In recent weeks, museum leaders have often been forced to make decisions on the fly, in advance of crafting a comprehensive (or even a tentative) plan for coping with the current tsunami of change. That being so, I’m working on a series of … -
Ctrl+Alt+Preserve: Why Museums Must Invest in Digital Resilience
One major theme of this year’s TrendsWatch report is the inherent fragility of digital records, tools, and services, and the need to plan for the long-term costs of keeping these assets stable, functional, and accessible. (Read the …
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Latest Stories from AAM
Confessions of a Museum Tech Therapist
Category:
Industry Advertorial
Last week, I was on a Zoom call with a Development Director who looked ready to scream. …
Seven Key Insights for a Data-Informed 2026
Category:
Alliance Blog
For museum professionals striving to make data-informed decisions, 2025 brought a bevy of …
A Personal Tour of TrendsWatch 2026
Category:
On-Demand Programs
Center for the Future of Museums Director Elizabeth Merritt offers a tour of the trends …