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Spend Some Time Daydreaming the Future
Humans are natural storytellers. That should make my work easy, because the apex of strategic foresight is using storytelling to plan for the future. Futurists call these stories “scenarios,” and while they have a very serious purpose, … -
Why You Don’t Want To Be Nice
I’ve been using this graphic in talks lately when talking about successful financial models for museums. The point being that if your organization provides experiences or services that are addictive or essential, or better yet, both, you … -
Interpreting the Future of Art Museums
I’ve blogged about the emergence of new kinds of positions in museums over the last decade. This week, four leaders in interpretive planning from the Nelson-Atkins, Denver, and High art museums as well as the Detroit Institute of Arts … -
Futurist Friday: Robots for Humanity
Yah, I know, I know. The last “Futurist Friday” was about robots, too. But this is too interesting to pass up. I’ve written about instances in which robots are replacing human labor. But as I read more, it seems like the … -
Another Way to Split Nonprofits
Last Thursday I blogged about a potential “dark future” in which the nonprofit field fragments, as society and policy makers come to view “social service” and “cultural” nonprofits as fundamentally … -
Too Fast to Go Slow
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is one of three museums enrolled in the third round of Innovation Lab for Museums—a MetLife funded program offered by EmcArts in partnership with CFM. Hull-House has long been a hotbed of experimentation, a … -
Dark Futures: Nonprofit Fragmentation
I wanted to start the year on a positive note, I really did. But I find myself writing about a middle-of-the-night worry, instead.What gave me nightmares? Not a bad dinner, unfortunately, but a steady diet of sobering news. I spent most of … -
The Entrepreneurial Museum: Down on the Farm
I’m collecting examples of entrepreneurial museum projects—mission-related initiatives that contribute to the financial bottom line. Last month I profiled the Spark!Lab National Network, an initiative of the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center. … -
A Christmas Carol for the Collaborative Economy
Subtitle: (St. Entropy has an app for that…) ‘Twas the night before Christmas in the Museum’s big hall, And all through the building soft echoes did fall. Not a creature was stirring, from microbe to ‘gator— Not mice, and not people, not … -
Entrepreneurship in Museums: The Spark!Lab National Network
Entrepreneur, ˌäⁿn-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər, (n) “a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money.” While “entrepreneurial” as applied to museums has usually focused on the “willing to take risk” part, in recent …
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Affinity Community Town Hall On-Demand Program
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On-Demand Programs
The American Alliance of Museums is launching new affinity communities in 2026! Organized …
Gettin’ To Know You The Art of Networking
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On-Demand Programs
As museums and public history organizations navigate tightening budgets, political …
Scholarship Opportunity! Learn Museum Foresight
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Center for the Future of Museums Blog
I am happy to announce that applications are now open for the CFM Foresight Scholarship, …