“Most Americans are trapped in a history that they do not understand”
The final keynote speaker at this year’s AAM Annual Meeting In New Orleans was Jose Antonio Vargas, author of Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist, filmmaker, and founder and CEO of the …
With Their Subject Matter in the Crosshairs, What Should Museums Do?
My parents were part of the generation that fought and won World War II. As their children, it was common for us to ask them, “What did you do during the war?” We wanted to be reassured they had stood up and done the right thing when it …
Building a Future of Social Justice
In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, I came across a picture (above) of a futurist installation by LA street artist Plastic Jesus. This bit of immersive fiction warned of a future in which America might repeat one of the most …
Seeing Paris—and the World—through Small Museums
A few months ago, a museum exhibition sparked a thought in my mind that I haven’t stopped thinking about ever since. I was walking aimlessly around Paris and had just wandered into Le Musée des Arts et Métiers. There I found rows and rows …
An International Experience at #AAM2019
After moving back to Europe from America in 2016, I had never been able to come visit until last month. That’s when I flew all the way to New Orleans to attend this year’s Annual Meeting of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and …
Financial Sustainability Is Everyone’s Responsibility
Prepared Remarks of Laura L. Lott President & CEO of the American Alliance of Museums Opening General Session of the 2019 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo May 20, 2019 Good morning and welcome to the 2019 AAM Annual Meeting, the largest …
Ageism is All Around Us
Greetings! This is my second blog as Aroha Fellow for Museums and Creative Aging, and I begin by reiterating my invitation to meet colleagues who share an interest in creative aging during the 2019 AAM Annual Meeting in New Orleans this …
Why the Tenement Museum Launched a Podcast
Earlier this year, I gave the keynote speech at the annual conference of the Council of American Jewish Museums. The theme of the conference (as well as the prompt I received for my remarks) was “The Creativity Challenge.” In my speech, I …
Brace for Impact: Utah is conducting a pilot study to show the social impact of the state’s museums.
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. If you are reading this magazine article, you know that competition for museum resources is increasingly tough. A relatively small …
Museums are important! Perspectives from kids at work.
The third Thursday of April is National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. This annual program is more than simply “shadowing” a grownup; it helps kids see that what their parent or mentor does during the day is important …
