Understanding that the dynamic nature of our cultural, political, and economic landscape directly affects how we interact with museums, AAM’s programs on the future of museums cover topics such as tackling the post-pandemic future, self-care, and a look at museums in 2040.

On-demand programs are free to Individual, Ally, Industry, Tier 2, and Tier 3 Members. Be sure to log in to your membership account to access these programs.

When Robots Learn to be Creative, What Happens to Informal Learning

The proliferation of AI, particularly Large-Language Models, has rapidly emerged as a transformative force in formal education. This presentation explores the factors driving the increasing influence, accessibility, and impact of …

Navigating Partisan Tensions

This recording is from the Future of Museums Summit held November 1-2, 2023. The ongoing nationwide political climate and the evolving “culture wars” are resonating deeply within museums, influencing not only their operations …

TrendsWatch: Creating the Post Pandemic Workplace

As the immediate challenges posed by the pandemic fade, museums face a landscape of work and labor profoundly altered by the stressors of the past three years. The balance of work from on site, hybrid, and remote has undergone long-term …

Forecasting the Future of Financial Sustainability Webinar

As museums navigate the financial crisis precipitated by COVID-19, leaders need to craft short-term strategies for survival, as well as long-term strategies succeeding in the post-COVID world. This recorded webinar reviews trends and …

Museums as Keepers of the Future

Watch this keynote speech from Elizabeth Merritt at the Museoalan Teemapäivät Museum Theme Days seminar in Helsinki City Theatre, Helsinki, Finland. In this presentation, Ms. Merritt talks about how museums have started presenting possible …

A Glimpse of the Post-pandemic Future

Watch this plenary talk by Elizabeth Merritt from the #AAMvirtual​ 2020 Annual Meeting for the American Alliance o…

Sharing the Webinar Recording: Creating Sustainable Financial Models for Research Collections

Last month, Jill Parsons at the Ecological Society of America and Judy Gradwohl of the San Diego Natural History Museum joined me online to explore how museums can build income streams around their collections and win hearts and minds in …

Self-care in the Museum Workplace

Watch this recorded webinar, hosted by Blackbaud, exploring how museum workers can employ self-care to sustain physical and mental health, and how museums can foster self-care in the workplace and create a less stressful work e…

Artificial Intelligence for Interactions and Understanding

Watch this keynote from the two-day convening titled, "Museums and New Intelligences," hosted by the Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miam…

Museums In 2040 Webinar

Watch this recorded webinar, hosted by Blackbaud, exploring several potential futures for museums through scenarios published by the American Alliance of Museu…

Latest Stories from AAM

August Advocacy Alert: Take Action to Support IMLS, NEA, and NEH, and other updates

Advocacy Alert – August 8, 2025 In this Alliance Advocacy Alert: Take Action: Tell …

Now Available: On-Demand Sessions from AAM 2025

Category: Alliance Blog
Couldn’t make it to Los Angeles this spring for the AAM Annual Meeting & …

Year-round Advocacy

Category: On-Demand Programs
Effective advocacy is not a “one and done” activity.  It is a continuous process, …

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