Each issue of Museum features four to five feature articles and one point-of-view article. We typically select articles from pitches submitted by professionals in museums of all types and sizes, as well as organizations supporting the museum sector.

We welcome perspectives that share practical experience, introduce new ideas, examine emerging challenges, and offer insights that can inform museum practice.

2027

January/February

TrendsWatch

What emerging trends, ideas, and forces are shaping the future of museums? This issue offers insights from AAM’s Center for the Future of Museums’ annual TrendsWatch report, inviting museum professionals to consider what these developments might mean for their institutions, communities, and work.

March/April

Curation Today

How is curatorial practice evolving in response to changing communities, knowledge systems, technologies, and expectations of museums? This issue explores how museums are rethinking the ways they collect, interpret, research, and share stories—and how curatorial practice can create opportunities for collaboration, dialogue, and public engagement.

Potential topics include but are not limited to: community co-curation and shared authorship; indigenous knowledge and collaborative approaches to interpretation; curating with artists, scientists, educators, and community partners; cross-disciplinary curation; AI and digital tools in research and interpretation; collections as platforms for dialogue and engagement; collecting during moments of social change; digital collections and virtual curation; curating difficult histories and contested narratives; the evolving role of the curator; curating and activating collections; curatorial ethics and accountability; decolonizing collections and curatorial practice

Article pitch deadline: October 30, 2026

May/June

Mission, Value, Impact

How do museums translate their missions into meaningful value and impact? This issue explores how museums define, demonstrate, and communicate the difference they make for their communities, audiences, and stakeholders. Content will be selected from sessions presented at the 2027 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo.

July/August

Exhibitions as Experiences

How can museums create exhibitions and experiences that foster curiosity, connection, discovery, and lasting impact? This issue explores how museums are rethinking the visitor experience through exhibition development, interpretation, design, technology, accessibility, and opportunities for participation and engagement.

Potential topics include but are not limited to: designing experiences instead of displays; immersive environments and multisensory storytelling; designing for emotion, curiosity, connection, and memory; visitor-centered exhibition development; designing for different ways of learning; sensory, cognitive, linguistic, and digital accessibility; interactive media, VR, and mixed reality; social interaction and shared experiences; AI in exhibition design and interpretation; sustainable exhibition design and reuse; exhibitions beyond the gallery; measuring exhibition impact and outcomes

Article pitch deadline: February 22, 2027

September/October

Workforce Reimagined

How is the museum workforce changing, and what do these changes mean for the future of museum work? This issue explores evolving roles, leadership and career pathways, workplace cultures, and the organizational practices that help museums attract, develop, and retain talent while supporting meaningful careers and thriving workplaces.

Potential topics include but are not limited to: the changing museum workforce; new roles emerging in museums; new models of leadership; recruiting and retaining the next generation of museum professionals; career pathways, mentoring, and professional mobility; succession planning; flexible work, hybrid workplaces, and distributed teams; workplace well-being, organizational resilience, and thriving workplaces; building cultures of trust, inclusion, and belonging; future skills and competencies for museum work; cross-functional teams; compensation and benefits; artificial intelligence and the workplace; labor relations and unionization

Article pitch deadline: May 24, 2027

November/December

LGBTQ+ Histories and Museums

How are museums documenting, preserving, interpreting, and sharing LGBTQ+ histories and lived experiences? This issue explores the ways museums are engaging LGBTQ+ histories through collections, exhibitions, research, partnerships, and public programs, while considering the opportunities and challenges of preserving histories that have not always been documented, collected, or represented in museums.

Potential topics include but are not limited to: collecting LGBTQ+ histories and building LGBTQ+ collections; interpreting LGBTQ+ histories; rethinking traditional curatorial practices through LGBTQ+ perspectives; LGBTQ+ artists and expanding the art-historical canon; LGBTQ+ histories in historic houses and sites; oral histories and preserving lived experience; digital and ephemeral LGBTQ+ culture as cultural heritage; exhibiting LGBTQ+ stories; community-curated exhibitions and shared authority; building partnerships with LGBTQ+ communities; engaging LGBTQ+ youth; navigating controversy, censorship, and political pressure; the ethics of collecting sensitive and personal LGBTQ+ histories; preserving histories at risk of being lost

Article pitch deadline: August 2, 2027

2026

January/February

TrendsWatch

Members get the first look at TrendsWatch, the annual forecasting report from AAM’s Center for the Future of Museums. 

March/April

The Museum Built Environment

Topics can address, but are not limited to: master planning for future growth, climate sustainability, and adaptation; maintaining architectural integrity while ensuring compliance with building codes, accessibility standards, and environmental regulations; managing facilities risk and resilience planning; designing and retrofitting for sustainability, climate adaptation, and environmental impact reduction; downsizing or rightsizing in alignment with financial or attendance capacity; incorporating smart building technology and adaptive reuse; maximizing space utilization for flexibility and impact; implementing accessible design and effective wayfinding; designing spaces responsive to the needs of diverse audiences—such as older adults, families, or children to enhance comfort, safety, and engagement; collaborating with designers, architects, and community stakeholders; positioning the museum as a community space; undertaking major renovations and upgrades; designing spaces that simultaneously support both collections care and visitor comfort

Article Pitches Due: October 31, 2025

May/June

The Museum Odyssey (Annual Meeting Issue)

Articles will focus on select session topics to be presented at the AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo 

July/August

Public Relations & Marketing

Topics can address, but are not limited to: understanding shifting audience expectations, technology, and social norms; creating compelling narratives that resonate with the public; designing campaigns that convert visitors into long-term supporters; building public relations and marketing partnerships for stronger impact; reaching new audiences and building authentic relationships; using visitor data and AI-driven personalization to inform messaging; partnering with influencers and community ambassadors; communicating around controversial or polarizing topics; tracking and responding to trends in social media and viral moments in museums; managing crisis communication and reputation; developing effective press kits and media outreach strategies; measuring success through metrics and evaluation; ensuring ethical marketing and authenticity in messaging

Article Pitches Due: February 13, 2026

September/October

Visitor Services & Experiences

Topics can address, but are not limited to: aligning visitor services with mission and brand; designing age-friendly services and experiences for older adults (including creative aging initiatives); embedding visitor services into institutional strategy and decision-making; designing data-driven visitor journeys and experiences; implementing self-guided vs staff-guided approaches; applying universal design to exhibitions and visitor-facing applications; developing sensory-friendly programming and accommodations; training and empowering front-line staff; enhancing experiences through technology; creating digital and hybrid experiences that expand access to collections, programs, and interpretation; ensuring security, safety, and visitor wellness (including emergency preparedness); exploring or implementing phone-free visitation policies or programs; building partnerships with hospitality and tourism sectors to extend reach and enhance visitor experience; implementing cost-effective, high-impact visitor service improvements; measuring visitor satisfaction and learning from feedback

Article Pitches Due: April 27, 2026

November/December

Financial Sustainability and Resilience

Topics can address, but are not limited to: innovating earned revenue programs (admissions, retail, food services, licensing, etc.); strategies for securing non-government funding for essential programs and services; strengthening membership pricing, benefits, and retention strategies; tracking philanthropic trends in donor cultivation, major gifts, and planned giving; developing effective incentives (e.g., donor recognition, challenge grants) for sustainable, long-term fundraising; alignment with corporate sponsor values; expanding corporate sponsorships, naming rights, and co-branded initiatives; developing entrepreneurial initiatives and new business models; pursuing shared services and collaborations for cost efficiency; growing and managing capital reserves; applying investment strategies, including impact investing and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) alignment; leading capital campaigns and fundraising for major projects; creating financial contingency plans and scenario planning for economic shifts; adopting ethical funding practices and ensuring donor transparency; advancing financial recovery and resilience strategies after crisis or disruption

Article Pitches Due: July 13, 2026

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Write for Museum

Please fill in the following form to submit your article pitch. Keep in mind each issue of Museum includes four feature articles and one point of view article.

Items of interest about your museum—temporary or permanent exhibitions, education programs, partnerships or initiatives, new building/wing—should be submitted for consideration to bit.ly/MuseumNewsAAM

Career news—transitions, promotions, retirements, in memoriams, accolades—should be submitted for consideration to bit.ly/CareerNewsAAM