-
Day 3: A Visit from the Authorities
This is the third installment of a “diary of the future” I wrote a decade ago, exploring what the world might be like in 2019. My story takes place in a scenario created by the Institute for the Future for their Superstruct forecasting … -
Introducing TrendsWatch2018: The Scenario Edition
“The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories.” —Mary Catherine Bateson TrendsWatch 2018: The Scenario Edition has been released into the wild! This installment of the Alliance’s annual forecasting report … -
The Joker in the Museum Planning Pack
The fourth and final installment of TrendsWatch 2018’s scenarios of the future is now up on the web. Wild Times explores what might happen if fate deals our field an unexpected card: the loss of nonprofit status. In this version of 2040, … -
Four Ways of Seeing the Future
We’re halfway through the serial publication of CFM’s set of scenarios for museum planning! Bright and dark versions of the year 2040, crowdsourced from the hopes and fears of AAMers, are available now, and our third scenario will be … -
Exploring a Fragmented Future
The second installment of TrendsWatch 2018’s scenarios of 2040 is now up on the web for discussion and comment! Fragmentation is woven from some of the anxieties shared by museum people when I asked, “What are your fears about the future?” … -
TrendsWatch 2018: Our Bright Future
Check it out! The first sections of TrendsWatch 2018 are now up on the Alliance website. This year, in honor of CFM’s 10th anniversary, I’m putting together a Scenario Edition of the report designed to help organizations “futureproof” … -
Introducing Museum 2040
The November/December issue of Museum mailed out yesterday, as well as going up on the web. (This issue of the magazine is available as a free download for members and non-members alike). When you open your print or digital copy, you may … -
Futurist Friday: A Dark View of the Next Urbanism
Military people are professional pessimists. Which I guess is a good thing, since we want them to be prepared for the worst. Back in the 1950s, Herman Kahn (often cited as the father of scenario planning) helped the US envision potential … -
Futurist Friday: Immersing Yourself in Your Fears
Today’s video–the Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano–is longer than my usual FF suggestion, but it is so sad, weird and thought-provoking I’m serving it up anyway. It would be well worth taking 24 minutes during lunch, … -
Monday Musing: Electoral futures
In today’s brief musing I want to draw your attention to a piece by Philip Kennicott in yesterday’s Washington Post.In “Would Donald Trump make art great again?” Kennicott pens a short scenario of what the arts …
Tag: Scenarios
Upcoming Events
-
Publishing Profits Museums
Event Date:Presented by: Southeastern Museums Conference -
The Museum Summit
Event Date:Presented by: American Alliance of Museums -
Creative Museums Summit
Event Date:Presented by: MuseumNext -
Museums & Social Media Summit
Event Date:Presented by: MuseumNext
Latest Stories from AAM
Demographics of US Museum-Goers: 2025 Update
Category:
Alliance Blog
This visual Data Story is based on findings from the 2025 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, …
September Monthly Advocacy Alert: Federal Funding, IMLS, and Advocacy Webinar
Advocacy Alert – September 12, 2025 In this Alliance Advocacy Alert: Updates and …
Ask the Expert: Collections Insurance
Join Cecelia Walls, Assistant Director, Learning Content & …