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Centering the Cellphone, Decentering the Museum
This article first appeared in the journal Exhibition (Spring 2026) Vol. 45 No. 1 and is reproduced with permission. In 2019, an 11th-grader from the District of Columbia talked with exhibition development and education staff members at … -
The Connected Museum of 2040
I hope you’ve had a chance to read your print copy of Museum 2040, or to download a digital copy. If you’re a little confused about why the magazine is set in the future, read my introduction to this special issue. As I noted in that … -
The Future of Ownership
When it comes to collecting, museums are at the very end of a long chain of decisions. Before that new acquisition comes under the registrar’s pen, someone had to create an object, purchase or collect it, enabling it to eventually wend its … -
Futurist Friday: Curating the Hereafter
I have a special place in my heart for museums that help their audiences explore the future. The latest addition to my collection: the Hereafter Institute, a fictitious company created by Gabriel Barcia-Colombo, recipient of a 201 LACMA … -
Futurist Friday: Empathetic AI
Whenever a new technology starts to take off (drones, 3D printing, Virtual Reality), the initial breathless coverage in the press is inevitably followed by articles deriding the trivial applications of these advances. We’re deluged … -
The Future of Museums (According to One Woman)
I was delighted to be interviewed for an issue of MISC Journal devoted to The Future According to Women. As the introduction notes, “The future we read about is made up of recycled bits of interviews curated from the minds of a few great … -
And the 2016 MUSE Awards Go To…
My biggest frustration at the annual meeting is that I can’t be everywhere at once (at least, not until we master cloning). I rely on a host of correspondents to fill me in on the great events I miss. This week Dacia Massengill, … -
What Museums Can Learn from the NYT’s Google Cardboard Project
Lookie what I found bundled in with my Sunday newspaper: It’s a free Google Cardboard device from the New York Times. I promptly downloaded the app and started watching the 3-D, immersive short films they have already released: a profile … -
Futurist Friday: My Mind to Your Mind
While we are not ready for the Vulcan Mind Meld (yet), researchers are already making great leaps in brain-to-computer interfaces. Now scientists are beginning to play with brain-to-brain communications. Recent experiments include: fitting … -
Monday Musing: Up Periscope
The week before last I took a tour of the British Museum’s “Defining Beauty” exhibit, hosted by historian Dan Snow (who has a gorgeously plummy accent. Bonus). I did this while pacing the corridors of AAM, channeling Dan …
Tag: Technology Trends
Upcoming Events
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Beyond the Gallery: New Ways to Connect with Communities
Event Date:Presented by: Ohio Museums Association -
Reframing Leadership: A Leader-as-Coach Model for Museums
Event Date:Presented by: New England Museum Association and American Alliance of Museums -
Museums & Social Media Summit
Event Date:Presented by: MuseumNext -
Latest Stories from AAM
Curating the Future with a State Humanities Council
Category:
Center for the Future of Museums Blog
Humanities Tennessee (HT) is one of my foresight heroes—an organization using futures …
TrendsWatching To Live or Die in AI
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On-Demand Programs
Will AI make us more productive, healthier, happier, and better informed—or will it fuel …
Uncertain Times and Museums: A 2026 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Data Story
Category:
Alliance Blog
This visual Data Story is based on findings from the 2026 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, …