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Alliance Blog
The Alliance blog provides the museum community with a place to share stories and insights, in their own voice, reaching thousands of people across the global museum field.
A Q&A with Dirk Hiscock, Designer of This Year’s Winner for Excellence in Publication Design
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After reviewing hundreds of entries every year, the jury for AAM’s annual Museum Publications Design Competition awards only one publication with the Frances Smyth-Ravenel Prize for …
“Activating Smithsonian Open Access” Proposes New Models for Interacting with Museum Collections
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In February 2021, Cooper Hewitt’s Interaction Lab launched an open call for proposals for inspiring digital interactions with Smithsonian Open Access collections for people all over the …
With the Help of MAP, the Manassas Museum Met Its Changing Community’s Needs
Through the Museum Assessment Program, museums gain perspective on how to improve core areas of their operations, with a combination of guided self-reflection and close consultation with an …
Picture of Health: How MFA, St. Petersburg, Reimagined the Museum Program as a Source of Wellness and Healing
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As the Curator of Public Programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, my professional focus has always been the MFA’s public spaces, performing arts venue, and gardens—not the …
Creating Connections: Merging Lifelong Learning and Music Therapy
The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona, celebrates music and world cultures through a multisensory experience—where guests can “travel” the globe through the sights and …
How a Disturbing Historical Discovery Inspired a New Mission at Old North Foundation
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The enduring fame of the Old North Church in Boston began on the evening of April 18, 1775, when church sexton Robert Newman and vestryman Capt. John Pulling Jr. climbed the steeple and …
Ethical Contracting: Is Your Museum Doing It?
The way we work is changing. The growth of the “gig” economy is accelerating in a post-COVID world, as the desirability of freelance work increases for employees seeking flexible schedules …
All Hands on Deck: How Museum Staff Boosted Wisconsin’s Pandemic Response
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Prior to the onset of the global pandemic, it would have been hard to imagine a scenario in which history and museum professionals played a direct role in matters of public health and …
From Preservation to Participation: The Journey of Sandy Spring Museum
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Many museums think that serving the needs of more ethnically diverse constituents will lose them “traditional” audience and supporters, but at Sandy Spring Museum (SSM), we’ve found just …
What Does a Truly Equitable Recruiting Process Look Like?
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A few years ago, AAM began a journey to re-evaluate our recruitment process and do more to encourage a diverse applicant pool for our job openings. As a result, we overhauled our …
These Museums Helped Welcome Immigrants and Refugees to their Community, and Yours Can Too!
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Welcoming America’s annual Welcoming Week enlists organizations around the country to welcome new immigrants and refugees into their new communities. This year, AAM is a national partner of …
Why Teachers Want Virtual Field Trips to Stay
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On a virtual field trip, students search their screens for signs of movement as they try to spot the elusive macroinvertebrates lurking in a pond water sample. A grid appears over the …
Latest Stories from AAM
Pushing the Boundaries
Category:
Museum Magazine
The Whitney Plantation Museum confronts the truth of its history in all facets of its …
Beyond the Museum Walls
Category:
Museum Magazine
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. The Queens Museum serves as a community anchor by embracing porosity, …
From the President and CEO: Adapting to Community Needs
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Category:
Museum Magazine
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. Distrust and skepticism in many of our country’s institutions is …