We are heading to the American Alliance of Museums’ Annual Meeting in St. Louis! This is the largest gathering of museum professionals in the world and always a nice chance to catch up and meet new people. If you’ll be there, feel free to drop us a line.
We won’t have a booth this year, but staying plenty busy–we’ll be speaking on the four panels below. Hope to see you there!
Beyond Neutrality: Walking the Walk – May 10th, 9:45-11am, room 260
AAM’s Code of Ethics states, “It is incumbent on museums to be resources for humankind and in all their activities to foster an informed appreciation of the rich and diverse world we have inherited…and to preserve that inheritance for posterity.” To remain vital, museums must address the greatest threat to that inheritance: climate change. Hear from four museum directors whose institutions champion a safe and equitable future–from green buildings, to ethical funding and investments, to exhibits and programs that provide on-ramps for visitors to take action.
Do Museums Reflect Our Society? – May 10th, 11:15am-12:30pm, room 263
Our societies, communities, and ideas are rapidly changing. With a new era comes many new challenges. The question of who a museum “serves” is as perplexing as it is exciting to consider. Increasingly, as equitable institutions, we are designed to be inclusive, diverse, multicultural, and nimble, but putting this theory into practice deserves some focused and intelligent conversations. This panel will critically explore whether the 21st-century museum is a reflection of our communities and values, and if present-day institutions are indeed “serving” the populations we envision.
How to Suspend Disbelief: Lessons Learned through Pop-Ups – May 10, 11:15am-12:30pm, room 130
Visitors are very willing to go out on a limb in their expectations for pop-up projects. What can museums learn from pop-ups about suspension of disbelief? How do pop-ups create visitor experiences that are successful in ways outside common museum metrics? How can pop-ups in form and context become hybrid spaces for museum content? Panelists share their pop-up experiences and what museums can learn from the element of surprise and use of a temporary site. This could include exhibition, commercial, and performance pop-up projects.
CEO Roundtable Discussions – Monday May 8, 3-5pm, Landmark 4 Marriott St. Louis Grand
Museum CEOs/executive directors are invited to participate in informal roundtable discussions by and for museum directors on topics and projects of interest that can be informed by perspectives from other museum CEOs. Presented in collaboration with the Leadership and Management Professional Network. We’ll be speaking on CEO Responses to Climate & Science in National News.
