And yet, media coverage can be a game-changer for museums in so many ways. It can generate ticket sales to events and exhibitions, build your reputation among supporters (especially funders), and boost your Google ranking.

To help more museums gain these benefits, I presented a session at AAM 2024 in Baltimore called “Scrappy Ways to Get Your Museum in the News.” It was a practical, actionable flash talk full of tips for generating (free!) media coverage of your institution. Attendees learned how to think beyond promoting exhibitions to find the many potential press opportunities that museums naturally contain.

These tips came from my experience as an independent public relations consultant for several Philadelphia-area museums, as well as arts organizations and non-profits. My clients don’t have huge budgets to advertise, pay to play (e.g., sponsored content and influencers), or hire large out-of-market agencies like bigger museums do. They don’t frequently have blockbuster exhibitions coming through or buzzy capital projects. And yet, they are doing great work and have compelling stories to tell. That’s where the scrappy part comes in. We look for unique angles and work together to find ways to get their activities, accomplishments, and stories in the news.

In this blog post, I’m going to share the tips from my presentation so that more museums can take what I’ve learned and apply it to their own institutions. This guidance is ideal for institutions without large marketing and communications departments, but will likely spark inspiration for busy professionals in a variety of roles at any size organization.

Going Beyond the Exhibition: Eight Story Ideas

The bulk of my presentation encouraged attendees to think “outside the exhibition.” Yes, exhibitions will draw press attention, and we should put resources into that work, but here are eight ideas for other ways to generate media coverage.

New = News

If you take nothing else away from this post, remember this: New = News. This seems so simple, and yet, most people forget about it when it comes to getting press. Reporters want to report on what is new at your institution. When there is something new happening, tell the world (starting with the press!). On the flipside, reporters may not consider something newsworthy simply because it is interesting or important—that’s something you may need to remind your bosses and leaders. Find a way to make it new.

Humans Are Interested in Other Humans

It’s a fact of life that we are interested in each other: how we live, the choices we make, our failures, our achievements. The press knows this. Center your pitches around a main character. Maybe it’s a person from history; maybe it’s a volunteer with a special story.

Party Time

Special events, galas, public programming: these are all opportunities to get media attention. Is there a topical speaker? An honoree? A milestone? These events may offer opportunities for feature story pitches, simple event coverage on the evening news, or a chance to invite a reporter to attend to further build your relationship and familiarize them with your work.

Shopping!

Don’t forget about your museum store. These shops often offer some of the best shopping in town. Think about holiday gift guides, business pitches about how the economy or a trend is impacting your store, and items for sale that may relate to a topic in the news.

Localize It, Personalize It

Think about niche media outlets, not only your major daily newspaper and TV stations. Publications geared toward a specific neighborhood/town or community (such as LGBTQ+, Latino, or etc.) will help you reach a specific audience with stories that interest them.

Education

Museum education departments often end up siloed and overlooked for press opportunities, because their work can serve different audiences and even happen outside the museum walls. Look for ways to promote what they do. I recommend setting up a regular call with your education department to find out what they are up to. The media especially love to tell stories about local kids. Using the tips above, keep an eye out in particular for human-interest stories, new programs, etc.

Newsjacking

This is an old-fashioned PR term for “hijacking” the news. Essentially, you are looking for topics already in the news to jump in on, knowing that reporters will be actively looking for stories on them. For example: if vaccines are in the news, you might reach out as a science museum to share your resources on the topic.

Money Money

Don’t talk about money at the dinner table, but do talk about it in the press. People are interested in money and reporters are interested in reporting on it. A few examples: a big grant, a small grant to do crucial work, a fundraising event that raises a lot, a capital campaign, a new scholarship program, or a big increase in revenue.

Doing the Prep Work

Now that you know how to identify a good story, it’s time to prepare to pitch the press.

If there is another thing besides “New = News” you take away from this post, it’s this: Have photos ready before you pitch. A lack of good photos is the biggest reporter complaint today; their outlets don’t have the budget to send photographers, so they depend on us. Photos are crucial in 2025 for telling a story. Decent-quality phone photos are fine for most uses, though professional shots are always great. Video is secondary, but it can come in handy, especially if you’re pitching TV.

You should also prepare talking points and identify your spokesperson. Confirm their availability in advance.

Finally, decide how you’re pitching a story. A press release is a formal document that announces news and is widely distributed. A media advisory is the who/what/when/where and is used to invite broadcast (TV and radio) outlets to attend an event to cover it. A pitch is a tailored and targeted message to a specific reporter inviting them to cover something.

Building a Media List

How to build your media list: read, read, read! Subscribe to every outlet that you want to cover your organization. Read, or at least skim, their work. Reading their daily email newsletter can be a quick way to do this. You’ll see what types of stories are being published and who is writing those stories.

Follow reporters on social media and interact with them; learn about what interests them.

Maximizing Media Coverage

Now that you have a plan, you’ll get media coverage! Then what?

Thank the journalist. Send a genuine email expressing your appreciation. Let them know what you liked about their story and working with them.

Share the story on social media—tag the journalist and their outlet.

You can also boost the reach by posting part of it on your website and sharing it in your newsletter. Internally, I recommend including it in board and staff updates too. Your colleagues will be happy to see their organization in the news.

Happy pitching!

Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced 1 first time accreditation and 25 reaccreditation awards made at the October 2024 meeting of the Accreditation Commission. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1112 are currently accredited.

Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and review by their peers, these museums have demonstrated they meet standards and best practices, and are educational entities that are appropriate stewards of the collections and resources they hold in the public trust.

Recognized as the field’s gold standard for museum excellence for nearly 55 years, AAM accreditation signifies a museum’s quality and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. The Accreditation Program ensures the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, reinforces the educational and public service roles of museums, and promotes good governance practices and ethical behavior.

First time Accreditation

• Avenir Museum of Design & Merchandising, Fort Collins, CO

Reaccreditation

• Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL
• Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
• Brookgreen Gardens, Pawleys Island, SC
• Chicago History Museum, Chicago, IL
• Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
• De Saisset Museum, Santa Clara, CA
• Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY
• Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA
• Grout Museum District, Waterloo, IA
• Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, Honolulu, HI
• Historic Deerfield, Deerfield, MA
• Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort, KY
• Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA
• Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, San Juan, PR
• National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK
• North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, Bismarck, ND
• Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City, OK
• Paine Art Center & Gardens, Oshkosh, WI
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, TX
• Rochester Museum & Science Center, Rochester, NY
• Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Dallas, TX
• The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Jacksonville, FL
• USC Museums (Fisher Museum, Pacific Asia Museum), Pasadena, CA
• Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Decorah, IA
• Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Madison, WI

To earn accreditation, a museum submits a self-study questionnaire and key operational documents for evaluation, then undergoes a site visit by a two-person team of peer reviewers which produces a report for the Accreditation Commission. The Commission uses these materials and its collective expertise to determine whether to grant accreditation.

The Accreditation Commission meets 3 times a year (February, June, and October) and can make one of the following decisions:

• Grant accreditation (usually for 10 years)
• Table its decision for 1 year so specific issues can be addressed
• Deny accreditation due to failure to meet multiple Core Standards
• Defer a decision to gather additional information

A museum’s accredited status is not changed during a period in which a decision is tabled or deferred.

Read more about the Alliance’s Accreditation Program.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

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Press Contact:

Natanya Khashan

media@aam-us.org

Arlington, VA—The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today released findings from the latest iteration of an annual survey assessing the current state of museums in the United States.

Over 400 museum directors responded to the survey on their organizations’ behalf, representing a broad cross-section of the field in geography, size, and discipline. The survey, conducted by AAM and Wilkening Consulting and fielded in August of this year, tracked key metrics the Alliance began to collect in June 2020 to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on museums and, more recently, gauging new opportunities and challenges for the sector.

“Museums across the country are critical to the economic vitality of communities, education and workforce development, and preserving our cultural heritage,” said Marilyn Jackson, AAM President & CEO. “While museums strive to fill important gaps in their communities, they face significant challenges. The findings of this year’s report paint a clear picture that the museum field is still on the path to recovery from the impacts of the pandemic and will continue to be vulnerable to significant disruptions.”

The 2024 report shows encouraging improvement from 2023 though recovery remains uneven, and many museums have not yet returned to their pre-pandemic attendance or financial health:

• Four years after the pandemic’s start, only half of museums (51 percent) have recovered to 100 percent or more of their pre-pandemic attendance levels. This is an improvement from 2023 when only one-third of museums had fully recovered to their pre-pandemic attendance levels.

• Museums support a broad range of American jobs in their communities, from security and administrative positions to educators and exhibition designers. 89% of museums have maintained consistent staff sizes or grown their staff over the past year.

• Financial recovery from the damage of the pandemic has been inconsistent, with 19% of museums seeing decreases in net operating performance as compared to 2019, 57% experiencing increases, and 24% seeing no change.

• Looking forward, 46% of respondents project their bottom line will increase this year compared to 2023, 17% expect decreases in their bottom line, and 37% expect no change.

• While charitable donations are up, 61% of museums report that the number of individual donors to the museum has stayed the same or decreased in the last five years. This indicates a sustainability challenge that comports with the broader nonprofit sector and demonstrates the need to provide the charitable deduction for the vast majority of taxpayers who do not itemize.

• When asked what they anticipate to be the most significant disruptions to their business strategies in 2025, almost half of respondents identified shifts in philanthropy (48%) and financial/market instability (46%), followed by a reduction or elimination of government funding (33%).

This research makes clear that disruptions to philanthropy, market instability, and threats of reduction or elimination in government funding have the potential to radically impact an already fragile sector. While the museum field’s recovery from the pandemic is improving, significant support is still needed to secure this vital sector.

Download the full report.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

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Press Contact:

Natanya Khashan
media@aam-us.org

96% of people across all party lines want their legislators to support museums. Museum funding is not a partisan issue. Museums support all communities across our country regardless of political affiliation.

Together, we will chart a path forward that builds on our history of working with both political parties. Now is the time to join us because when we come together as an Alliance, there is no stopping what we can do. This was demonstrated clearly during the current and past administrations when we collaborated with legislators from across party lines to:

• In 2018, signficantly increase the budget for the Institute of Museum & Library Services for the first time in the nine years prior, despite repeated calls to eliminate IMLS, NEA, and NEH.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, earmark more than $200 million in financial relief for these agencies.
• Include museums in PPP and SVOG relief programs and received billions in financial support that saved thousands of museums and museum jobs.
• Increase appropriations to the Office of Museum Services (OMS) by 80% in the last ten years.

These wins would not have happened without the strong allies and bipartisan support that we have been building in Congress and around the country for years.

Together as a field, we’ve defeated several attempts to eliminate or de-fund federal agencies supporting museums. To ensure these threats don’t become a reality, we must keep speaking up for museums and the roles they play in the economic vitality of our communities.

We will keep fighting for funding for museums of all types and sizes and ensure that all legislators know the value of the work that you do.

What’s next:

Our government relations and advocacy team is working hard to provide you with a deeper analysis of what the election results could mean for museums, so be on the lookout for our next Alliance Advocacy Alert in the coming days.

Museums Advocacy Day registration opens soon. As this event has grown larger over the last several years, we’re moving venues to accommodate even more museum people who want to make the case for our field.

What you can do now:

If you do not currently receive Alliance Advocacy Alerts, sign up for them.

Use our quick template to urge your legislators to support FY 2025 OMS funding.

Share Your Connections: The AAM Government Relations & Advocacy staff looks forward to working with the new Congress. We know that you may already have connections with your new or returning members of Congress and hope you will share that information with us by filling out our Washington Connections Contact Form, so we can work together on outreach.

Join the Alliance. Your membership with AAM supports the work we do.

Through professional development and skill-building opportunities, MSIIP cohort museums will learn how to effectively leverage social impact data that helps make the case for museums to various stakeholders and funders. The long-term goal of this initiative is to enhance the entire museum field’s ability to use social impact data to advance their institutions through advocacy and build stronger, more informed relationships with their local community, funders, and stakeholders.

After a competitive application process, the museums selected to participate represent 25 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. They will engage in a multi-year study to measure and analyze their social and community impact that will include training around implementing a validated museum social impact survey and analyzing resulting data; joining monthly Community of Practice meetings; and utilizing and testing new advocacy tools that will help the field better use social impact data. Participant museums will be better able to measure their social impact, connect with their peers in the field conducting similar work, and advocate for their organizations based on their findings.

This group of institutions represents the diversity of America’s museums, from small, regional art museums and historic houses to larger institutions. It includes children’s museums, science centers, historic houses, anthropology museums, university museums, zoos, visitors centers, presidential libraries, and natural history museums.

• Asia Society Texas, Houston, TX

• Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Indianapolis, IN

• Bronx Children’s Museum, Bronx, NY

• Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA

• Catfish Row Museum, Vicksburg, MS

• Charlotte Museum of History, Charlotte, NC

• Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH

• College Park Aviation Museum, College Park, MD

• Economy in Action, Dallas, TX

• Fairbanks Children’s Museum, Fairbanks, AK

• Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN

• Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI

• Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Hartford, CT

• Heritage Square Foundation, Phoenix, AZ

• Historic Alexandria, Alexandria, VA

• Juneau-Douglas City Museum, Juneau, AK

• Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, Kansas City, MO

• King Manor Museum, Jamaica, NY

• Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, CA

• Lehigh University Art Galleries, Bethlehem, PA

• Lewis Latimer House Museum, Flushing, NY

• Michael C. Carlos Museum, Atlanta, GA

• Milwaukee County Historical Society, Milwaukee, WI

• Molly Brown House Museum, Denver, CO

• Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA

• Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR

• Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM

• Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Long Beach, CA

• Museum of Us (formerly San Diego Museum of Man), San Diego, CA

• National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TN

• President Lincoln’s Cottage, Washington, DC

• The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, Charlottesville, VA

• The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Desert, CA

• The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ

• U.S. Navy Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, CA

• UVU Museum of Art at Lakemount, Orem, UT

• Washakie Museum & Cultural Center, Worland, WY

• Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN

• Witte Museum, San Antonio, TX

• Wyoming State Museum, Cheyenne, WY

MSIIP is a three-year initiative led by AAM and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It builds on eight years of experience in groundbreaking work through the Measurement of Museum Social Impact (MOMSI) project, which concluded in 2023. With leadership from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums (UA&M) and Thanksgiving Point, MOMSI addressed the critical need to establish best practices for measuring social impact within the museum field, advancing museum practice by measuring the social impact museums have on visitors, and developing a valid tool for museums to better understand their social impact on individuals and communities.

This project is made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, award number MG-252969-OMS-23.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, AAM has been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

AAM’s Alliance of 35,000 museums and museum professionals seeks to better our communities, and our world, through collaborative human-centered experiences, education, and connection to histories, cultures, the natural world, and one another.

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Press Contact:

Natanya Khashan

media@aam-us.org

American Alliance of Museums

Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced 2 first time accreditations and 33 reaccreditation awards made at the June 2024 meeting of the Accreditation Commission. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1,112 are currently accredited.

Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and review by their peers, these museums have demonstrated they meet standards and best practices and are educational entities that are appropriate stewards of the collections and resources they hold in the public trust. “Accreditation is a monumental achievement,” said Marilyn Jackson, AAM President & CEO. “The process demonstrates an institution’s commitment to best practice and is flexible enough to be accomplished by museums of any size.”

Recognized as the field’s gold standard for museum excellence for over 50 years, AAM accreditation signifies a museum’s quality and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies, and to the public. The Accreditation Program ensures the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, reinforces the educational and public service roles of museums, and promotes good governance practices and ethical behavior. The program has been revised to be flexible, reduce the complexity of the process, and shorten the timeline while providing support and resources for any museum to consider becoming accredited.

First time Accreditation

• Peel Museum & Botanical Garden, Bentonville, AR
• The Museum of Russian Art, Minneapolis, MN

Reaccreditation

• Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, Saint Joseph, MO
• Arkansas State University Museum, Jonesboro, AR
• Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, Lafayette, IN
• Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, CA
• Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, ME
• Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT
• California Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA
• Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA
• Concord Museum, Concord, MA
• Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT
• Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, MA
• Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, MI
• Heritage Farmstead Museum, Plano, TX
• Hickory Museum of Art, Hickory, NC
• Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpon Springs, FL
• Massillon Museum, Massillon, OH
• McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
• MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA
• Museum of Arts & Sciences, Daytona Beach, FL
• National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
• NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, NY
• Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
• Penn Museum, Philadelphia, PA
• Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME
• Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence, RI
• Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell, NM
• S’edav Va’aki Museum , Phoenix, AZ
• Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK
• Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC
• South Dakota Art Museum, Brookings, SD
• Tryon Palace, New Bern, NC
• Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Winterthur, DE

To earn accreditation, a museum submits a self-study questionnaire and key operational documents for evaluation, then undergoes a site visit by a two-person team of peer reviewers which produces a report for the Accreditation Commission. The Commission uses these materials and its collective expertise to determine whether to grant accreditation.

The Accreditation Commission meets 3 times a year (February, June, and October) and can make one of the following decisions:

• Grant accreditation (usually for ten years)
• Table its decision for one year so specific issues can be addressed
• Deny accreditation due to failure to meet multiple Core Standards
• Defer a decision to gather additional information

A museum’s accredited status is not changed during a period in which a decision is tabled or deferred.

Read more about the Alliance’s Accreditation Program.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

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Press Contact:

Natanya Khashan

media@aam-us.org

Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM)—representing over 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, and museums of all types and sizes across the country—is profoundly disappointed that the U.S. House Republican leadership and appropriators retained a provision from last year making museums ineligible for Community Project Funding (also known as earmarks) in recently released guidance. Despite our field’s efforts—including advocating for the repeal of this ban during visits to Congressional offices during Museums Advocacy Day—the House Republican leadership has decided to continue to include last year’s museum earmark ban. Targeting museums is not only damaging to these educational institutions and the communities they serve, it is an affront to the 96 percent of Americans who are in favor of funding support for museums.

The recent House Republican rules go even further than last year’s by banning not just museums but our entire nonprofit community from receiving earmarks out of the Economic Development Initiative of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a repugnant reaction to some earmarks going to support several LGBTQ+ organizations in fiscal year 2024. None of these restrictions apply to the Senate earmark process where museums and nonprofits, including those serving the LGBTQ+ community, remain eligible.

Museum earmarks are used to serve critical needs in communities across the country including supporting K-12 education, funding energy efficient buildings to support the conservation of cultural heritage, and increasing tourism and economic development – projects that are vital to communities’ health and vitality.

Museums are economic engines, pumping more than $50 billion into the U.S. economy annually pre-pandemic, supporting over 726,000 American jobs, generating $12 billion in tax revenue, and spurring tourism from around the world. Nationally, museums spend more than $2 billion yearly on education activities, and the typical museum devotes 75% of its education budget to K-12 students. They are essential community infrastructure that have the support of 96 percent of Americans who think positively of their elected officials who take legislative action in support of museums.

Going forward, the Alliance will continue to urge the House Republican Leadership and appropriators to remove the ban and allow museums to compete for earmarks on their own merits as they always have.

AAM stands for the broad scope of the museum community. Museums are a robust and diverse cultural and business sector, including African American museums, aquariums, arboreta, art museums, botanic gardens, children’s museums, culturally-specific museums, historic sites, historical societies, history museums, maritime museums, military museums, natural history museums, planetariums, presidential libraries, public gardens, railway museums, science and technology centers, tribal museums, and zoos.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

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Press Contact:

Natanya Khashan

media@aam-us.org

Museum Board Leadership 2024: A National Report

Arlington, VA—The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today released findings from Museum Board Leadership 2024, a national report that serves as the second iteration of Museum Board Leadership 2017. The survey, conducted in partnership with Northern Trust and Slover Linett at NORC, was fielded September 20 through November 5, 2023, with responses from 1,062 museum directors and board members representing a broad cross-section of the museum field.

Knowing the essential role board members play in the vitality of our field, the first iteration of this report measured the performance of museum boards on a field-wide scale, taking a close look at diversity, culture, and finances. The 2024 report highlights the critical strides museum boards have taken with diversity and inclusion in recent years, as well as the many challenges and opportunities to further equity in the highest ranks of museum leadership and improve overall efficacy.

Key findings:

1. Boards have made meaningful progress in diversifying their ranks, and still have significant room for improvement. In 2017, nearly half (46%) of museum directors reported that their boards were entirely white (i.e., no people of color). With this iteration of the survey, 27% of directors report their boards as entirely white.
2. Boards and directors widely agree that diversity and inclusion is important to board performance. This sentiment has grown since the 2017 study. Directors’ assessments of board impact on organization performance corresponds with an increase in diversity across many demographic characteristics.
3. Most boards have engaged in conversations about diversity and inclusion, but many museums have not followed up on these discussions with concrete actions to promote diversity. Only 39% of boards have modified recruitment efforts to reach potential members from diverse backgrounds, and 33% of boards have modified organizational policies and procedures to be more inclusive and equitable.
4. There is relative parity in representation between men and women on boards, and a majority of directors are women. However, women are much more likely to direct smaller museums than men – about three-quarters of museums with revenues under $1 million are led by women directors.
5. Boards widely can improve their performance regarding fundraising, outreach, advocacy, and government relations. Average director ‘grades’ for their board’s performance in these areas range from C to D+, and board members agree that these are the greatest areas in need of improvement.
6. The museum field continues to face financial strain in the aftermath of the pandemic, with half of museums indicating at least one sign of financial distress. In the six months prior to completing the survey, half of museums either lost revenue or had to make difficult decisions on personnel, programs, or other expenditures (or all of the above). One-quarter of museums have dipped into their reserves or endowment to cover operating expenses.

Download the full report

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

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Press Contact:

Natanya Khashan
media@aam-us.org

ARLINGTON, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced that six leading professionals from the museum field have been newly elected to the board of directors, serving three-year terms beginning this May. The incoming board members are:

Rebekah Beaulieu, Ph.D., was named Louise Taft Semple President & CEO of the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, OH, in 2022. She has worked in museums for over two decades, previously serving as the director of the Florence Griswold Museum in Connecticut, as associate director of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Maine, and as an assistant professor of Art History & Museum Studies at Connecticut College. Rebekah recently concluded a five-year term on the AAM Accreditation Commission and a four-year term as a council member of the American Association for State and Local History, where she served as treasurer.

Ellen Ferguson is the Director of Community Relations at the Burke Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Seattle, WA. She has worked at the museum in a variety of capacities since receiving her MA in Museum Studies at the University of Washington and has played an active role in the museum profession at the state, regional, and national levels—including with AAM—for decades. Ellen previously served as president of the Washington Museum Association board and on the board of the Western Museum Association, where she was a founding member of the Equity Committee and received the Director’s Chair Award for outstanding achievements in the museum profession. Ellen currently serves as board co-chair of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian American Experience in Seattle.

Lori Fogarty has served as executive director of the Oakland Museum of California since 2006. Throughout her tenure, Lori has spearheaded OMCA’s efforts to place the visitor at the center of the museum experience and focus the institution’s efforts around community engagement and social impact. She has received major recognition in the museum and nonprofit field as the recipient of the John Cotton Dana Award for Leadership from AAM and the Hank Russo Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Prior to her current position, Lori worked as executive director of the Bay Area Discovery Museum and senior deputy director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Hassan Najjar is the executive director of Foothills Art Center in Golden, CO. Previously, he served as the executive director of the Museum Center at 5ive Points in Tennessee and held positions as an educator at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Tennessee and Rome Area History Museum in Georgia. Hassan is active in the business and cultural community in Colorado, serving on several boards and commissions. With 20 years of experience in the museum profession, he’s utilized mission-focused thinking and community input to create memorable museum experiences for learners of all ages.

Jennifer Ortiz is the director of the Utah Historical Society in Salt Lake City, where she oversees the building of the state’s first dedicated state history museum, the Museum of Utah, opening in 2026. In addition to her state-wide work, Jennifer serves at a national level as board member for the National Federation of State Humanities Councils and locally as board member for the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Previously, Jennifer held positions at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Boston Museum of Science, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Jay Xu, Ph.D., has served director and CEO of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco since 2008. He is the first Chinese American director at a major art museum in the United States. In 2015, Jay became the first Asian American museum director elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2022, he was appointed by the US Congress to serve as one of the eight commissioners on the Congressional Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. Jay has previously held positions at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Seattle Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Shanghai Museum.

The board also welcomes four returning board members for their second terms (2024-2027):

• Dina Bailey, CEO, Mountain Top Vision
• Carole Charnow, President & CEO, Boston Children’s Museum
• Ann Friedman, Founder & CEO, Planet Word
• Linda Harrison, Director & CEO, The Newark Museum of Art

In addition to Board Chair Jorge Zamanillo, Founding Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino, and Immediate Past Chair Chevy Humphrey, President & CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago—who both serve in their current board leadership roles through May 2025—the Alliance board announced the following officer appointments:

• Devon Akmon, Director, Michigan State University Museum and CoLab Studio, as Vice Chair and Secretary (2024-2025)
• Linda Harrison, Director & CEO, The Newark Museum of Art, as Treasurer (2024-2025)

See the full list of the Alliance’s board of directors.

The Alliance is grateful to the board members whose service ends this year: Nathan Richie, Director, Golden History Museum and Park (who served as Vice Chair & Secretary from 2023-2024) and Karol Wight, President & Executive Director, Corning Museum of Glass. Their leadership has been instrumental in fulfilling the Alliance’s mission and strategic goals.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

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Press Contact:

Natanya Khashan

media@aam-us.org

Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced 2 first time accreditations and 31 reaccreditation awards made at the February 2024 meeting of the Accreditation Commission. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1,113 are currently accredited.

Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and review by their peers, these museums have demonstrated they meet standards and best practices, and are educational entities that are appropriate stewards of the collections and resources they hold in the public trust.

Recognized as the field’s gold standard for museum excellence for over 50 years, AAM accreditation signifies a museum’s quality and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. The Accreditation Program ensures the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, reinforces the educational and public service roles of museums, and promotes good governance practices and ethical behavior.

First time Accreditation:

• Fairfield University Art Museum, Fairfield, CT
• Old Barracks Museum, Trenton, NJ

Reaccreditation:

• American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
• Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA
• Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT
• Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton,FL
• Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum, California State University-Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
• Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Saint Michaels, MD
• Children’s Museum of Memphis, Memphis, TN
• Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History, Corpus Christi, TX
• Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC
• Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
• Hermann-Grima & Gallier Historic Houses, New Orleans, LA
• History Colorado, Denver, CO
• Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PA
• Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ
• New England Aquarium, Boston, MA
• New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, NM
• Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
• Old State House Museum, Little Rock, AR
• President Woodrow Wilson House, Washington, DC
• Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown, MA
• Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
• Saint Louis Science Center, St. Louis, MO
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
• Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
• The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY
• The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA
• The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT
• University Museums – Iowa State University, Ames, IA
• W.R. & C.V. Spurlock Museum, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
• West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen, LA
• Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, Wichita, KS

To earn accreditation, a museum submits a self-study questionnaire and key operational documents for evaluation, then undergoes a site visit by a two-person team of peer reviewers which produces a report for the Accreditation Commission. The Commission uses these materials and its collective expertise to determine whether to grant accreditation.

The Accreditation Commission meets 3 times a year (February, June, and October) and can make one of the following decisions:

• Grant accreditation (usually for 10 years)
• Table its decision for 1 year so specific issues can be addressed
• Deny accreditation due to failure to meet multiple Core Standards
• Defer a decision to gather additional information

A museum’s accredited status is not changed during a period in which a decision is tabled or deferred.

Read more about the Alliance’s Accreditation Program.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

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Press Contact:

Natanya Khashan

media@aam-us.org