Museums are facing unprecedented challenges in the face of COVID-19. With widespread layoffs, closures, and demands for online “experiences,” museums are quickly adapting and radically changing. If you are a student, museum professional, or anthropologist working in the field, we want to hear from you.
The overall question we are looking to address is how museums are responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Submissions may address the questions below, but are not limited to these topics.
What are museums offering to the public during this global crisis? What should they be doing differently?
How have institutions moved exhibits, collections, and/or programming online? What does this digital content look like, and how has it impacted visitor experience(s)?
How have the widespread institutional closures impacted collections care and conservation?
How does online programming intersect with accessibility issues?
How has coronavirus highlighted the precarious employment situations of many museum staff members and contractors?
How can museums stay relevant during a global crisis? How can museums be advocates for their communities?
What does collecting during a pandemic look like? How can museums archive the current moment in an ethical way?
How is the museum structure going to change after eventual reopening? What will returning to “normal” look like?
Please send inquiries to Lillia McEnaney (mcenaneylillia [@] gmail [.] com). We are accepting submissions on a rolling basis.
The Museum Anthropology Blog is the online supplement to Museum Anthropology, the journal of the Council for Museum Anthropology, a section of the American Anthropological Association. Though accepted articles will not be subject to peer-review, authors will undergo a review process with the blog manager and, if applicable, other members of the CMA’s Communications Committee.