Discussion Papers

Tomorrow-in-the-Golden-StateTomorrow in the Golden State: Museums and the Future of California, a museum forecasting resource guide arising from the working session, "Forecasting the Future of California Museums," held between the California Association of Museums and the CFM during the 2010 AAM annual meeting on May 25.

Demographic Transformation and the Future of Museums, commissioned from the Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago. This paper explores the majority-minority future of America and issues a call to action for museums to better serve their rapidly diversifying communities. 

In 2008, CFM commissioned its first discussion paper, Museums & Society 2034: Trends and Potential Futures. This paper explores the challenges that society and museums will face in the next quarter-century, especially in the areas of demographic change, globalization, new forms of telecommunication, and new expectations about narrative and the consumption of culture. The report was prepared by Reach Advisors—a marketing strategy and research firm with extensive experience in the museum field—in consultation with CFM staff and outside experts.