As the world enters a “Psychological Era” of difficulty, Mark Walhimer explores why museums must shift from explaining history to caring for the public’s mind and soul in the age of AI.
The “Big Beautiful Bill” and the Museum World: A Hard Wrong Turn for American Culture
An article outlining what the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) means for museums and the cultural sector. For decades, the American museum landscape has thrived on a delicate balance: a public-private partnership where federal, state, and city governments collaborated with private donors and local initiatives like SPLOST to fund everything from new wings to educational programs. This model, refined …
Fortress America: The Geopolitical Crisis of 2026
The first two weeks of 2026 have upended decades of geopolitical norms. From the NATO standoff in Greenland to the constitutional crisis sparked by the Venezuela raid, the United States appears to be moving erratically. But this chaos is not random. We are witnessing a deliberate transformation of the U.S. from a “Global Policeman” into an “Imperial Fortress.”
In this analysis, I break down the “Frankenstein Plan”—a contradictory strategy that attempts to combine extreme economic isolationism with aggressive military expansionism. I explore why the U.S. cannot simultaneously wage war on Mexico’s drug cartels while relying on its workers to rebuild American industry, and why this collision of ideologies is destined to fail.
Museums in the Era of “United States Inc.”
The Core ConflictThere is a fine line between “financial sustainability” and “losing your soul.” Museums are 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The United States Government is a Constitutional Republic. Both exist to serve the Public Trust, not the bottom line. 1. “United States Inc.”The invasion of Venezuela is the ultimate expression of this pendulum swing. The Executive Branch is no longer operating on …
The Convergence Era: Why Museums Must Move Beyond the Building
Mark Walhimer explores the “Convergence Era” of museums. Read two new white papers on how AI, IoT, and agentic systems are creating “Museums Everywhere.”
Governance Frameworks for Cultural Institutions in the United States
Governance Frameworks for Cultural Institutions in the United States
Public Trust of Museums
For the first time in my thirty years in museums, I find myself hesitating — not because I have nothing to say, but because I’ve started to ask whether saying it is safe. That hesitation is what some have begun to call the cooling effect. It happens quietly: a pause before posting, a doubt before writing, a second-guessing that turns …
Demographic Change and Museums 2025
The United States is undergoing a profound demographic transformation. We are moving toward a “majority-minority” society in which people of color collectively outnumber white Americans. For many, this change is simply the continuation of the nation’s story, but for others — particularly segments of the white working class — it is deeply unsettling. The cultural, political, and economic ground beneath …
The Dismantling of America’s Cultural Conscience
By Mark Walhimer There’s a moment in every democracy when the erosion of its cultural institutions stops being theoretical and becomes concrete. We are in that moment. This week, the White House announced a sweeping review of Smithsonian museums to ensure alignment with the president’s vision of “American exceptionalism” ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary (The Wall Street Journal). This …
The Value of Painting Rocks: A Constructivist Approach to STEAM Learning
Introduction Painting rocks is an activity that offers significant value, particularly in the context of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education. Its simplicity and accessibility make it an ideal gateway to more complex concepts in natural science and other STEAM fields. The value of painting rocks as an educational tool mainly consists of its ease of access, appeal …