Approved by the Board of Directors, November 8, 2021
The Association of Academic Museums and Galleries is the leading educational and professional organization for academic museums, galleries, and collections. In recognition of the unique opportunities and challenges of its constituents, the AAMG establishes and supports best practices, educational activities and professional development that enable its member organizations to fulfill their educational missions.
AAMG addresses issues that are relevant and unique to college and university museums, galleries and collections of all disciplines including art, history, natural history, and science. Issues include governance, ethics, education and exhibitions, management, strategic planning, support, collections, and professional programs.
AAMG is a national nonprofit (501c3) corporation governed by the laws of the state of Pennsylvania and operated by a volunteer board of museum professionals.
Values/Guiding Principles
AAMG upholds these values that support the work of museums within academic institutions:
Belief that academic museums play a key role in the education and research of students and faculty on their campuses as well as serving their local and regional communities through collection, research, preservation, exhibition, and the advancement of knowledge. We provide our members and constituents with the knowledge and tools they need to support their work in these areas.
Academic museums are uniquely positioned to support the next generation of museum professionals, promoting discourse on current issues, supporting interdisciplinary approaches to learning and experience, transferring knowledge of best practices and assuring inclusivity.
We believe that we will create a more advanced, diverse, equitable and relevant field by valuing inclusivity and anti-racism. We recognize that power dynamics can create obstacles for the inclusion of all individuals who wish to gain entry to our galleries and to the field. We are committed to identifying and shaping new paths forward including multiple modes of knowledge production.
AAMG promotes and upholds the best practices of our field which reflect the values of integrity, honesty, transparency, inclusivity. We recognize, however, that the museum field is constantly changing, responding to demands for more just and equitable practices at our institutions. AAMG commits to continuous learning and challenging best practices that may be premised on and reinscribe inequitable structures.
As the leading educational and professional organization for academic museums, galleries, and collections, AAMG responds to feedback from our members, whether questions, comments, ideas, or challenges.