New Online Platform Launches for Museum Community in Response to Covid-19: MuseumExpert.org

MuseumExpert.org is the first-of-its-kind digital platform specifically serving museum professionals.

Media Contact:

Ellen Trappey, Co-Founder of MuseumExpert.org

601.400.2651; ellen.trappey@museumexpert.org

Washington, DC – November 20, 2020- MuseumExpert.org, a new, free to use, online platform designed to connect unemployed or underemployed museum professionals with prospective employers and freelance opportunities, launched today from its headquarters in Washington, DC. Supported by worldwide leader in traveling exhibitions and immersive experiences, Imagine Exhibitions, and in partnership with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), the platform is live online as of November 2.

Created by a volunteer team of former museum staff in response to unprecedented museum closures and subsequent staff layoffs due to the COVID-19 crisis, MuseumExpert.org is intended to be a unique platform for museum professionals to connect directly with museums, schools, and educational institutions around the world searching for specialists who may be available to help on short-term projects or to fill temporary gaps at a time when full-time positions may not be available.

According to a new survey of 850 museum directors conducted by AAM, over half of respondents have had to furlough or lay off staff. Positions most impacted by staffing reductions included frontline (68%), education (40%), security/maintenance (29%), and collections (26%) staff. “With a significant percentage of our field’s workforce un- or under-employed, the MuseumExpert.org platform could not have launched at a more critical time,” said Laura Lott, AAM President and CEO. “We’re partnering with the MuseumExpert.org team to bring greater visibility to this critical resource and to continue to strategize about how this platform can serve to further equity in our field as we try to recover from the impacts of the pandemic.”

Laura Huerta Migus, the Executive Director of ACM also mentioned the importance of the platform in today’s situation: “The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) is proud to partner with MuseumExpert.org. The children’s museum workforce, full of talented individuals with deep knowledge and expertise, has been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a new platform linking museum professionals with employment opportunities, MuseumExpert.org is a key connecter in helping the museum field rebuild with equity in mind”.

“When I was approached by the team behind MuseumExpert.org with the concept of a site that could help the thousands of newly unemployed museum professionals stay connected to the field at large, I knew this was an initiative that we at Imagine Exhibitions wanted to support.” Says Imagine Exhibitions President and CEO, Tom Zaller. “Over the course of my 25-year career, I’ve worked with museums large and small both nationally and internationally, and it has been devastating to watch the impact that COVID-19 has had on this community. Our hope is that this free tool can serve to help rebuild the museum industry even stronger than before.”

By creating this platform, MuseumExpert.org hopes to create a pathway for out of work museum professionals to continue to contribute to their communities by developing informal education opportunities, community engagement, and organizational commitment to meaningful and inspiring experiences for public audiences.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is a proud partner of MuseumExpert.org. While thousands of passionate and brilliant museum professionals have been separated from their institutions during the pandemic, they are integral to the recovery of our field and our country. The Alliance aims to partner with the MuseumExpert.org team to bring greater visibility to this critical resource to those who need it most, expand additional partnership opportunities to reach more prospective employers, and to continue to strategize with the MuseumExpert.org team on how this innovative resource can serve to further equity in our field.

About the Association of Children’s Museums

The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) champions children’s museums worldwide. With more than 460 members in 50 states and 19 countries, ACM leverages the collective knowledge of children’s museums through convening, sharing, and dissemination. Learn more at www.childrensmuseums.org.

About Imagine Exhibitions

Imagine Exhibitions produces unique exhibitions globally in museums, science centers, zoos, integrated resorts, and non-traditional venues, with millions of people around the world visiting our exhibitions each year. Imagine Exhibitions maintains an extensive international network of industry partners and expertly manage the logistics of delivering immersive content to every type of venue. In addition to developing successful traveling exhibitions, we design, open, and operate permanent installations and venues, and we consult on building, expanding, and directing museums and attractions. With years of diverse experience in the museum and entertainment industries, Imagine Exhibitions consistently develops exhibitions that educate and excite while exceeding attendance goals. Imagine Exhibitions is currently producing over 40 unique exhibitions globally in museums, science centers, zoos, integrated resorts, and non-traditional venues, with millions of people around the world visiting our exhibitions each year. In addition to developing successful traveling exhibitions, Imagine Exhibitions designs, opens, and operates permanent installations and venues, and consults on building, expanding, and directing museums and attractions. With decades of diverse experience in the museum and entertainment industries, Imagine Exhibitions consistently develops exhibitions that educate and excite while exceeding attendance goals. For more information, visit or find us on Facebook.