Professional organizations including AAMG should prominently feature opportunities to learn more about concepts and legal frameworks relevant to freedom of artistic expression

If the answer is no, would you like that opportunity? (N=55)

78% 18%

4%

Yes

No

Maybe

Survey Question Forty-Eight

The necessity for increased professional development and planning on the topics of freedom of artistic expression and the potential for controversy are clearly affirmed by one more finding of survey data analysis: based on Chi-square test, having plans in case of controversy significantly (p < 0.05)

predicted the perception of freedom to exhibit art which might be controversial and significantly (p < 0.001) predicted feeling supported to do so.

7.3 Professional organizations including AAMG should prominently feature opportunities to learn more about concepts and legal frameworks relevant to freedom of artistic expression.

Despite the clear desire for, and efficacy of, professional development and planning, quick review of available resources indicates a troubling absence of freedom of artistic expression in training documents for museum professionals. The topic is entirely absent from the AAMG “Professional Practices for Academic Museums & Galleries” (June, 2017) handbook distributed to members. AAMG’s “New Approaches to Museum Training: AAMG Praxis Findings” extensively outlines competencies and assessments, but none of these specifically mention a professional obligation to support freedom of artistic expression.2 AAMG’s website further directs members to legal counseling for museum professionals available through the American Legal Institute. However, the Institute offers no course on freedom of expression or even mentions this topic in the outline for “Legal Issues in Museum Administration 2021 Full Course.” And another course titled “Get Smart: Museum and Pre K-12 Audiences” lists no discussion of issues which could potentially arise in states with ‘harmful to minors,’ ‘divisive concepts’ statutes or other educational gag orders. The American Alliance of Museums [AAM] similarly lacks any obvious professional development resources for its members on the topic of freedom of artistic expression.

2 Association of Academic Museums and Galleries, “New Approaches to Museum Training: AAMG Museum Praxis Findings,” https://www.aamg-us.org/praxis-2021/ (accessed May 6, 2022).