Devon Akmon
@devonakmon.bsky.social
Museum director building vibrant institutions and collaborative spaces at the intersection of art, science, and technology. www.devonakmon.com
What do museums owe visitors when it comes to authenticity in what's on display? My latest piece explores the choices museums make in exhibiting their collections, and what that means for trust and transparency. Read it on Museums Reconsidered: devonakmon.substack.com/.../authenti....
We're excited to announce that our Director, Devon Akmon, has been announced as one of four new board members for the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)! Read the press release: buff.ly/QTfULIT @devonakmon.bsky.social @jamuseum.bsky.social
Deadline this Sunday, 5/10! 2026 Michigan Central Art × Newlab Creative Residency is accepting apps for four fellows. Each receives $30K, fabrication access, & mentorship over 12 weeks in Detroit. 2 tracks: Art + Technology & the new Art + Health track w/ Henry Ford Health.
Museums are under pressure like never before—and the fights over what we see are intensifying. Join me, Ann Burroughs (Japanese American National Museum), Hamza Walker (The Brick), & moderator Elizabeth Larison (National Coalition Against Censorship) for: "How Do Museums Resist Censorship?"
Excited to be part of a powerful conversation, hosted by @zocalopublicsquare.bsky.social, called “How Do Museums Resist Censorship?” If you are in Los Angeles on Monday, February 23, join us for a timely and important discussion. RSVP to join online or in-person: zps.la/museums
Prominent museums in Minneapolis are standing in solidarity with the local community today.
Limiting our national story to only “the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people” erases essential truths about who we are and how we arrived here. That kind of selective history is not consistent with American values.
National Park Service Dismantles Slavery Exhibit in Philadelphia
nytimes.com
Some interesting food for thought in this article: "For most of the 20th century, pop culture was the glue that held the U.S. together. But what will it mean now that everything has splintered?"
The Rise and Fall of the American Monoculture
For most of the 20th century, pop culture was the glue that held the U.S. together. But what will it mean now that everything has splintered?
wsj.com
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tia Graham of The Metro on WDET, Detroit Public Radio, for a segment titled “Can museums maintain public trust amid Trump pressure on Smithsonian?” Give it a listen and let me know your thoughts on the topic.
American museums could lose trust submitting to Trump demands - WDET 101.9 FM
The Smithsonian has submitted documents to the White House for ideological review. Will trust in American museums survive the pressure campaign?
wdet.org
92% of adults view museums as nonpartisan sources of education, and 96% would support lawmakers who fund them. Now museums are using that trust to foster dialogue in polarized times — modeling how people might think and listen together. https://phlnthrp.com/49zGzXF
How Museums Can Help Rebuild Trust in a Divided America
Museums remain among the few places where curiosity still draws people across political and cultural lines. Can they model how people might think and listen together?
philanthropy.com
"Through lawsuits and executive orders, threats and intimidation, the administration is seeking to shift the country to the right...To do so, he is targeting the institutions – universities and museums – that form people’s minds and imaginations, their sense of identity."
Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’
The long read: The president has vowed to kill off ‘woke’ in his second term in office, and the venerable cultural institution a few blocks from the White House is in his sights
theguardian.com
92% of adults view museums as nonpartisan sources of education. This rare level of confidence gives museums both an opportunity and a responsibility to model how people might think and listen together, explains one museum director.
How museums can help rebuild trust in a divided America
As social divisions grow, museums provide forums for civic connection and discourse across political and cultural lines.
buff.ly
It was only a matter of time. Donors are withholding contributions, & ticket sales are declining. What will become of the Kennedy Center? "The opera, which has performed at the arts center since 1971, was concerned about declines in attendance and donations during President Trump’s second term."
Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center
nytimes.com
UMich is launching ArtsRx, a new clinical-art initiative that harnesses the healing power of music, visual arts, performance, and storytelling to support students and Ann Arbor residents while strengthening community well-being.
Arts to promote mental health goal of new University of Michigan clinical program
Michigan ArtsRx is a new clinical arts initiative to assist the mental health of students, UM affiliates, and Ann Arbor residents through arts programming.
mlive.com
Copenhagen: Art, Architecture, and the Joy of Movement devonakmon.com/news/adventu...
Copenhagen: Art, Architecture, and the Joy of Movement | Devon Akmon
Copenhagen rewards slow exploration. Over a week, we walked much of the city, tracing cobbled streets and leafy boulevards, and occasionally joined the Danes on two wheels using bike-sharing apps. Alo...
devonakmon.com
Earlier today, I joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro, hosted by Detroit’s flagship NPR station WDET, to discuss how museums are responding to political pressure amid the White House’s ongoing attacks on the Smithsonian.
The Metro: What our museums offer — and why the White House is clamping down on them - WDET 101.9 FM
On Tuesday, the White House called for a “comprehensive internal review” of eight Smithsonian museums.
wdet.org
"The September residency will encompass live performances, film screenings and a public exhibition featuring art and artifacts from his personal collection."
Jeff Mills to bring new residency to Detroit's Spot Lite next month · News ⟋ RA
The September residency will encompass live performances, film screenings and a public exhibition featuring art and artifacts from his personal collection.
ra.co
Video of Jardins d’Été by artist Quayola, on view at the Toledo Museum of Art as part of the exhibition Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms. toledomuseum.org/exhibitions/...
Call for Artists! The Ann Arbor Housing Commission has issued an RFQ for public artwork at the new Dunbar Tower. Selected artists will be commissioned to create original works for the building’s interior, exterior, & new community space. Deadline to submit is coming fast: August 31. #A2Council
a2gov.org
I wonder if immersive storytelling & technologies will make "visiting" historical/cultural landmarks & heritage sites more accessible as consumer tech like VR expands opportunities. Excurio, founded in 2020, is one example creating “immersive expeditions” to explore the world virtually.
Excurio | Horizon of Khufu
Explore the last wonder of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid. Welcome to Egypt!
excurio.com
I’m delighted to share that I voted Yes on Proposals A and B in the Ann Arbor special election! Now it’s your turn—have you made your voice heard? #A2Council #A2Votes
There's less than a month left to submit a proposal for the MSU Museum CoLab Studio's exhibition, "Singularity," don't miss out! buff.ly/r47qJJb
The MSU Museum's open call for "Singularity," an exhibition that speculates on the future impact of rapid developments in artificial intelligence, is open for submissions until July 4, 2025. Learn more: museum.msu.edu/explore/cola...
"Rise of the Deceiver is an action co-op game in which players, imbued with powers bestowed upon them by the legendary members of the Wu-Tang Clan, fight against invaders that wish to corrupt their home." www.theverge.com/games/681702...
Wu-Tang Clan’s new video game project is ‘for the culture’
Wu-Tang is for the (video game playing) children.
theverge.com
The Anacostia Museum and NMAL, along w/ NMAAC & NMAI, have played a vital role in expanding the Smithsonian’s work & reach through community-based approaches & inclusive storytelling. Proposed budget cuts would severely undermine their work & the Smithsonian’s broader mission. wapo.st/4jKmyRf
Funding for Smithsonian’s Anacostia, Latino museums cut in proposed Trump budget
The proposed cuts coincide with a White House effort to exert greater control over some of the country’s most prestigious cultural institutions.
wapo.st
My colleague, Dr. Julian Chambliss, curated the exhibition Techno: The Rise of Detroit's Machine Music for @msumuseum.bsky.social. Just in time for Movement in Detroit, here’s a great interview exploring “how Detroit and its people are integral to the rise of techno music.”
Ask the expert: How Detroit and its people are integral to the rise of techno music
Julian C. Chambliss, professor of English at Michigan State University and the Val Berryman Curator of History at the MSU Museum, examines how techno artists in Detroit have contributed to the legacy ...
msutoday.msu.edu
Art for your boo-boo! Band-Aid x The Met collaboration featuring designs by Hokusai.
Missed any of our programs for "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music?" Check out the recordings of the talks and panels here: buff.ly/5inFZrR Programs hosted with WKAR - Public Media from Michigan State University.
We finally had the occasion to visit the biennial Desert X, a site-specific international art exhibition held throughout the Coachella Valley. Desert X 2025 features 11 site-responsive installations that thoughtfully engage with the region's unique desert environment.
