DESCRIPTION
This peer-reviewed journal article explores the Sustainability Fellowship as an example of a community of transformation.
Abstract:
Museums are seeking to be more relevant to their communities and help foster social change, which requires museum professionals to reconceive the role of their organization, develop new relationships, and change their practices. In this article, we discuss the Sustainability Fellowship that engaged museum
professionals from nearly 200 organizations in learning about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and implementing a whole- institution approach to social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Using grounded theory, we consider the program’s fit with a community of transformation, which is ‘a community
that creates and fosters innovative spaces that envision and embody a new paradigm of practice. We conclude that the program can be considered a community of transformation and that viewing it from this perspective provides useful insights that can inform other fieldwide efforts to effect change in museum practices.
Suggested Citation:
Ostman, R., & Weller, N. (2026). Communities of transformation: an example from the museum field. Museum Management and Curatorship, 1-20. DOI: 10.1080/09647775.2026.2626872
DESCRIPTION
This peer-reviewed journal article explores the Sustainability Fellowship as an example of a community of transformation.
Abstract:
Museums are seeking to be more relevant to their communities and help foster social change, which requires museum professionals to reconceive the role of their organization, develop new relationships, and change their practices. In this article, we discuss the Sustainability Fellowship that engaged museum
professionals from nearly 200 organizations in learning about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and implementing a whole- institution approach to social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Using grounded theory, we consider the program’s fit with a community of transformation, which is ‘a community
that creates and fosters innovative spaces that envision and embody a new paradigm of practice. We conclude that the program can be considered a community of transformation and that viewing it from this perspective provides useful insights that can inform other fieldwide efforts to effect change in museum practices.
Suggested Citation:
Ostman, R., & Weller, N. (2026). Communities of transformation: an example from the museum field. Museum Management and Curatorship, 1-20. DOI: 10.1080/09647775.2026.2626872
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Credits
Open Access, Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis
Copyright 2026, Rae Ostman and Nich Weller, Arizona State University
Sustainability in Science and Technology Museums
Years 2019-2020, 2016-2017 (Through the Rob and Melani Walton Foundation
Years 2020-2023 (Through the Institute of Museum and Library Services)
The 2021-2022 Sustainability Fellowship program is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Grant Number MG-245910-OMS-20. This program is a continuation of the Sustainability Fellowship program established through support from the Rob and Melani Walton Foundation as part of Arizona State University’s Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability in Science and Technology Museums initiative.
The Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability in Science and Technology Museums program is supported through funding from The Rob and Melani Walton Foundation.
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