American Association of Museums President/CEO Dr. Ford Bell Details How ‘Museums Matter’ at San Diego Cultural Arts Leadership Symposium

Dr. Bell’s timely message, “Museums Matter — The Opportunities and Challenges of Cultural Institutions in the 21st Century,” was poignant in a time of budget woes and stimulus packages — that museums are an essential part of successful communities.

Dr. Bell stressed that museums are widely recognized as cultural education institutions, when in fact they are economic engines. Museums generate more than $14.5 billion in economic activity across the country; employ more than 500,000 Americans; and the 850 million museum visits in the United States every year are more than professional sporting events and theme parks combined.