
Only five to seven percent of museums worldwide were open as of April 29, 2020, according to the International Council of Museums. On International Museum Day, May 18, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the International Council of Museums warned that 13 percent of museums worldwide would permanently close, after closing temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-July, the American Alliance of Museums predicted that one in three, or approximately 12,000 museums, may permanently close in the next few months. These dire predictions resulted from the economic losses suffered by these museums and is a reflection of the difficult times facing the nation’s, and the world’s art institutions as they continue to navigate the effect of COVID-19 on their operations…