Are you a fan of Impressionism, Cubism, Rococo, or another period of art? If yes, then today is a special day on your calendar because it's International Museum Day,
In 1946, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) was created in the aftermath of World War II in Paris, France, as a non-governmental organization for museum professionals, dedicated to the promotion and protection of natural and cultural heritage. In 1977, the ICOM created an annual celebration of museums and named it "International Museum Day."
According to the ICOM website, "Organized on May 18th each year, the events and activities planned to celebrate International Museum Day can last a day, a weekend, or an entire week. In 2025, more than 37,000 museums participated in the event in more than 158 countries and territories.
This year, on May 18th, 2026, museums worldwide will mark International Museum Day with the theme "Museums Uniting a Divided World." The theme highlights the potential of museums to act as bridges across cultural, social, and geopolitical divides, fostering dialogue, understanding, and peace within and between communities worldwide. Museums are trusted public spaces where people encounter stories, objects, and one another. In times of social fragmentation, polarization, and unequal access to knowledge and culture, museums help rebuild connection across generations, across communities, and across borders. Museums do not erase differences but create conditions in which differences can be understood and handled with respect: by safeguarding heritage and memory, by offering learning and reflection, and by providing welcoming spaces where diverse voices can be heard."
SHARE THIS: Museums do not erase differences but create conditions in which differences can be understood and handled with respect. ~ICOM #InternationalMuseumDay #ArtHistory #DebbieLaskeysBlog
You may not realize this, but museums and art ARE mainstream news stories - they're not isolated in art-related pubs and websites. In April, there was a very interesting story coincidentally from Paris, France. A nonprofit raffle took place online (thanks to YouTube), called "1 Picasso for 100 Euros." There were 120,000 raffle tickets sold worldwide, and over $13 million was raised. The lucky winner spent 100 Euros (approximately $116) and won a Picasso work of art worth over $1 million. The rest of the money raised went to fund Alzheimer's research for Fondation Recherche Alzheimer, a French nonprofit.
How about this story from October last year? In news that shocked the world, on October 19th, thieves disguised as construction workers stole eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels valued at $100 million from the Apollo Gallery in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The robbery took less than eight minutes, of which the thieves spent four in the museum itself, and occurred during regular opening hours. While all of the thieves have been arrested, none of the stolen items have been recovered.
Following the news of the Louvre break-in and robbery, the Cafe Saint Honore in Paris, France, shared a post on Instagram of two teddy bears wearing red French beret hats climbing on the Louvre Museum's triangle - as if they were the thieves. A related post included this message, "The bears at Cafe Saint Honore could only steal smiles. Neighbors in the area say they are extremely cute and adorable, and the only thing they could steal would be smiles."
And let's not forget the annual "Museum Bowl" that happens before most Super Bowls, where museums in the two teams' hometown cities make wagers to share a famous piece of art.
This brings me to a successful way that museums increase brand awareness as well as attendance. Much gratitude to Museum Next and Culture Hive for sharing details about the following ten co-branding or partnership examples, or as some might call them, "ARTketing."
(1) In 2010, New York City museum Neue Galerie collaborated with make-up brand Estée Lauder to create an exclusive "Berlin Red" color lipstick and Bauhaus-style mirror compact to commemorate the museum's retrospective of German artist Otto Dix. The lipstick color was inspired by the artist's portrait of dancer Anita Berber.
(2) In 2011, Nike Skateboarding collaborated with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles to produce limited-edition sneakers made from paper artwork, as well as t-shirts.
(3) Since 2013, global apparel retailer UNIQLO has been working in partnership with New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to offer "Free Friday Nights."
(4) In 2015, the Museum of Natural History and online marketplace Etsy teamed up for an omnichannel collaboration. The product line inspired by the museum's collection included over 140 items created by 22 Etsy artists and was sold in both the museum's gift shop and online.
(5) In 2017, global apparel retailer UNIQLO collaborated with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with a series of graphic t-shirts inspired by several Katsushika Hokusai woodblock prints from the museum's collection of Japanese art.
(6) Since 2018, shoe brand Van's has collaborated with Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum to offer shoes, jackets, hats, and other fashion accessories featuring the artist's sunflowers and other iconic imagery.
(7) In 2018, the Museum of Ice Cream announced a collaboration with the international makeup brand Sephora, which attracted a large audience that posted on social media.
(8) In 2018, Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo collaborated with DryHop Brewers to release a beer to raise money for the conservation of the Puerto Rican parrot, an endangered species.
(9) In 2019, AirBnb teamed up with Musée du Louvre to provide a unique experience. This collaboration was centred around a contest that AirBnb ran to provide one lucky winner with a private night at the Louvre including a "Mona Lisa" viewing free of tourists.
(10) In 2019, watch brand Swatch collaborated with Musée du Louvre for a collection of watches inspired by several classical masterpieces including the "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci, "The Abduction of Helen" by Guido Reni, "Liberty Leading the People" by Eugène Delacroix, and portraits of Henry the IV and his wife Marie de' Medici by Frans II Pourbus.
So, how will you celebrate today? Of course, you could visit a museum in person or check out a museum exhibit online - many museums now offer viewings of their collections in easy-to-follow formats for digital visitors. Or, you might choose to watch a museum-related movie or read a museum-themed book - see the ideas below:
MOVIES FEATURING MUSEUMS/ART:
* "Night at the Museum" (trilogy)
* "When Harry Met Sally"
* "The Thomas Crown Affair"
* "National Treasure"
* "The Da Vinci Code"
* "Julie and Julia"
* "Wonder Woman"
FICTION FEATURING MUSEUMS/ART:
* "The Magnolia Palace" by Fiona Davis
* "The Stolen Queen" by Fiona Davis
* "Meet Me at the Museum" by Anne Youngstown
* "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
* "Mona's Eyes" by Thomas Schlesser
BOOKS DESIGNED FOR KIDS BUT GREAT FOR ADULTS WHO ARE YOUNG AT HEART:
* "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
* "Cats of the Louvre" by Taiyo Matsumoto / Translated by Michael Arias
* "The Sixty-Eight Rooms" by Marianne Malone / Illustrated by Greg Call (4-book series)
* "You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum" by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman / Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
* "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day / Illustrated by Brett Helquist
Lastly, to celebrate today's importance, I'd like to give a shout-out to my favorite museums: Musee d'Orsay (Paris), Monet House and Gardens (Giverny, France), Rodin Musem (Paris), Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago, and The Panorama of the City of New York (Queens Museum in Queens, New York).
What are your favorite museums? Chime in and share.
SHARE THIS: Museums collect, preserve, and exhibit objects that tell the story of our planet and its people. ~Magzoid Magazine #InternationalMuseumDay #BrandStorytelling #DebbieLaskeysBlog
Image Credit: ProProfs Quizzes. (Question: Does the image remind you of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" from 1893?)
Learn about Edvard Munch's "The Scream":
https://www.edvardmunch.org/the-scream.jsp
Tell time with these artsy Swatch watches:
https://www.lofficielbaltic.com/en/mode/louvre-at-first-sight-swatch-x-musee-du-louvre
Check out these two art history timelines:
https://www.invaluable.com/blog/art-history-timeline/
and
https://www.thecollector.com/top-30-art-movements/
Visit the website for the Thorne Miniature Rooms:
https://www.artic.edu/highlights/12/thorne-miniature-rooms
Visit the website for The Panorama of the City of New York:
https://queensmuseum.org/exhibition/panorama-of-the-city-of-new-york/
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