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Devon Akmon

@devonakmon.bsky.social
303 followers 55 following 148 posts

Museum director building vibrant institutions and collaborative spaces at the intersection of art, science, and technology. www.devonakmon.com

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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
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....
Title card for the Substack article 'Authenticity in the Age of Replicas,' over a photo of a museum visitor viewing an illuminated digital installation.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Spice up the night.
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Reposted by Devon Akmon
MSU Museum @msumuseum.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
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
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Apply now: michigancentral.submittable.com
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
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.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
February 23 | Herald Examiner Building, Downtown LA. Can't attend in person? Join us via livestream! Learn more and register: www.eventbrite.com/e/how-do-mus...
eventbrite.com
How Do Museums Resist Censorship?
Co-presented by Zócalo Public Square, Japanese American National Museum (JANM), and The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
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?"
Event flyer for "How Do Museums Resist Censorship?" featuring a bronze equestrian statue by Kara Walker titled "Unmanned Drone" (2023). The flyer lists the date and time as February 23, 2026, 7:30-9:30 PM at Herald Examiner Building in Los Angeles. Panelists include Elizabeth Larison (moderator, Director of Arts and Culture Advocacy Program at National Coalition Against Censorship), Devon Akmon (Director of Michigan State University Museum and Chair of the Board at American Alliance of Museums), Ann Burroughs (President and CEO of Japanese American National Museum), and Hamza Walker (Director of The Brick and Co-Curator of MONUMENTS). Bottom text reads "RSVP HERE - Join us in person or online" with URL zps.la/museums.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
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
Promotional graphic for an event titled “How Do Museums Resist Censorship?” The design features large bold text and event details on a dark textured background. Date and time listed as February 23, 2026, from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at the Herald Examiner Building in Los Angeles. Panelists shown in individual headshots include Elizabeth Larison, Devon Akmon, Ann Burroughs, and Hamza Walker, each with their titles and affiliations. A photograph of a bronze sculpture by Kara Walker appears on the left side. The bottom includes logos of partner organizations and a call to RSVP at zps.la/museums.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Prominent museums in Minneapolis are standing in solidarity with the local community today.
Black graphic with white text reading “In Solidarity.” The Minnesota Museum of American Art announces it is closed today, January 23, for staff community service and well being, expressing support for the communities it serves. The message notes the museum will reopen Saturday and Sunday as a place of respite and inspiration, with free admission for all.Teal graphic with white text stating that the Science Museum of Minnesota is closed on Friday, January 23, in solidarity with the immigrant community to allow space for action, reflection, rest, and safety. The message says the museum will reopen with regular hours on Saturday and includes the phrase “Science is for everyone.”Interior view of the Minneapolis Institute of Art with large windows overlooking a winter cityscape and a sculptural installation in the foreground. Text overlay states the museum is closed on Friday, January 23, to recognize the weight of the moment in the community and to prioritize care for employees and the Twin Cities community, with regular hours resuming Saturday.
Screenshot of the Walker Art Center website with a yellow banner at the top reading that the Walker is closed today in support of the community and that a Nile Harris performance has been canceled. The page features images and listings for exhibitions and performances, including Dyani White Hawk: Love Language.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
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.
nytimes.com
National Park Service Dismantles Slavery Exhibit in Philadelphia
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
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?"
wsj.com
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?
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
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.
wdet.org
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?
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Reposted by Devon Akmon
The Chronicle of Philanthropy @chronphilanthropy.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
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. phlnthrp.com/49zGzXF
philanthropy.com
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?
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
"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."
theguardian.com
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
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Reposted by Devon Akmon
The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 06/01/2026
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.
buff.ly
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.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
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."
nytimes.com
Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
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.
mlive.com
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.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
Copenhagen: Art, Architecture, and the Joy of Movement devonakmon.com/news/adventu...
devonakmon.com
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...
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
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.
wdet.org
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.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
"The September residency will encompass live performances, film screenings and a public exhibition featuring art and artifacts from his personal collection."
ra.co
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.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
Additional works on display in the exhibition Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms at Toledo Museum of Art.
Visitor wearing headphones viewing interactive and digital algorithmic art installations, including a central illuminated column with abstract marine-inspired visuals, at Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms, Toledo Museum of Art.Digital wall display of colorful rose petals arranged in grid patterns alongside a video portrait of a man, part of Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms, Toledo Museum of Art.Large algorithmically generated wall art featuring a grid of colorful gradients and geometric patterns in red, blue, pink, and yellow hues, at Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms, Toledo Museum of Art.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
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/...
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
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
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
That’s something our group of 30 residents, likely the city’s most diverse to date, emphasized over 18 months of work with staff on the Achieving Equitable Engagement in Ann Arbor report. I’m not sure how it’s being used now or whether its impact is being assessed. www.a2gov.org/services/equ...
Slide titled ‘RECOMMENDATION 4: Make engagement events more accessible and attractive.’ It explains that inaccessible, unwelcoming, or hostile events deter engagement. Below are ten listed strategies, such as offering hybrid meetings, holding meetings at various times, recording and sharing meetings, enforcing respectful ground rules, compensating participants, training facilitators, and clearly communicating decision-making processes.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
Glad to see my screenshot of Alan is still making the rounds. A perennial favorite.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 26/07/2025
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.com
Excurio | Horizon of Khufu
Explore the last wonder of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid. Welcome to Egypt!
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
The moveable middle, lol.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
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
A red, white, and blue “I Voted” sticker featuring the U.S. flag, Arabic text reading “لقد صوتت” (I voted), and the hashtag #A2Votes, all on an oval white background.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
Toum and hummus on everything. 🇱🇧
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
I mean, if someone attended preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school — as well as university — then the answer is clearly yes.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
In a nutshell, that is leadership.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
The generational divide on the CLUP is real. One side wants change—density and diversity. The other wants to keep things the same. This debate will shape our future. #A2Council
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Reposted by Devon Akmon
MSU Museum @msumuseum.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
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
An AI-generated brain with glowing nodules rests on a vast blue computer chip interface with orange-red circuits. Text on image reads "Open Call: Singularity. An Exhibition Examining When AI Outthinks Humans. Entry Deadline: July 4, 2025"
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
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...
A digital art poster featuring a human brain integrated with glowing circuits, resting on a computer chip. The text reads: "OPEN CALL. SINGULARITY – An Exhibition Examining When AI Outthinks Humans. Entry Deadline: July 4, 2025." The background consists of a close-up view of a circuit board with orange and blue lighting.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
"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...
theverge.com
Wu-Tang Clan’s new video game project is ‘for the culture’
Wu-Tang is for the (video game playing) children.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
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
wapo.st
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.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
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.”
msutoday.msu.edu
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 ...
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
Art for your boo-boo! Band-Aid x The Met collaboration featuring designs by Hokusai.
A decorative metal Band-Aid tin featuring Hokusai’s iconic wave artwork, labeled “FLEXIBLE FABRIC DESIGNS BY HOKUSAI” in collaboration with The Met. In front of the tin is a single fabric bandage with a colorful floral pattern on a green background.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
This article presents some interesting data. From 2023 to 2024, Detroit saw 1% population growth, as did Grand Rapids & Lansing—cities closer in size to Ann Arbor. Unfortunately, A2's growth lagged behind at just 0.2%. The limited availability of affordable housing is likely a significant barrier.
detroitnews.com
Detroit's population grows for second straight year as prior estimates revised upward
The Motor City gained nearly 7,000 people from July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data released Thursday.
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Reposted by Devon Akmon
MSU Museum @msumuseum.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
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.
A collage of a vinyl record, the Detroit skyline, and stylized text that reads "The Michigan State University Museum Presents: TECHNO The Rise of Detroit's Machine Music. Info line: museum.msu.edu from 2/4/25-7/12/25 at 311 Abbot, East Lansing, Michigan"
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
lol, I don't know if even this will pull her in!
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
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.
Agnes Denes' "The Living Pyramid," a tiered, pyramid-shaped earthwork covered in blooming wildflowers and grasses, situated in a green lawn with trees under a partly cloudy sky.Alison Saar's "Soul Service Station," a mirrored art installation resembling a vintage gas station with a red pump and signage, set in a desert landscape with several visitors nearby.Kimsooja's "To Breathe—Coachella Valley," a circular labyrinth made of iridescent transparent panels that reflect light and color in a desert environment, with mountains and a dramatic sky in the background.Sanford Biggers' "Unsui (Mirror)," featuring two tall reflective poles topped with ornate cloud forms, standing in a rocky desert terrain beneath a moody sky.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Be still, my beating heart.
pitchfork.com
Fugazi to Release Archival Concert Recordings on Streaming Services
The post-hardcore luminaries are releasing the first two installments, recordings of their first-ever show and, to-date, final performance, on Friday
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Reposted by Devon Akmon
MSU Museum @msumuseum.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Visit "Techno: The Rise of Detroit's Machine Music" now through July 12. Tuesday - Saturday 10:00AM - 5:00PM. Free admission! Register Here: bit.ly/Techno_MSUM
Two MSU Museum visitors read about artifacts on display at the "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music" exhibition while glowing warm light from the large monitors with a video installation plays in the background.Three MSU Museum visitors read about artifacts on display at the "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music" exhibition while pale light from the large monitors with a video installation plays in the background.Two smiling MSU Museum visitors read about the keyboard that belonged to Joseph “Amp” Fiddler on display at the "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music" exhibition while glowing warm light from the large monitors with a video installation plays in the background.A wide view of the "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music" exhibition with images of Detroit on large monitors as a video installation plays in the background.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
I heard this episode of 99% Invisible yesterday and thought of you. 99percentinvisible.org/episode/chan...
99percentinvisible.org
Changing Stripes - 99% Invisible
Rioters carried many familiar flags during the January 6th insurrection at the United States Capitol — Confederate, MAGA, as well as some custom-made ones like a flag of Trump looking like Rambo. Exce...
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Reposted by Devon Akmon
MSU Museum @msumuseum.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
We are thrilled to share that MSU Museum Director Devon Akmon has been elected Chair of the Board for the American Alliance of Museums! Congratulations, @devonakmon.bsky.social! Read more: bit.ly/AAM_news
A gentleman in a grey suit with blue button-up shirt, wearing round horn-rimmed glasses with short salt and pepper hair against a dark grey background. (Devon Akmon, Director of MSU Museum)
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Well now, how about that?
fastcompany.com
Curation is the new leadership superpower. Here are 3 ways to adopt a curation mindset
The ability to curate talent, ideas, and innovation will define the next generation of leadership. Here's how to adopt a curation mindset.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
He’s a keeper.
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
lol
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Devon Akmon @devonakmon.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Listened to it on the way home from our road trip yesterday :)
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