International Museum Day 2020 shifts online amid pandemic closures and financial strain

International Museum Day on 18 May 2020 is being celebrated virtually as COVID-19 has forced widespread closures of cultural institutions. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has partnered with Google Arts & Culture to launch a 'Connected to Culture' toolkit, providing guidance for museums to share collections and host online events. ICOM president Suay Aksoy acknowledges the challenging timing but emphasizes the need to spread the day's message. This year's theme, 'Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion', reflects ongoing efforts to diversify programming and decolonize collections. Over 80 museums worldwide, including the Parsons School of Design and Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation, have contributed to the Google Arts & Culture platform. The pandemic has caused severe financial losses, with the American Alliance of Museums estimating U.S. museums are losing at least USD$33 million daily. Some institutions, like those on Berlin's Museum Island such as the Pergamon and Neues museums, have begun reopening with social-distancing measures. International Museum Day was established in 1977 and has been held annually on 18 May since then.