FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2015
AAM Accreditation Commission reaccredits 11 museums at June meeting
WASHINGTON, DC—The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) announces that 11 museums earned reaccreditation at the June 15-16, 2015 meeting of AAM’s Accreditation Commission, the body responsible for making independent decisions regarding accredited status.
Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and peer review, 11 museums have demonstrated that they meet AAM’s National Standards and Best Practices. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for more than 40 years, the museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability. As the ultimate mark of distinction, accreditation helps to ensure the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, reinforce the education and public service roles of museums and promote good governance practices and ethical behavior.
“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Alliance President and Chief Executive Officer Laura L. Lott. “Accreditation is a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”
This group of accredited museums is representative of the diversity of America’s museums, including large and small museums focused on art, science, nature, and American history with governance types ranging from private non-profit, to university, to government.
The following museums were awarded reaccreditation:
- Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD
- Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago, IL
- Discovery Place, Charlotte, NC
- Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
- Gunston Hall Plantation, Lorton, VA
- Holden Arboretum, Kirtland, OH
- Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN
- Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
- Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, FL
- Saginaw Art Museum, Saginaw, MI
- Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
ABOUT AAM MUSEUM ACCREDITATION
Of the nation’s estimated 35,000 museums, 1,051 are currently accredited. To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a self-study and then undergo a site visit by a two-person team of peers. The Accreditation Commission then considers these results to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.
Commissioners are museum professional with significant leadership level experience who have an understanding of a wide range of museum operations, have experience with accreditation and demonstrate a commitment to standards and building excellence across the field.
For more information about the Alliance and the Accreditation Program, including statistics and a list of accredited museums, visit aam-us.org.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS
The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. With nearly 25,000 individual, more than 4,000 institutional and 300 corporate members, the Alliance is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of our communities, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kristin Guiter
kguiter@aam-us.org
(202) 288-5624
