FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced three new museum accreditation awards and 14 reaccreditations made at the October 2019 meeting of the Accreditation Commission. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1,083 are currently accredited.
Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and review by their peers, these museums have demonstrated they meet standards and best practices and are educational entities that are appropriate stewards of the collections and resources they hold in the public trust.
Recognized as the field’s gold standard for museum excellence for nearly 50 years, AAM accreditation signifies a museum’s quality and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. The Accreditation Program helps to ensure the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, reinforce the educational and public service roles of museums and promote good governance practices and ethical behavior.
The following museums were accredited for the first time:
- Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO
- Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, VA
- Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX
The following museums were reaccredited:
- Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI
- Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis, IN
- Frankenmuth Historical Association, Frankenmuth, MI
- J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT
- Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis, MO
- Museum of Contemporary Art of North Miami, North Miami, FL
- Museum of the Southwest, Midland, TX
- National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Washington, DC
- New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
- SFO Museum, San Francisco, CA
- Silver City Museum, Silver City, NM
- Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, Centerport, NY
“From offerings as varied as plants, planes, paintings, and planetariums, and governance types spanning city, federal, university, and private nonprofit, this group of museums shows the diversity in the type of museums that are accredited,” said Amy Bartow-Melia, Accreditation Commission Chair. “Along with the rest of the one-thousand plus accredited museums, this group of institutions is an inspiration to our field and vital assets to the communities they serve.”
To earn accreditation, a museum submits a self-study questionnaire and key operational documents for evaluation then undergoes a site visit by a two-person team of peer reviewers which produces a report for the Accreditation Commission. The Commission uses these materials and its collective expertise to determine whether to grant accreditation.
Read more about the Alliance’s Accreditation program.
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. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.
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Press Contact:
Natanya Khashan
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