FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced that three museums were newly accredited and 15 museums earned reaccreditation at the February 2018 meeting of the Accreditation Commission.

Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and review by their peers, these museums have demonstrated they meet standards and best practices and shown themselves to be core educational entities that are good stewards of the collections and resources they hold in the public trust.

As the ultimate mark of distinction in the museum field, accreditation signifies excellence and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for over 45 years, the museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. Accreditation 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.

“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Laura Lott, Alliance president, and CEO. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”

The following museums were awarded accreditation. First-time awards are indicated with an asterisk:

• Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, CO
• Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Indianapolis, IN
• Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope, PA
• Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Winter Park, FL
• Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT
• Florida Holocaust Museum, Saint Petersburg, FL
• Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington, CT
• Historic St. Mary’s City, St. Mary’s City, MD
• Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum, Buffalo, WY
• Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
• Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL
• Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
• Richard E. Peeler Art Center DePauw University, Greencastle, IN*
• Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott, AZ
• Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO*
• Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, St. Augustine, FL*
• Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA
• Witte Museum, San Antonio, TX

“I commend the staff, board, and volunteers of these institutions for their focus and commitment to excellence,” said Accreditation Commission Chair Amy Bartow-Melia. “They’re an inspiration to our field and vital assets to the communities they serve.”

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1,070 are currently accredited. 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. The Accreditation Commission considers these results to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.

For more information about the Alliance and the Accreditation Program, visit www.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. 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:

Joseph Klem

Phone: 202-218-7670

Email: jklem@aam-us.org