MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine Art Center has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.
The Muscatine Art Center was initially accredited in 1993. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status.
Alliance Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 50 years, the Alliance’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable in order to provide the best possible service to the public.
“Completing the reaccreditation process was truly a team effort,” Melanie Alexander, Director of the Muscatine Art Center, said. “We pulled together staff members, the Board of Trustees, the Friends of the Muscatine Art Center board, the Advisory Committee for the Muscatine Art Center Support Foundation, volunteers, donors, and business and community leaders to set the direction for the next several years. The new Institutional Plan, adopted in July 2022, contributed to earning reaccreditation.”
Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, over 1,080 are currently accredited. The Muscatine Art Center is one of only 33 museums accredited in Iowa.
Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.
“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” Laura L. Lott, Alliance President and CEO, said. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”
About the Muscatine Art Center
The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free of charge. Donations are appreciated. Visit www.muscatineartcenter.org for more information about programs and events.
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.
