Asheville Art Museum Receives Highest National Recognition: AAM Reaccreditation

Awarded Reaccreditation from the American Alliance of Museums

Asheville, NC —The Asheville Art Museum has again achieved Accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM)—the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. AAM Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.

“I’m thrilled and honored by this prestigious recognition,” says Executive Director Pamela Myers. “In 1984, the Asheville Art Museum became one of a select few museums of its size to earn AAM Accreditation, and we have consecutively retained this distinction ever since. I’m so thankful to every staff member for their dedication and diligence. Reaccreditation was a vigorous, complex process that involved everyone on our talented team.”

According to AAM, its Reaccreditation helps 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.

According to the AAM Accreditation report:

-“The Asheville Art Museum truly achieves the subtle but profound goal as expressed in one visitor comment of ‘connecting the world of art to our local community, indigenous people, and arts tradition."

-“The overall impression of Asheville Art Museum is of a museum that beautifully brings its mission, vision, and values to life.”

-“The depth, breadth, and interpretation of the permanent Collection and the exhibition program would be the envy of any museum, especially those of similarly sized cities.”

Accredited museums must undergo a reaccreditation review 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 to provide the best possible service to the public.

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, only approximately 1,080 are currently accredited.

"Alliance Accreditation validates the caliber and significance of our work,” says Lindsay Rosson, director of finance and operations. “It illustrates the commitment we have to enrich our community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries.”

Accreditation is a rigorous, but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn Reaccreditation, Asheville Art Museum first conducted a year of self-study, and then underwent an intensive site visit by a team of peer reviewers, according to Myers. 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 or Reaccreditation.

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