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Re-Accreditation

The Museum of Arts and Sciences has again achieved accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM). It is the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. All museums must undergo a re-accreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status. Initially accredited in 1986, the Museum of Arts and Sciences remains Macon’s only accredited museum.

AAM 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 35 years, AAM’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.

Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, 778 are currently accredited. The Museum of Arts and Sciences is one of only 15 accredited museums in Georgia.

“This re-accreditation is a really significant milestone for the Museum of Arts and Sciences,” said Suzanne Jones Harper, executive director. “It means that the staff and board have embraced the concepts of accountability and excellence, so we continue to maintain the very best standards for the institution.”

“When the Museum was first founded, a former board president, Emily Bailey Walker, believed that this institution should be the best that it could possibly be—that professionalism was something that we should be striving for. She wanted the Museum to be more than just a nice little community organization; she encouraged the board to pursue the highest professional standards for museums. That set the path for the Museum in its first decade and we’ve continued to work in that direction.”

Accreditation is a 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, then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, consider the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. While the time to complete the process varies by museum, it generally takes as much as three years.

“Accreditation assures the people of Macon that their museum is among the finest in the nation,” said Ford W. Bell, president of AAM. “As a result, the citizens can take considerable pride in their homegrown institution, for its commitment to excellence and for the value it brings to the community.”