MassMu Renews AAM Accreditation

Massillon Museum Renews Highest National Recognition—AAM Accreditation

The Massillon Museum has achieved accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM), 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.

AAM Accreditation is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability, and earns national recognition for a museum for its commitment to excellence in all that it does: governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 35 years, AAM’s Museum Accreditation program strengthens the profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and to provide the best possible service to the public.

“The Massillon Museum has maintained its accreditation since shortly after the AAM instituted the process,” said Massillon Museum Executive Director Christine Shearer. “Mary Merwin, who was director during the early 1970s, set the precedent for our small staff to maintain high standards and reach for lofty goals. Our three decades of accreditation indicate that we continue on that path.”

Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, 775 are currently accredited. The Massillon Museum is one of only 25 museums accredited in Ohio, two in Stark County (along with the Canton Museum of Art).

"Accreditation is significant for many reasons," said AAM president Ford W. Bell. "First, it is bestowed by a museum's peers in the field. Second, it is entirely self-motivated, and speaks volumes about a museum's commitment to excellence, in all that it does. And finally, it means the MassillonMuseum is one of the finest in the country, something in which the people of the community can take great pride."

Accreditation is a rigorous 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, review and evaluate 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 three years, which was the case with the Massillon Museum, even with a brief hiatus during the institution’s 75th anniversary celebration.

The Massillon Museum, founded in 1933, preserves and exhibits art and artifacts to enrich its community through education and experience. The staff cares for more than 100,000 objects while annually presenting about 20 rotating exhibitions in the main gallery, Studio M, and the permanent collections galleries; offering dozens of educational and outreach programs; inviting the public to about 50 events; and assisting patrons with research. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in the heart of downtown Massillon. For more information, call 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

The American Association 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. With more than 15,000 individual, 3,000 institutional, and 300 corporate members, AAM is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061 / cshearer@massillonmuseum.org

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator - 330-833-4061 / anicholis@massillonmuseum.org

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-844-1525 / vogt@sssnet.com

To schedule a phone interview with AAM president Ford W. Bell:

Dewey Blanton, AAM Media Relations - 202-218-7704 / dblanton@aam-us.org