The Fralin Museum of Art Awarded Re-Accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia has again achieved the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) 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 AAM 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 more than 45 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.
“Achieving re-accreditation is a major milestone for the team at The Fralin,” said Matthew McLendon, J. Sanford Miller Family Director at the Fralin. “The process allowed us the opportunity to look at the strengths of being a University Museum and to bring renewed focus to how we could use the experience of art to connect students, faculty, staff and the community.”
Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, more than 1,070 are currently accredited. The Fralin is one of approximately 50 museums accredited in Virginia. Accreditation is a rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn re-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,” said Laura L. 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.”
About the Fralin Museum of Art at UVA:
Please note the Fralin Museum of Art is currently closed. Established in 1935, the University of Virginia Art Museum became the Fralin Museum of Art in 2012 in honor of a bequest of American art and service to the university by Cynthia and W. Heywood Fralin. The museum maintains a collection of more than 13,000 works of art, including American and European painting, works on paper, and sculpture from the 15th through the 21st centuries; art from the ancient Mediterranean; Asian art; and Native and ancient American art. Housed in a historic building near the Rotunda on the landmark UVA campus, the Fralin is dedicated to serving the widest possible audiences and engaging comprehensive visual education to enhance its visitors’ understanding of world cultures. Throughout the year the museum presents a diverse selection of exhibitions, programs, research, and events that bring the university and broader community together.
For more information, visit http://uvafralinartmuseum.virginia.edu.
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.