PAAM Receives Highest National Recognition by the American Association of Museums

Written by Andrew Rick Monday, 11 April 2011 21:57

PROVINCETOWN, MA – The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) 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. Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, 775 are currently accredited.  PAAM is one of only 44 museums accredited in MA. “Accreditation assures the people of Provincetown 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.”

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.

“Having this seal of approval from AAM not only validates PAAM’s professionalism, but it also positions us for future loans of artwork, traveling exhibitions and possible granting opportunities,” said Christine McCarthy, PAAM Executive Director.  “The accreditation process forced us to re-evaluate our policies and bring them up to a higher level.  I am thrilled that we have achieved such a major accomplishment.”

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, and 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.

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is a nationally recognized, year-round cultural institution that fuses the creative energy of America's oldest active art colony with the natural beauty of outer Cape Cod that has inspired artists for generations. Integral to the community comprising the Provincetown Art Colony, PAAM embodies the qualities that make Provincetown an enduring American center for the arts, and serves as Cape Cod's most widely-attended art museum.

As interest in the region's contribution to American art history continues to grow, PAAM presents an ever-changing lineup of exhibitions, lectures, classes and cultural events that seek to promote and cultivate appreciation for all branches of the fine arts for which Provincetown is known.

PAAM was founded in 1914 and is dedicated to promoting and cultivating the practice and appreciation of all branches of the fine arts, to assemble and maintain in the Town of Provincetown a collection of works of art, to hold exhibitions, and to promote education of the public in the arts through forums, concerts, and similar activities.

For more information, please call PAAM at 508.487.1750 or visit www.paam.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.

---

Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~