Hunter Museum of American Art Receives Highest National Recognition

Chattanooga, Tenn. (July 22, 2022) – The Hunter Museum of American Art has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. The Hunter Museum of American Art was initially accredited in 1982. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least 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 in order to provide the best possible service to the public.

“AAM reaccreditation affirms that the Hunter Museum is meeting the museum industry’s highest standards of excellence and best practices, properly stewarding the artwork and other resources it holds in the public trust,” remarked Executive Director Virginia Anne Sharber. “We are very proud of this achievement.”

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, over 1,080 are currently accredited. The Hunter Museum of American Art is one of only 18 museums accredited in Tennessee. 

Accreditation is a very 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, 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 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.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Cara McGowan

cmcgowan@huntermuseum.org