The Textile Museum has been awarded re-accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for museum excellence. Of the nation’s nearly 17,500 museums, only four percent are currently accredited, according to the AAM.
“We are so pleased that The Textile Museum has been recognized by the American Association of Museums as an institution upholding the highest standards of the field,” said Maryclaire Ramsey, the museum’s director. “This reflects the expertise and professionalism of our staff, Board of Trustees, Advisory Council and volunteers.”
“Re-accreditation by the AAM reaffirms that The Textile Museum is a leader among its museum peers,” commented Bruce P. Baganz, president of The TM Board of Trustees. “In every aspect – its scholarship, collections care and management, exhibitions and public programs, governance and more — the museum provides a model for other institutions worldwide.”
The AAM’s accreditation process has been sustained for more than 35 years. It serves as the primary means for “for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability,” according to the AAM’s website. Accreditation is a multiyear process involving one year of self-study and a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The self-study and visiting committee report are used by the Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. Institutions awarded accreditation abide by the “highest standards in collections stewardship, governance, institutional planning, ethics, education and interpretation and risk management,” states the AAM’s website.
“The Textile Museum has for 85 years been a gem in the museum crown of Washington, D.C., said AAM president Ford W. Bell. “Emblematic of its service to tourists to the capital and residents alike is its re-accreditation. Simply put, AAM re-accreditation means that The Textile Museum is one of America’s premier institutions, achieving an extraordinary level of excellence in all that it does.”
The Textile Museum was founded in 1925 by collector George Hewitt Myers and first accredited in 1973. The Textile Museum’s mission is to expand public awareness and appreciation – locally, nationally and internationally – of the artistic merit and cultural importance of the world’s textiles. The mission is pursued through changing exhibitions of historical textiles from its 18,000-piece collection and other holdings; scholarship, including publications; maintenance of its research library and historic buildings; the preservation of its collection; public programs for all ages; and educational outreach.
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