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Philbrook Museum of Art has achieved reaccreditation 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.
Randall Suffolk, director of Philbrook Museum stated, “After such a rigorous process, we’re delighted, feel affirmed and are honored to have maintained this important designation.”
Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, 775 are currently accredited and less than one-half are art museums. Philbrook Museum is one of only 12 museums accredited in Oklahoma.
United States Senator, James M. Inhofe praised Philbrook, stating, “Accreditation is the highest recognition of a museum’s commitment to accountability and public service, professional standards, and excellence in education. I am certainly very proud of the leadership your institution has demonstrated.”
The reaccreditation process 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.
“Accreditation assures the people of Tulsa 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.”
Philbrook is the premier cultural institution in the city of Tulsa and a state-wide leader in the cultural life of Oklahoma. It is distinguished by nationally recognized facilities, gardens and exhibitions, quality collections, and innovative educational programming. Set within a twenty-three acre site three miles from downtown Tulsa, Philbrook is a unique combination of historic house, major gardens and permanent collections consisting of approximately 9,000 individual works of art, which spans from the antiquities to contemporary art by western, non-western and Native American artists.
Located at 2727 South Rockford Road, Philbrook Museum of Art is open Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. and Sun., 10 am to 5 pm and Thursday 10 am to 8 pm. For more information call 918-749-7941 or visit www.philbrook.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.
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