Sheldon Museum of Art has again achieved accreditation by the American Association of Museums, the highest national recognition for a museum. Of some 17,500 museums in the United States, 776, or 4.4 percent, are accredited. Sheldon is one of only two art museums accredited in Nebraska.
It has been continuously accredited since 1972 when it was among the first museums to receive the AAM accreditation.
"We’re very excited about accreditation," said Jorge Daniel Veneciano, director of the Sheldon Museum of Art. "Unlike university departments where it's expected, museums achieving accreditation are very rare. Sheldon is also becoming a national model in transnational research."
AAM 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 35 years, AAM'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.
"Accreditation assures the people of Lincoln 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."
Sheldon will host a reception in conjunction with First Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. May 4 The special accreditation celebration will include community partners and the public. All are welcome.
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 followed by 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. While the time to complete the process varies by museum, it generally takes as much as three years.
For more information, visit http://www.sheldonartmuseum.org.