OJAC achieves accreditation
The Old Jail Art Center 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 Old Jail was initially accredited in 1989. All museums must undergo a re-accreditation 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.
“Accreditation recognizes the quality and professionalism of the OJAC’s staff, governance, programs, and operations,” OJAC Executive Director Patrick Kelly said. “It demonstrates that resources provided by members, donors, and community over the past 43 years have created an institution that can be a point of pride for all.”
Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, only 1,103 are currently accredited. The Old Jail is one of only 52 museums accredited in Texas.
According to Kelly, accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation, a museum must first 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/CEO. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”
The American Alliance of Museums has been helping to develop standards and practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the museum community since 1906. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community.
