Norman Rockwell Museum Receives Highest National Recognition Awarded Re-Accreditation from the American Association of Museums

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Norman Rockwell Museum has again achieved accreditation by 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. Norman Rockwell Museum was initially accredited in 1997. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every ten years to maintain accredited status.

"Accreditation from the AAM represents the highest peer approval in the museum profession. The board and staff of the Norman Rockwell Museum take pride in knowing their stewardship of the Museum meets the utmost professional standards," said Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt.

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.

Of the nation’s nearly 17,500 museums about 775 are currently accredited. Norman Rockwell Museum is one of only 16 art museums accredited in Massachusetts.

"Accredited museums are publicly committed to upholding and sustaining the highest standards and practices in the museum community," said Kim Igoe, AAM’s Interim President and CEO.” Norman Rockwell Museum is a proven leader in the museum field in providing the best possible museum services and experiences, reminding both their peers and the public exactly how much museums really matter to their communities.”

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, consider 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.