Dallas Heritage Village recognized among the most outstanding museums in America

by PegNews wire

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Dallas Heritage Village is one of 39 museums in Texas and one of four in Dallas that are accredited.

DALLAS — Dallas Heritage Village has been recognized as one of the most outstanding museums in America with its recent re-accreditation, awarded by the American Association of Museums. Of America’s estimated 17,500 museums, only 4.5 percent or 779 are accredited. Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Pauline Medrano presented Dallas Heritage Village with special recognition on behalf of the City of Dallas during the museum’s 2011 Annual Meeting on Thursday, September 29.

Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. Dallas Heritage Village was initially accredited in 1982. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status. 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.

“It is an honor to receive our re-accreditation award this year and have Mayor Pro Tem Medrano join us and recognize our achievement at our 2011 Annual Meeting,” said Gary Smith, president and executive director, Dallas Heritage Village. “I salute each of our dedicated staff members who go the extra mile every day as well as our supporters and donors, who together enable us to maintain the day-to-day operations of all of our 38 structures and provide top notch educational programs to the more than 22,000 school children every year as well as all of our visitors.”

Dallas Heritage Village is one of only 39 museums in Texas and one of only four accredited in Dallas, which include the Dallas Museum of Art, Museum of Nature and Science, and The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. The accreditation award aligns these area museums with such well known institutions as The Smithsonian in Washington, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Field Museum in Chicago, and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

“On behalf of the City of Dallas, we deeply appreciate the value that Dallas Heritage Village brings to our city and congratulate them on this well deserved honor,” said Medrano. “I have watched Dallas Heritage Village over the years and am not surprised they are part of this elite 4.5 percent in the country that are accredited. It’s no wonder that Dallas families have made visits out to Dallas Heritage Village a family tradition for multiple generations.”

Accreditation is a 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.

“Accreditation assures the people of Dallas 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.”

Source: Dallas Heritage Village

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