Boasting 101 February 24, 2009

A visitor to American Art looks at Nam June Paik's Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii. Photo: Neon State courtesy of ©Jeff Suhanick via American Art's flickr group.

Lots of museum work takes place behind the scenes, so that when you visit, you can enjoy the exhibitions, lectures, or public programs. Everything is in its place: curators curate, conservators conserve, and bloggers blog. (I just threw that last one in there for a little attention.) Actually, there's a lot more to it than that.

In fact, Smithsonian American Art Museum was recently accredited (re-accredited actually) by the American Association of Museums (AAM), probably the most important and highly revered group in America that guides museums. And frankly, to be accredited by AAM is a big deal, or as Claire Larkin, special projects director at American Art who organized the lengthy and detailed accreditation process put it, "it's akin to getting the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval." And who doesn't want that?

An AAM accreditation review is a long and ardous task that takes more than a year to complete. The process begins with a self study that involves as many staff members as possible. After that, representatives from AAM spend a few days on site to look at everything from the exhibition and gallery spaces to the boiler room and file storage area. "It was a wonderful experience because we traded information," adds Larkin, "It was serious yet congenial. We felt pretty good about the whole process."

And what did AAM think? Apparently, a lot: American Art "was found to be an impressive institution with some world class collections, handsome installations, enviable facilities, a dedicated staff, and funds to undertake many innovative projects." In addition, AAM noted, "the museum stands clearly as one of the best museums in the nation devoted to American Art . . . a national leader in education and a role model for research and scholarship in American art."

In a nutshell, we aced the test, but won’t stand on these laurels very long. The accreditation process encourages continued self-improvement. Even when the museum is humming quietly along, dedicated staff members are working behind the scenes to make sure everything is picture perfect.

• Museum Accreditation, American Association of Museums, Smithsonian American Art Museum