Historic Deerfield
Historic Deerfield Advanced Release
Immediate Release
Jan. 20, 2010
Attn:Features, Arts and Food Editors
 Contact Michael Busack 413-775-7175
Digital HI-RES photos available upon request
 

Historic Deerfield Receives Highest National Recognition

Awarded Accreditation from the American Association of Museums

Mott Hall TavernDeerfield - Historic Deerfield has again achieved accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM), 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. Historic Deerfield was initially accredited in 1973. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status.

"AAM Accreditation brings national recognition to Historic Deerfield for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement, "  said Philip Zea, President of Historic Deerfield. "We are excited that the hard work and dedication of our museum staff continues to rank among the best."
 
Of the nation's estimated 17,500 museums, 775 are currently accredited. Historic Deerfield is one of only 43 museums accredited in Massachusetts.
 
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 ─ all in order to provide the best possible service to the public. 
 
"Accreditation is emblematic of an institution's commitment to public service and to overall excellence," said Ford W. Bell, AAM President. "Attaining accreditation involves taking a hard look at yourself, allowing your peers in the field to do the same, and being judged to be superior in all areas.  The people of Western Massachusetts can take great pride in the fact that their local institution is one of America's premier museums." 
  
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, 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. While the time to complete the process varies by museum, it generally takes as much as three years.
 
Historic Deerfield is a museum of New England history and art located along a one-mile long street. The museum provides tours of 11 museum houses, access to collections of furniture, ceramics, textiles, silver and more, as well as genealogical and historical information to visitors from around the world. For more information about visiting Historic Deerfield, please call (413) 775-7214, or visit www.historic-deerfield.org  

Historic Deerfield

www.historic-deerfield.org

80 Old Main Street, P.O. Box 321

Deerfield, Massachusetts 01342

T: 413-775-7175

F: 413-775-7220

About Historic Deerfield

Historic Deerfield (www.historic-deerfield.org) is a nationally recognized museum offering tours of period houses and the Flynt Center of Early New England Life. Now featuring exhibitions:

 
  • What's New: Recent Acquisitions at Historic Deerfield, opening on February 13, 2010. 
  • Into the Woods: Crafting Early American Furniture, a long-term furniture exhibition on view through 2011. 
  • Engraved Powder Horns from the French and Indian War and the American Revolution: The William H. Guthman Collection, permanent.
  • Celebrating the Fiber Arts: The Helen Geier Flynt Textile Gallery, a permanent exhibition with changing elements.

Historic Deerfield also offers relaxed fine dining at Champney's Restaurant and Tavern at the Deerfield Inn, lodging at the 1884 Deerfield Inn (www.deerfieldinn.com), and shopping at the Museum Store (www.deerfieldstore.com). Please call 413-775-7214 for museum information and program schedule.

M10 logoHistoric Deerfield is a member of Museums10, a partnership of ten outstanding museums - Amherst College Museum of Natural History, Emily Dickinson Museum: The Homestead and The Evergreens, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Hampshire College Art Gallery, Historic Deerfield, Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, National Yiddish Book Center, Smith College Museum of Art, and the University Gallery at UMass Amherst - in one gorgeous place: the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. For more information about Museums10, please visit www.museums10.org.

 

AAM LogoThe American Association of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. With more than 15,000 individual, 3,000 institutional, and 300 corporate members, AAM is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.