The Ball State University Museum of Art has achieved accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum.
Accreditation signifies that the museum operates on all levels according to the highest and most current professional standards and practices, managing its collections responsibly and providing quality service to the public, according to a press release.
Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, 775 (about 4 percent) are currently accredited. Ball State University Museum of Art is one of only nine art museums accredited in Indiana.
“We are gratified to have achieved the fourth consecutive accreditation with increasingly stringent standards set by the American Association of Museums,” Peter F. Blume, director of the BSU museum, stated in a press release. “Notification comes at the moment we are about to celebrate our 75th year of operation at Ball State in the Fine Arts Building with a gala dinner/dance for the community on April 30.”
The accreditation process includes a yearlong self-study of nearly every aspect of museum operations plus an on-site review by a team of experienced museum professionals.
During a visit to the museum in April 2010, the accreditation team reported: “While the facilities are first-rate, and the collections appropriately reflect the mission, what matters here, and what is so noticeable, is the professionalism and energy of the museum staff and volunteers that support the mission. (They) are committed, invested, motivated and dedicated to re-earning AAM accreditation and to establishing one of the most notable art collections in the Midwest.”
Ball State’s art museum opened in 1936 and boasts a permanent collection of nearly 11,000 works valued at more than $40 million. These include a wide range of American, European, Asian, African, Oceanic and pre-Columbian art, from paintings and prints to sculpture, ancient glass and other decorative arts.
Admission to the Ball State Museum of Art is free. Hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.