Philbrook Museum of Art Receives National Accreditation

M i l e s t o n e s

Philbrook Museum of Art Receives National Accreditation

From left to right: View of tempieto from east terrace of Villa Philbrook, photo by John McCormack; Front of Philbrook Museum, photo by Scott MIller; Rear gardens of Villa Philbrook, photo by Scott Miller.

The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma, has recently been accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), one of the highest honors a museum can receive.

Museum accreditation certifies that an institution has undergone a rigorous, professional examination through the completion of a detailed self-study and review of museum operations. Accreditation certifies that the museum operates according to and is committed to high professional standards set forth by the museum profession, manages its collections responsibly and provides quality service to the public. Of the 8,000 museums nationwide, only approximately 750 receive accreditation.

"The AAM Visiting Committee spent two days surveying Philbrook and came away with an overall impression of strength, commitment and willingness of the Board of Trustees, volunteers and staff to work hard on the museum's behalf. The pride of Philbrook was manifest. Philbrook was also commended for making such creative yet respectful use of an historic structure and the other extraordinary work which has been done since our last accreditation review in 1986. The renovation of Villa Philbrook and the new Kravis Wing were viewed as magnificent and that our very fine collections were beautifully displayed. The museum is in a strong financial position. There are challenges and opportunities ahead. The energy and commitment at Philbrook promises a bright future." -- Marcia Y. Manhart, Executive Director

Philbrook is listed among the top 50 art museums in America, and is Oklahoma's leading privately-supported art museum. With more than 8,600 works in its collection, Philbrook has 30 galleries, and is one of only five museums in the United States with the combination of a historical home, art collections and gardens.

Accreditation is one of the several programs established by the AAM to help museums achieve and maintain current standards of quality and excellence in the museum profession. AAM is a national organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has served the museum profession since 1906.

From left to right: RLM Associate Editor Jill Berarducci at east terrace of Villa; Entrance to Philbrook Museum, February, 1997, photos by John Hazeltine

The Philbrook's web address is www.philbrook.org and the phone number is 918.749.7941.

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This page was originally published 7/17/98 in Resource Library Magazine. Please see Resource Library's Overview section for more information. rev. 11/28/11

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