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HILLWOOD RECEIVES REACCREDITATION
FROM AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS
Recognition considered highest by AAM for an American museum
WASHINGTON—The American Association of Museums (AAM) awarded Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens subsequent accreditation by the AAM Accreditation Commission last month. Accreditation recognizes a museum's commitment to excellence and professional standards of operation and must be re-awarded every ten years to ensure that museums maintain their level of professional performance. Hillwood was first accredited ten years ago and was praised by the commission for the positive changes it has made since then, saying, “We commend not only the physical changes…but are particularly impressed with how Hillwood has successfully engaged new and diverse audiences and significantly improved its relationship with its community.”
Of the nation's nearly 17,500 museums, only 774 are currently accredited. To earn accreditation, a museum must conduct a year of self-study, then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and peer review report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. The report praised the following about Hillwood, in making its accreditation recommendation:
- Hillwood can measure with pride the distance it has come with financial management, collections growth, diversification and expansion of exhibitions and programs, and greatly improved physical and intellectual accommodations for visitors.
- Hillwood has done a commendable job of redefining itself and the communities it serves Hillwood has developed programs for families, Girl Scouts, and the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender community. Through an active community advisory committee and a focused, directed staff, the museum has made great strides to engage these diverse and disparate communities.
- The [public awareness] campaign's tagline, “Where Fabulous Lives,” combined with eye-catching and stylish graphics projects an image much less stodgy and more engagingly fun-loving than many museums are willing to embrace.
- Hillwood has matured significantly as an institution. This has brought with it new strength and innovation rather than rigidity or conventionality.
- …this maturity has given Hillwood the capability to re-imagine and re-make itself in ways that honor and build upon its founder's intent while maintaining a commendably forward-looking orientation.
- It has achieved a transformation that eludes many American historic house museums.
Opened as a public institution in 1977, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens is the former home of Post cereal heiress, art collector, social figure, and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post. When she left to the public her northwest Washington, D.C. estate, she endowed the country with the most comprehensive collection of Russian Imperial art outside of Russia, a notable 18th-century French decorative art collection, and 25 acres of serene landscaped gardens and natural woodlands for all to enjoy.
In September 2000, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens reopened to the public after a three-year closure for major renovations. The estate was brought up to modern museum standards, featuring state-of-the art lighting, HVAC and security systems, renewed plantings and restored sculptures throughout the gardens, and a new Visitor Center, with a theater for visitor orientation and education programs, expanded museum shop, and enhanced visitor services.
Since its reopening, Hillwood has become a dynamic cultural presence in Washington, D.C. Its commitment to reaching diverse audiences is evidenced in the programs and partnerships it shares with the community. In March 2008, for example, Hillwood was honored by PEN, Metro DC's LGBT Chamber of Commerce, for the outreach it carries out in this community throughout the year. A lively array of programs, lectures, films, and workshops illustrates Hillwood's dedication to engaging thousands of visitors with an experience inspired by Mrs. Post's passion for excellence, gracious hospitality and intent to preserve and share the beauty and history of her collections, garden and estate.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: High resolution images are available from 202-243-3918 or jcarpenter@HillwoodMuseum.org.
These images are approved for one-time use and shall be credited: Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.
These images are not to be used elsewhere without the permission of Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.
These images are JPEG format.
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