The Tampa Museum of Art has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded to the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. The Tampa Museum of Art was initially accredited in 1989. All museums must undergo a re-accreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status.
Alliance Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to quality, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for over 45 years, the Alliance’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 in order to provide the best possible service to the public.
On being awarded accreditation, the Tampa Museum of Art’s Executive Director Michael Tomor said, “We are delighted to announce the re-accreditation of the Tampa Museum of Art by the American Alliance of Museums. Accreditation is a testament to the commitment that exists throughout the entire organization—Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors, employees and volunteers.”
Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, over 1,070 are currently accredited. Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and 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.
“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Laura L. Lott, Alliance president and CEO. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”
About the Tampa Museum of Art
The Tampa Museum of Art opened its award-winning home in 2010 with a commitment to providing innovative public programs with a strong focus on classical, modern, and contemporary art. As the Tampa Museum of Art nears its 100th anniversary, exhibitions in 2019 and 2020 focus on the breadth of the institution’s permanent collection, as well as examine its collecting history. The Museum balances a growing collection, including one of the largest Greek and Roman antiquities collections in the southeastern United States, with a dynamic annual schedule of special exhibitions. It is the region’s largest museum devoted to art of our time and has built a reputation for embracing contemporary photography and new media; most notably, Leo Villareal’s Sky (Tampa), the 14,000-square-foot LED installation on the Museum’s south façade, has become an iconic image for Tampa. Since its founding in 1979, the Museum has been dedicated to providing quality education to students and adults, with more than half of its programs offered free of charge. The Museum is home to the Riverwalk Cafe, which overlooks the Hillsborough River and has emerged as Tampa’s premier venue for special events.
General Hours and Information
The Museum opens daily at 10 a.m. Hours of operation are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday*, Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. *Fourth Fridays from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. The Museum’s phone number is 813.274.8130 and the website is www.tampamuseum.org. The Museum’s address is 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza. Tampa, FL 33602