For the third time, the American Association of Museums (AAM) has accredited Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont, giving the site the highest national recognition afforded to museums.
AAM accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement and signifies excellence to the museum community as well as to governments, funders, outside agencies and the museum-going public. Gari Melchers Home and Studio was originally accredited in 1985 and re-accredited in 1998.
“With the support of the University of Mary Washington, Stafford County and the greater Fredericksburg community, our talented and dedicated staff have been able to maintain and expand the museum’s public outreach and program quality while properly caring for an important National Historic Landmark and its unique collections,” said David Berreth, director of Belmont.
Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, 775 are currently accredited by the association. Gari Melchers Home and Studio is one of nine accredited art museums in Virginia.
For 35 years, the association’s museum accreditation program has been the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability. The accreditation process strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that allow leaders to provide the best possible service to the public.
Accreditation is a rigorous process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn the recognition, a museum must conduct and year of self-study and undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The Association’s Accreditation Commission, an independent body of museum professionals, considers both the self-study and the visiting committee report. The entire process, which is repeated every 10 years, varies by museum but generally takes as long as three years to complete.
Gari Melchers Home and Studio is a 28-acre estate and former residence of the artist Gari Melchers and his wife Corinne. The property, which is operated by the University of Mary Washington, is both a Virginia Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. Located at 224 Washington St. in Falmouth, Va., a quarter mile west of the intersection of U.S. 1 and U.S. 17, it is open daily with an admission charge. The museum also serves as the official Stafford County Visitor Center. For directions and other information, call (540) 654-1015 or visit the museum Web site at www.GariMelchers.org.