Wichita Falls Museum of Art awarded accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums

WFMA Receives highest national recognition

Wichita Falls Museum of Art awarded accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums

The Wichita Falls Museum of Art has achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.

Alliance Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, 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.

“Strides toward accreditation began almost a decade ago, and the achievement is a credit to the dedicated and thoughtful work and guidance of many people at MSU Texas, on the Museum Advisory Board and staff, and in our community,” WFMA Director Tracee Robertson said. “We are poised to carry this work forward as we continue to pursue excellence in the service of our audiences. As a new arrival to the Museum and community, I couldn’t ask for a greater vote of confidence in the Museum’s value and mission. I’m grateful for the opportunities this prestigious recognition affords – we aim to capture them all!”

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, over 1,070 are currently accredited. WFMA is one of only 48 museums accredited in Texas.

WFMA Priddy Pavilion

Accreditation is a rigorous but 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. The Alliance’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 American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. 

About the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU Texas

Founded in 1967 as the Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center, the museum earned accredited status for the first time in 1973. In 2001 the process began to allow Midwestern State University to acquire the Museum through a donation and the ownership was transferred in 2005.

AAM certificate
AAM certification for WFMA at MSU Texas (2019)

The Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU Texas enriches life in the community and the university through new experiences in visual art for all ages. An extensive and growing permanent collection of American Art focused on works on paper and a dynamic schedule of changing exhibitions and engagement programs provide a first-class gallery experience. The WFMA supports the university’s liberal arts mission and is an educational resource offering varied programs and events for the North Texas region. The WFMA is located at 2 Eureka Circle and is open free of charge Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free parking is available. 

1973 accreditation certificate
The Wichita Museum and Art Center was also certified in 1973 by the American Association of Museums.

Related Links

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Weekend workshops at WFMA

  • Dec. 7 - Relief prints
  • Dec. 14 - Monotypes
  • Dec. 21 - Polymer clay
  • Dec. 28 - Watercolor 
  • Free walk-in lessons from 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Saturdays for age 7 to adult. For more information call (940) 397-8900.