EP Museum of History accepted into national program

Jocelyn Flores
·2 min read

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso Museum of History has been selected to participate in the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) 2024 Museum Assessment Program, according to a news release from the City of El Paso.

The AAM is a nationwide association made up of 35,000 museums and museum professionals, according to the City.

The El Paso Museum of History assessment aims to qualify the museum for AAM accreditation. Currently, the El Paso Museum of Art is the only AAM-accredited institution in a 200-mile radius, according to the City.

To be a part of the program, museums choose one of four institutional assessment types:

  • Organizational

  • Collections Stewardship

  • Education and Interpretation

  • Community and Audience Engagement

According to the City, the El Paso Museum of History will be participating in the Collections Stewardship assessment.

The museum must follow the following standards to be categorized as “Collections Stewardship”:

  • The museum owns, exhibits or uses collections that are appropriate to its mission

  • The museum legally, ethically and manages documents, care for and uses the collections

  • The museum conducts collections-related research according to appropriate scholarly standards

  • The museum strategically plans for the use and development of its collections

  • Guided by its mission, the museum provides public access to its collections while ensuring preservation

“We are thrilled to see the fruits of the last five years of hard work at the El Paso Museum of History receive a much-deserved acceptance into the Museum Assessment Program. This comes at a time when our museums pivot toward a more inclusive approach to programming, greater collections care, and adherence to best practices. We look forward to an assessment that leads to accreditation for this institution,” said Quality of Life Managing Director Ben Fyffe.

For more information on the AAM, visit their website here.

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