The Art Museum of West Virginia University has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program, which is administered by the American Alliance of Museums.  Through guided self-study and on-site consultation with a museum professional, participation in MAP will empower the art museum to better serve the students, faculty and staff of the University as well citizens of Morgantown and the region by facilitating its meeting and exceeding the highest professional standards of the museum field.

The museum’s participation is made possible through funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. MAP helps museums strengthen operations, plan for the future and meet standards through self-study and a consultative site visit from an expert peer reviewer.

The Art Museum has chosen to do a MAP organizational assessment as a step toward preparing for its initial accreditation with the American Alliance of Museums, to expand knowledge of professional museum standards and best practices and increase financial sustainability. The assessment team, made up of museum staff, including Dr. Joyce Ice, Director; Robert Bridges, Curator; Dr. Heather Harris, Manager of Educational Programs; Dr. Keith Jackson, Dean, College of Creative Arts; and Dr. Bernie Schultz, Professor Emeritus and museum docent; Dr. Arthur Jacknowitz, Professor Emeritus, museum docent, and member of the Museum Advisory Council;  Alison Deem, Chair, Museum Advisory Council and museum docent; and Lyn Dotson, former VP WVU Foundation, and member of the Advisory Council.

“The self-study process in itself is a helpful for the museum staff as well as its stakeholders because it highlights strengths as well as areas for improvement,” Ice said. “As the museum approaches the third anniversary of its opening, the MAP program will help us to prepare for our next phase of growth and development.”  The assessment team has been engaged in exercises related to the museum’s mission and the public’s experience of the Museum.

“Choosing to be part of the MAP program is indicative of the commitment to civic involvement, public service and overall excellence on the part of the Art Museum of WVU,” said Laura Lott, president of AAM. “Studies have shown America’s museums to be among the country’s most trusted and valued institutions. MAP is designed to make them even better.”

Since its creation in 1981, the MAP program has served over 4,600 museums. MAP is supported through a cooperative agreement between AAM and IMLS. For more information, including a complete list of museums participating in MAP, please visit www.aam-us.org/map, call 202-289-9118 or e-mail map@aam-us.org.

AAM is the only organization representing the nation’s entire museum community and has been dedicated to promoting excellence within the museum field for over 100 years. For more information about AAM, visit www.aam-us.org. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.

The Art Museum’s collection includes paintings, prints, works on paper, sculpture and ceramics and totals more than 3,000 works of art that are international in scope.  The collection has been created through private gifts, donations from alumni and individual collectors, and purchases over the decades. 

The museum offers educational exhibits and programs for K-12 classes and teachers, WVU students and faculty, and the general public with inquiry-based tours, and programs such as Lunchtime Looks and Art Up Close during the academic year. 

The museum is free and open to the public on Wednesday-Thursday 3:30-7:30 pm and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12:30-4:30 pm.  Information on scheduling tours and school group visits may be found at artmuseum.wvu.edu.