Southern Utah Museum Of Art Receives AAM Accreditation Step: Impressive Progress

The Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) has achieved the American Alliance of Museums’ (AAM) Core Documents Verification, marking a significant milestone in its pursuit of excellence and adherence to museum industry standards and best practices. Situated on Southern Utah University's campus, SUMA showcases artwork from regional artists, faculty, students, and both emerging and established artists worldwide.

SUMA joins only four other Utah museums in earning this verification, which confirms that SUMA has established educational missions and sound policies in ethics, planning, emergency preparedness, and collections stewardship. These are crucial for any institution claiming professional museum status.

This verification is the fourth of five steps toward national accreditation by AAM, a goal SUMA has pursued since its inception in 2016. Accreditation involves a rigorous process of self-study and peer review, typically spanning 8-16 months, and significantly enhances a museum's credibility and attractiveness to funders, policymakers, insurers, the community, and other institutions. It also facilitates inter-museum loans and fosters institutional improvements.

Jessica Kinsey, SUMA's executive director, highlighted this achievement as part of their 2019-2024 strategic plan, noting their readiness to advance to the final accreditation stage pending available resources. Kinsey emphasized that this accomplishment reflects SUMA's commitment to maintaining public trust through adherence to core documents and best practices.

SUMA is free and open to the public from Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Additional information on current and upcoming exhibitions can be found on their website, www.suu.edu/suma.

The museum operates under the umbrella of the College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University, which offers a range of academic programs in arts and includes over 60 full-time faculty and staff. CPVA is recognized by several national arts accreditation associations, making Southern Utah University the first public university in Utah accredited by all four major national arts bodies. For more information about CPVA, visit www.suu.edu/pva.