September 3, 2008
Blount Mansion Selected to Participate in National Museum Assessment Program
BlountMansion has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program (MAP). Through guided self-study and on-site consultation with a museum professional, participation in MAP will empower BlountMansion to better serve the citizens of Knoxville and enable it to meet and exceed the highest professional standards of the museum field.
Administered by the American Association of Museums (AAM) through a cooperative agreement with the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), MAP is an entirely self-motivated program; application to and participation in MAP is initiated by each local institution, and those accepted from among the dozens of annual applicants invest considerable human and institutional resources into the assessment.
“Of America’s estimated 17,500 museums, less than one-half of one percent participate in MAP each year,” states Blount Mansion Association’s Executive Director Billye Chabot. “Participation in such programs demonstrates to the community our dedication to professionalism and to our mission of preserving the Mansion for future generations.”
MAP is a confidential process of self-study, peer review and implementation. Museums use the assessment process to strengthen operations, build capacity, and enhance communication throughout the organization. Participant museums choose one of four categories for its assessment: collections management, governance, institutional, and public dimension. BlountMansion will take part in the governance assessment process.
“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 BlountMansion,” said Ford W. Bell, 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.”
“The objective of the Museum Assessment Program is improvement. Participant museums discover ways to improve all aspects of their operations,” said Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “The ultimate beneficiaries, of course, are the people and communities these museums serve.”
Museums representing 37 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been accepted into the program this year. BlountMansion is one of only two participants in the state of Tennessee.
Harvest of History
October 22, 2008
Blount Mansion hosted a Harvest of History living history event today. Students in Dr. Patricia Brake's U.S. history class at the Tennessee Governor's Academy of Mathematics and Science portrayed William Blount, his wife Mary Grainger Blount, the Blount children, slaves and Cherokee Indians.
First person reenacting provides a remarkable prism for learning larger themes in US history,” noted Pat Brake. “The students researched the rolls of women, slaves and native Americans and many of them even made their own costumes.”
Blount Mansion, built in 1792, is located in downtown Knoxville. It opened as a historic house museum in 1930 and is Knox County’s only National Historic Landmark. Blount, a signer of the US Constitution, brought Tennessee to statehood in 1796 and served as Tennessee’s first senator. Governor Academy student Chrisqueria Bragg from west Tennessee had never heard of William Blount before researching this project. “I really enjoyed interacting with the visitors and learning about the beginnings of our state,” She explained.
The Tennessee Governor's Academy for Mathematics and Science is a two-year residential high school program for Tennessee's best and brightest juniors and seniors. The academy, administered by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, provides students with a unique array of education opportunities designed to prepare them for careers in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.
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