Foosaner Art Museum Selected For National Assessment

By  //  October 25, 2014

highest professional standards of museum field

[gmarker marker_latitude=”” marker_longitud=”” marker_label=””][/gmarker]

ABOVE MAP: The Foosaner Art Museum is located at 1463 Highland Ave. in the Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (the museum stays open until 7 p.m. Thursday); and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for seniors, children and students with I.D. Museum members and Florida Tech faculty, staff and students are free with I.D. Thursdays offer free admission all day.

Museum Has Undergone Important, Successful Changes Since Merger With Florida Tech Three Years Ago

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA — Florida Institute of Technology’s Foosaner Art Museum has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program (MAP).

 Florida Institute of Technology’s Foosaner Art Museum has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program. (Florida Tech image)
Florida Institute of Technology’s Foosaner Art Museum has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program. (Florida Tech image)

Participation in MAP, through guided self-study and on-site consultation with a museum professional, will empower the museum to better serve the citizens of Brevard County by helping it to meet and exceed the highest professional standards of the museum field.

Already the museum has undergone important and successful changes since its merger with Florida Tech three years ago.

Over that time, the Foosaner has undergone staff changes and an upgrade of the facilities and began offering increased educational programming.

The exhibition schedule is also more ambitious, providing historically grounded and nationally significant art exhibitions.

Carla Funk
Carla Funk

To those improvements, noted Carla Funk, director of university museums, MAP “will provide a critical assessment of the museum’s operations and improve staff awareness of museum standards and best practices. In addition, the assessment will establish a firm groundwork for future growth.”

MAP, funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, advances best practices and fosters improvement in museums. It is a self-motivated program; application to and participation in MAP are initiated by each local institution, and those accepted invest considerable human and institutional resources into the assessment.

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 and in response to community needs. The Foosaner will take part in the organizational assessment process which focuses on strategic planning.

Ford W. Bell
Ford W. Bell

“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 Foosaner Art Museum,” said Ford W. Bell, president of the American Alliance of Museums, which administers MAP.

“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 4,300 museums. 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.

Humanitarian Martha Sinclair: Protector of Children and EnvironmentRelated Story:
Humanitarian Martha Sinclair: Protector of Children and Environment

The Foosaner Art Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (the museum stays open until 7 p.m. Thursday); and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for seniors, children and students with I.D. Museum members and Florida Tech faculty, staff and students are free with I.D. Thursdays offer free admission all day.

For more information cal 321-674-8916 or visit foosanerartmuseum.org