The Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network (HITN), the nation's leading Spanish-language public media network, has congratulated the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (NMPRAC) on earning accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for museums in the United States. This distinction places NMPRAC among a select group of accredited institutions dedicated to preserving, studying, and promoting Hispanic arts, history, and culture.
The museum is only the fourth Latino, Chicano, or Latin American art museum in the country to receive AAM accreditation, joining the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California, and Museo de las Américas in Denver. The AAM accreditation program is widely regarded as the museum field's highest standard of excellence, with fewer than 1,100 museums nationwide earning this distinction for excellence in governance, collections stewardship, education, financial sustainability, and public service.
Michael D. Nieves, President and CEO of HITN and a member of the NMPRAC Board of Directors, stated, "This accreditation is a powerful affirmation of the museum's commitment to preserving Puerto Rico's rich cultural heritage for future generations." He added that it reflects decades of dedication and hard work by the museum's staff and leadership. Billy Ocasio, President and CEO of NMPRAC, said, "We have worked for this moment since our inception 26 years ago. What began as a community's determination to hold space and tell its own story has grown into a national institution where our art, our culture, and our history are preserved, celebrated, and passed on."
HITN and NMPRAC share a longstanding commitment to serving Hispanic communities through educational and cultural initiatives that preserve heritage, elevate Latino voices, and expand access to public service programming. The museum's accreditation marks a significant milestone not only for the institution but also for the broader effort to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Puerto Ricans and other Hispanic communities to the cultural fabric of the United States. For more information about NMPRAC, visit https://nmprac.org/.
