Newport Tennis Hall of Fame Museum Wins Highest Achievement Award
Ken Bell
International Tennis Hall of Fame news release…
International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum becomes
First Sports Hall of Fame to achieve Accreditation Status by the American Alliance of Museums
NEWPORT, R.I., May 22, 2013 –
The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum has achieved
accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), which is the
highest professional achievement in the museum industry. AAM
Accreditation indicates that the accredited museum is operating at the
highest level of museum professional standards and that it demonstrates a
commitment to excellence in all that it does: governance, collections
stewardship, public programs, financial stability, and continued
institutional improvement. Of the nation's estimated 17,500 museums,
just over 1,000 are accredited, and the International Tennis Hall of
Fame & Museum is the first sports hall of fame to receive the honor.
It is the second sports museum (American Museum of Fly Fishing) and the
second hall of fame (Country Music Hall of Fame) to achieve this
distinction.
In celebration of this
honor, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum will be
hosting an Open House Day on Saturday, May 25 for all Rhode Island
residents, offering free admission for the local community to explore
this unique cultural attraction in their own backyards. Rhode Island
residents simply need to show valid proof of residency at the entrance
for free admission.
“Accredited museums have met and exceeded the highest standards of the
museum field, in everything they do. On behalf of the Alliance, I extend
congratulations to the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum,
and I would like to single out the extraordinary leadership of Chairman
Christopher Clouser, CEO Mark Stenning, and Museum Director Doug Stark –
all three are the embodiment of the museum's commitment to excellence,”
said Ford W. Bell, president of the American Alliance of Museums.
“Accreditation is a significant achievement. The International Tennis
Hall of Fame & Museum and the communities it serves, that being the
local community and the worldwide tennis industry, should be extremely
proud.”
AAM's Museum
Accreditation program has been developed and maintained by museum
professionals for 40 years. Museums undertake a rigorous and
time-consuming process to be considered. To earn accreditation, a museum
must first conduct a year of self-study, then undergo a site visit by a
team of peer reviewers. AAM's Accreditation Commission, an independent
and autonomous body of museum professionals, review and evaluate the
self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum
should receive accreditation.
The accreditation
process in itself is highly valuable, providing a museum staff with a
focused manner to evaluate efforts, and providing an outlet for
peer-based review and validation of a museum's operations and impact.
Ultimately, receiving the distinction of accreditation increases a
museum's credibility and sense of value to funders, policy makers,
visitors, community, and peers.
“The museum is the heart
and soul of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. It is the one and
only tennis hall of fame in the world, and in the museum we work
diligently to preserve the history of the sport and inspire its future.
We are grateful and humbled by this great distinction from the American
Alliance of Museums,” stated International Tennis Hall of Fame &
Museum Chairman Christopher E. Clouser. “As an organization, we strive
every day to serve the sport of tennis and our community, and this
recognition is greatly appreciated by all involved. In particular, the
Board of Directors salutes our 6-person museum staff, led by Doug Stark,
who have made this distinction possible. They are saddled with a
significant amount of work for a small staff, but their dedication to
our mission and commitment to excellence is really what makes the museum
work so well, and for that we are all grateful.”
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International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum Staff and Committee Members: |
The International Tennis
Hall of Fame & Museum was founded in 1954. It was originally
focused on American tennis history and players, and expanded to have an
international focus in 1975. The museum is located in Newport, Rhode
Island, at the historic Newport Casino, a grand facility that has deep
roots in tennis history. In 1881, the facility hosted the very first
U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championships. The event was hosted at the
facility until 1914, at which point it moved to New York and eventually
became known as the US Open. The facility remains an active tennis
facility today, as host to the annual Hall of Fame Tennis Championships,
an ATP World Tour event.
The museum's goal is to
showcase and preserve the history of tennis from its origins through
present-day, to honor the great champions and leaders in the sport with
the highest honor in tennis, Hall of Fame enshrinement, and to preserve
the historic tennis facility at which it is located.
The museum's curatorial
staff work diligently to keep the collection and displays current,
relatable, and interesting for tennis enthusiasts and casual visitors
alike. Within the museum, visitors experience the evolution of tennis
history in interesting collection items ranging from Victorian tennis
dresses worn by women in the 1800s to Serena Williams' tennis dress from
her 2012 Olympic Gold Medal match. The story of tennis is showcased
through traditional memorabilia such as trophies, racquets, and
photography, but also through more unexpected items. These items include
a 5,000 piece tennis-themed stamp collection, which highlights the
impact of the sport all over the globe, or personal communications
between Arthur Ashe and Martin Luther King, Jr., showcasing the sport's
overlap into social history. Of course, as a Hall of Fame, the museum
also pays tribute to the greatest champions and leaders of the sport.
Since 1954, 224 individuals from 19 nations have been enshrined in the
Hall of Fame, and each one is represented in the museum in various
ways.
The museum staff
constantly works to grow the collection and to acquire items that play a
role in preserving the history of the sport, making it possible to
share this history with fans and to inspire future fans. The museum
staff works through a variety of means to achieve this. For example, a
16th century Renaissance painting that is believed the be the earliest
known painting of the sport was acquired at auction; videotapes of a
young John McEnroe practicing were acquired via a donation from the
family; and Andy Roddick's iconic American flag themed Babolat sneakers
that were worn at his last match before retirement were obtained thanks
to the quick thinking of a USTA public relations staffer who asked
Roddick to leave the shoes for display at the Hall of Fame.
Changing exhibits are an
additional highlight of the museum's efforts to interpret the history
of tennis in a way that will appeal to visitors. Most recently, a
“Tennis and Hollywood” exhibit was installed, and other recent themed
exhibits have included colorful cases of historic tennis ball cans and a
“Tennis and the Titanic” exhibit, among others. In addition, the Hall
of Fame often takes the museum's messages beyond Newport, through
traveling exhibits at special events, including an annual exhibition at
the US Open and a special exhibition on “Tennis and the Olympics” slated
for 2014 at the Barcelona Olympic Museum.
An additional facet of
the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum's mission is to
inspire the future of tennis, and the museum team works diligently to
welcome youngsters into the museum to see what opportunities the game
can offer. In 2010, the Hall of Fame launched a “Kids Free” program,
granting free admission to kids ages 16 & under. Since that time,
more than 14,000 children have visited, including numerous youth groups
and schools.
In addition to the
12,000-square foot, 18-gallery museum, the Hall of Fame operates an
Information Research Center, which contains more than 350,000
publications, photographs, and audio-visual materials available for
journalists, historians, and students to utilize in their work.
In Rhode Island, the
International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is the sixth museum to be
accredited, joining in the esteemed company with the Museum of Art,
Rhode Island School of Design; Newport Art Museum and Art Association;
Preservation Society of Newport County; Rhode Island Historical Society;
and Slater Mill Historic Site. The International Tennis Hall of Fame
& Museum is one of just 65 sites that are both National Historic
Landmarks and AAM Accredited museums.
