HITN, the nation's leading Spanish-language public media network, congratulates 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 an elite group of institutions committed 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. Fewer than 1,100 museums nationwide have earned this distinction, which recognizes excellence in governance, collections stewardship, education, financial sustainability, and public service.
“This accreditation is a powerful affirmation of the museum’s commitment to preserving Puerto Rico’s rich cultural heritage for future generations,” said Michael D. Nieves, President and CEO of HITN and a member of the NMPRAC Board of Directors. “It reflects decades of dedication, vision, and hard work by the museum’s staff and leadership.”
Billy Ocasio, President and CEO of NMPRAC, expressed gratitude for the community support that made the milestone possible. “We have worked for this moment since our inception 26 years ago, knowing that everything we did would hopefully lead to this historic milestone,” Ocasio said. “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 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.
Located in the historic Humboldt Park Stables in Chicago, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture is the only national museum outside of Puerto Rico dedicated to interpreting the arts and culture of the Puerto Rican people. Founded in 2000, it is the first Puerto Rican museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. For more information, visit https://nmprac.org/.
