[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 24568]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS

   Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I would like to congratulate the 
University Museums at Iowa State University for earning formal 
accreditation by the American Association of Museums, an honor that is 
bestowed on fewer than 10 percent of museums across the United States.
  As a proud alumnus of Iowa State, I know that the university 
community takes great pride in its diverse collection of museums, 
including the three museums that together make up University Museums at 
Iowa State University: the Brunnier Art Museum, the Art on Campus 
Collection, and the Farm House Museum.
  The Brunnier is dedicated to the decorative arts, including works by 
Grant Wood and Louis Comfort Tiffany. The Art on Campus Collection 
consists of more than 2,000 works of public art located all across the 
campus in buildings, courtyards, open spaces, and offices. The Farm 
House Museum is a wonderful 19th century house and a National Historic 
Landmark, offering visitors a window into what life was like on campus 
in the university's earliest days, when most faculty members lived on 
the college grounds.
  These collections and museums make a powerful contribution to the 
cultural life of the ISU campus. They do so thanks to the quality of 
their art works and artifacts. Just as importantly, they do so by 
inviting the community to participate in special conferences, lectures, 
panel discussions, gallery walks, and gallery talks. University Museums 
has reinvented the idea of the museum as an educational and 
intellectual center, reaching out beyond the campus to the wider Ames 
community, including K-12 schools, with a wide range of cultural 
programs and activities.
  Accreditation by the American Association of Museums does not come 
easily. It involves a rigorous process in which a museum demonstrates 
its commitment to the highest professional standards, public service, 
and excellence in education. University Museums at Iowa State 
University now joins an elite group of 778 AAM-accredited institutions 
spanning the United States.
  I congratulate University Museums for this hard-earned recognition. 
And I salute all the outstanding museum professionals and volunteers 
whose vision and tireless efforts have contributed so much to the 
campus and to the entire Ames community.

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