National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture earns accreditation, unveils future expansion plans

CHICAGO (WLS) — The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago’s Humboldt Park is celebrating a historic achievement.

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The museum recently earned accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, the highest recognition available to museums in the United States. The designation makes it the only accredited Puerto Rican museum in the continental United States and one of only a handful of accredited museums in Chicago.

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For Billy Ocasio, the museum’s president and CEO, the achievement represents decades of work.

“When I reflect and I look at it, 26 years ago, we got started in a trailer in the parking lot while we raised millions of dollars to create this museum,” Ocasio said. “And here we are 26 years later, reaching the highest standard that you could reach as a museum.”

The accreditation places the museum among an elite group of institutions nationwide and opens the door to partnerships with museums around the world. Ocasio said the recognition is also validation of the museum’s mission to preserve, celebrate and share Puerto Rican history, culture and art.

Accreditation reviewers highlighted the museum’s educational programming, bilingual interpretation and commitment to accessibility. Veronica Castillo, director of education, exhibitions and programming, said the museum develops bilingual curriculum materials for exhibits and provides them to educators before student visits.

“Puerto Rican history is not taught in our classrooms as part of American history,” Castillo said. “So it’s our responsibility to make sure that we share that with all the schools in our community and beyond.”

The Future of the Museum

While celebrating the accreditation milestone, museum leaders are already looking ahead to several major projects designed to expand the museum’s role as a cultural and community hub.

One of the most ambitious plans is the transformation of the museum’s central courtyard. The museum is preparing to enclose the 6,000-square-foot space in glass, creating a year-round venue for events, programming and community gatherings.

“We are more than a museum. We’re also a community hub,” Ocasio said.

The expanded space is expected to accommodate concerts, symposiums, educational programming, school field trips, salsa lessons and other community events. Museum leaders say the glass enclosure will also feature a design inspired by the Puerto Rican flag.

The museum is also developing a community archiving lab, where families will be able to preserve and share stories of migration from Puerto Rico to Chicago and throughout the diaspora. Those stories will be digitized and made available to future generations.

That commitment to preserving Puerto Rican history can also be seen in the museum’s current exhibit, Our Island of Treasures.

“We want to change that narrative,” Castillo said. “So it’s going to be our island of treasures to showcase the beauty of Puerto Rico and our people.”