COLLECTIONS AS COMMUNICATION: DEACCESSIONING
COLLECTIONS AS COMMUNICATION:DEACCESSIONING POLICIES AND PUBLIC TRUSTBy Britney M. Whiting-LoozeA MASTER’S CAPSTONEPresented to the Arts and Administration Program of the University of Oregonin partial fulfillment of the requirements for theDegree of Master of Science in Arts ManagementJune 2010
iiApproved by:Dr. Phaedra LivingstoneArts and Administration ProgramUniversity of OregonDate:
iiiABSTRACT:The intention of this capstone project is to explore and understand the changing relationshipbetween purposively selected art museums in major metropolitan areas and the public thosemuseums serve, as dictated by collections-related policies and practices. While legal and ethicalimplications of certain collections practices, like deaccessioning, are highly debated, thosepractices as related to public trust have received significantly less attention. These practices mayinfluence public perception of a museum’s transparency and accountability. Qualitativeinformation was gathered through capstone courses and historical-comparative research, taking ahermeneutic approach to existing scholarship, policy documents, applicable laws, andprofessional codes of ethics.KEYWORDS:Art Museums, Collections Management, Collections Policies, Deaccessioning, Public Trust
ivAcknowledgmentsI would like to extend my gratitude to my research advisor, Dr. Phaedra Livingstone, as well asDr. Patricia Dewey, for their guidance and support during this research. I would also like tothank Tina Rinaldi for giving me a strong example of what passion and dedication can do todevelop a sense of self, and a sense of community.To my husband, Jordan Looze, who encouraged me to dig deeper whenever I felt my ground hadrun shallow. Thank you for your love and your keen eye for typos.Finally, thank you to my wonderful cohort, for providing a touchstone for creativity,compassion, brainstorming, critique, and a persistent appreciation of my baking sprees.
vBritney M. Whiting-Loozebmw181@msn.comEducationMS in Arts Management, University of Oregon, projected June 2010Certificate in Museum Studies, University of Oregon, projected June 2010BA in History, European Emphasis, Boise State University, May 2004Collections Management & Related ExperienceGraduate Intern – Museum Collections (Jun 2009 – Sept 2009)Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon – Eugene, OR Reported to the Registrar and provided support for a broad range of activities related to the museum’spermanent collection.Activities included acquisitions, deaccessioning, inventory and storage of artwork, providingcollections access, responding to research inquiries, maintaining collections records, re-housing ofcollections, and other duties and projects as assigned.Assisted with loans and exhibitions as needed, including condition reports, setting up loanagreements, and generating checklists of loaned or exhibited objects.Curatorial Assistant (Jan 2004 – Jan 2006)The Basque Museum & Cultural Center – Boise, ID Collections Management duties included numbering, accessioning, cataloging, photographing,housing and cleaning artifacts, as well as digital image preservation, building preservation mounts,and completing condition surveys.Exhibit development and installation duties involved artifact preparation, mounts, labels, foregroundand backgrounds, and case setup.Assisted and supported the Curator of Collections and Exhibitions and other executive staff.Led interactive tours of the Cyrus Jacobs/Uberuaga House for the public and school groups.Undergraduate Intern – Curatorial Assistant (Jun 2003 – Dec 2003)Boise Art Museum – Boise, ID Worked in conjunction with the Associate Curator of Art.Researched regional and international artists and wrote artist labels for artwork.Participated in installation and deinstallation of artwork.Communicated with artists, galleries, and museums.Maintained curatorial files and general collections records.Scanned slides or took digital photographs of artwork and resized and retouched photos forpublications with Adobe Photoshop.Arts Administration & Related ExperienceGraduate Administrative Fellow (Sept 2009 – June 2010)University of Oregon, Arts & Administration Program – Eugene, OR Control access to the program library and study room, and manage all equipment and publications.Develop informational materials regarding the program and the Arts Management master’s degree.Oversee program website, and serve as list owner for all program listservs.Support for planning and implementation of program-sponsored events.Coordination and collaboration with faculty, other departments, university publications and press.McFee Collection – Worked in conjunction with UO Libraries Special Collections to identify,categorize, and catalog the research papers and publications of Dr. June King McFee.
viGrants Specialist (Dec 2007 – Jul 2008)Idaho Commission on the Arts – Boise, ID Oversaw the grant panel process; coordinated Admin Team support for panels.Prepared correspondence and made payments to grant applicants or contractors.Responded to inquiries regarding grant or contract availability requirements and procedures.Reviewed and evaluated grants and contracts for conformance to established criteria and compliancewith provisions of laws and regulations.Provided technical assistance on interpretation of program guidelines and requirements.Assisted with development, design, or modification of grant forms and contract documents.Entered data from grant applications and final reports in MS Access database.Maintained a grants and contracts tracking system of expenditures and balances.Utilized the state accounting system to process and research vendor payments.Made payroll and personnel updates on the state payroll system.Program Support Specialist (Nov 2005 – Dec 2007)Idaho Commission on the Arts – Boise, ID Responsible to Program Directors (Arts Education, Artist Services, Community Development, Folk &Traditional Arts, and Literature). Provided program support such as correspondence, presentations,preparation of mailings, recording/editing minutes, grant judging panel arrangements, binderpreparation, and panel assistance.Assisted constituents with general grants and awards inquiries and the panel process.Provided research and resource development for Program Directors and constituency.Updated website, e-mail lists, press release list, and created various program publications.Provided assistance for special events and exhibits.Professional Activities2010 Oregon Museums Association Annual Meeting, Eugene, OR- Panelist, New Museum Studies Research by Emerging Professionals2009 Museum Computer Network Annual Meeting, Portland, OR2009 Balboa Art Conservation Center Workshop, Eugene, OR2009 Oregon Arts Summit, Beaverton, OR2008 Conservation Symposium Northwest, Eugene, OR2008 Symposium on Cascadia-region Cultural Planning and Development, Portland, OR2008 Mountain West Conference on the Arts, Salt Lake City, UT2007 National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD2007 Northwest Booking Conference, Tacoma, WA- Partner representative of the Idaho Commission on the Arts2006 Administrative Professionals Conference, Boise, ID2006 Western Museums Association annual meeting, Boise, ID- Panel Respondent, “Exhibit Critique: Challenges When Exhibit-Making”2003 Western Museums Association annual meeting, Reno, NVPublicationsLaxalt Mackey, Meggan, Editor; Contributing Authors: Barbara Perry Bauer, John Bieter, Diana Dicus,Jeronima Echeverria, Jeffery D. Johns, Patty Miller, Marc Munch, Todd Shallat, Britney Whiting, JohnYsursa. Extea: The Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga Home. Boise, ID: Basque Museum and Cultural Center, inpress.“Repatriation Not Required?” 2003 WMA Session Review, Idaho Association of Museums (IAM)Newsletter, Winter, January 2004.
viiTable of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction and Context. 1Conceptual Framework .3Research Methodology.5Overview of Research Design and Strategy of Inquiry.5Assumptions .7Research Questions.7Definitions.8Limitations and Delimitations.8Benefits of the Study.9Chapter 2: What is Deaccessioning? . 10Public Reception.12Regulation .12Conclusion.14Chapter 3: Codes of Ethics and a Proposed State Law Regulating Deaccessioning . 16The Association of Art Museum Directors Code .20The International Council of Museums Code .21Codes from the American Association of Museums.21AAM’s 1925 Code of Ethics for Museum Workers .22AAM’s 1978 Report on Museum Ethics .23AAM’s 1991 Code of Ethics for Museums .26AAM’s 1994 Code of Ethics for Museums .28AAM’s 2000 Code of Ethics for Museums and Supporting Documents .28New York’s Brodsky Bill.30Conclusion.33Chapter 4: Collections Management Policies and Public Perceptions . 34Collections Management Policy Development .36Deaccessioning and Sustainability .38The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Collections Management Policy .40The Indianapolis Museum of Art’s Deaccession Policy .42Conclusion.44Chapter 5: Public Trust . 45Defining “Public Trust”.45Museum-Public Power Dynamics .45Public Trust and Access to Collections .47Perceived Value of Transfer Instead of Sale .50Fiscal Responsibility .51Conclusion.52Chapter 6: Recent Issues in Deaccessioning – The Rose Art Museum. 53Introduction to the Controversy .53History of the Rose Art Museum .54Main Issues.56Stakeholders – Reactions and Reprimands .58Conclusion.63
viiiChapter 7: Recent Issues in Deaccessioning – The Indianapolis Museum of Art’s OnlineDeaccession Database. 64Introduction to the Indianapolis Museum of Art.64History of the IMA and the Museum’s Online Deaccession Database .65Public Reception of the Database.67Main Issues.67Stakeholders .71Conclusion.72Chapter 8: Recommendations and Conclusion . 74Recommendations for a New System .76Final Comments .79References . 80
ixList of FiguresFigure 1.1 – Conceptual framework informing this inquiryFigure 7.1 – Object deaccessioned because it is “not mission-relevant”Figure 7.2 – Object deaccessioned because it is “duplicate/redundant”
1Chapter 1: Introduction and ContextThe purpose of this historical-comparative research is to explore and understandcollections management policies and practices, especially in regard to deaccessioning, as theyrelate both to museum professionals and the general public at purposively selected art museumsin major metropolitan areas. Collections management and related collections policies differgreatly between museums in the United States. While the legal and ethical implications ofdeaccessioning objects from a museum are highly debated, the practice of deaccessioning asrelated to public trust has received significantly less attention. Professional codes of ethicsattempt to regulate policies and practices for deaccessioning, more so than state or federal laws(Goldstein, 1997; O’Hagan, 1998; Range, 2004; White, 1996). Both the American Association ofMuseums (AAM) and the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) call for museums tocarefully weigh potential deaccessions against the interest of the public and the larger museumcommunity. Public trust is a factor primarily because whether a museum takes the legal form ofcharitable trust or non-profit corporation, it serves the general purpose of providing a socialbenefit to the public, and is a steward of cultural property (Goldstein, 1997; O’Hagan, 1998;Range, 2004; White, 1996). Museums must depend on the public for support, for donations oftime, money, objects, and so on, and therefore must maintain the public’s trust.Current trends in museum deaccessioning call for greater transparency of policy andprocedures, as well as a clearer definition of the roles and responsibilities of museum directors,staff, and boards. Public outcry against the practice of deaccessioning has contributed to therevision of professional codes of ethics. These codes should be expanded and modified to be ofgreater benefit and guidance to both museums and the public. Museum professionals have calledfor greater consensus about the way collections policies are carried out, and the need to make the
2process clearer to the public, thereby removing both secrecy in the museum field and myths inthe public mind, but there has been little in the way of recommendations for best practices. Thisis the gap in research this capstone project addresses.Ainslie (1999) clearly articulates the need for care in collecting objects, and theconnection between museum collections and the larger community:Deaccessioning of collections is not about lowering standards. It is dependent on goodjudgment and responsibility, and on being true to core values and beliefs. These are the sameattitudes which should guide acquisitions. In the past, there has been a great deal ofmindless collecting, along with poor documentation and care of public collections.Deaccessioning is about making difficult but realistic decisions in the interests of themuseum and its community. (p. 178)As Ainslie (1999) explains and Malaro (1991) concurs, collections management policies have agreat deal to do with the way museums act as reflections of the communities in which they exist.In order for a museum to operate in such a way that inspires confidence from its community, itmust collect responsibly, which involves the periodic reevaluation of the collection in order tomake sure the objects collected are in alignment with the mission and vision of the institution. Ina way, responsible collecting is a form of communication with the public. According to Ainslie(1999), “As the demographics of communities change, museums must reconsider and refocustheir collections. Museums must continue to refine and collect in areas appropriate to their coremandate in order to maintain the vitality of the museum” (p. 178).Collections management policies and collections plans, while related, are certainly notthe same thing. This paper focuses less on collections plans than on the use of and detail withincollections management policies as related to acquisitions and deaccessions. There is clearly notemplate for the creation of documents that guide the growth and revision of a museum’scollection, but this study explores important areas for inclusion in such documents.
3Using this model, wherein a collection of objects and the ways in which an art museumaddresses those objects is a means by which the museum communicates with the
collections management policies and practices, especially in regard to deaccessioning, as they relate both to museum professionals and the general public at purposively selected art museums in major metropolitan areas. Collections management and related collections poli
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March Tax Collections - Summary Data test Sales and Use Tax collections were above the estimate in March 2018 by 12.1m (0.5%) and over the March 2017 collections by 158.8m (6.9%). The estimates are based on the February 9, 2018 General Revenue Estimating Conference (GR) (page 3). CIT collections of 123.9m in March 2018 were below the estimates
Valuing History Collections Assigning a monetary value to a history organizations collections makes the collections appear to be financial assets and is counter to ethical principles espoused by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).
sales tax collections. The 2019 decline of 5.7 percent in gas prices and 4.2 percent in sales taxes collected on motor fuel is less dramatic. (See Figure 4.) Finally, some of the strength in collections could be related to a State policy change aimed at increasing both State and local tax collections on sales made over the internet.
respectively. Undistributable collections are unclaimed collections that are considered abandoned under State law. In Indiana, child support collections are presumed abandoned after various time periods depending on whether the State agency or county Clerk of t
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