7/04/2010

Speaking of Deaccessioning

The Association of Art Museum Directors has recently completed and released a new AAMD Policy on Deaccessioning.  The report is dated June 9, 2010 and is the result of an AAMD task force to review the AAMD policies on deaccessioning.

The revised or updated policy still does not allow proceeds from deaccessioning to be used for operations or capital expenses, only for the acquisition of new works. The report also gives 6 different deaccessioning scenarios with answers with regard to partial or fractional deaccessioning.

Lee Rosenbaum of the Culture Grrl blog had obtained a copy of the report, and uploaded it to an online viewer.  I upload the document as well.  Click HERE to view the new guidelines.
 
The report lists the following criteria for deaccessioning and disposal.

A. The work is of poor quality and lacks value for exhibition or study purposes.

B. The work is a duplicate that has no value as part of a series.

C. The museum’s possession of the work may not be consistent with applicable law, e.g., the work may have been stolen or illegally imported in violation of applicable laws of the jurisdiction in which the museum is located or the work may be subject to other legal claims.

D. The authenticity or attribution of the work is determined to be false or fraudulent and the object lacks sufficient aesthetic merit or art historical importance to warrant retention. In disposing of or retaining a presumed forgery, the museum shall consider all related ethical issues including the consequences of returning the work to the market.

E. The physical condition of the work is so poor that restoration is not practicable or would compromise the work’s integrity or the artist’s intent. Works damaged beyond reasonable repair that are not of use for study or teaching purposes may be destroyed.

F. The work is no longer consistent with the mission or collecting goals of the museum. The Board of Trustees or governing body of the museum must exercise great care in revising a museum’s mission or reformulating collecting goals.

G. The work is being sold as part of the museum’s effort to refine and improve its collections, in keeping with the collecting goals reviewed and approved by the museum’s Board of Trustees or governing body.

H. The museum is unable to care adequately for the work because of the work’s particular requirements for storage or display or its continuing need for special treatment.

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