Adding one more brick in the wall.  Can they meet basic loan conditions such as
security, light levels and environmental conditions?


Tim Vitale 
Paper, Photographs & 
Electronic Media Conservator 
Film Migration (still) to Digital Format 
Digital Imaging & Artwork Facsimiles 
Preservation & Imaging Consulting 
Preservation Associates 
1500 Park Avenue 
Suite 132 
Emeryville, CA 94608 

510-594-8277 
510-594-8799 fax 
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<[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]> 
[Use of the above URL may require a "Yahoo! ID" to download
files.] 

Albumen website (2001) <http://albumen.stanford.edu/>
VideoPreservation Website (2007)
<http://videopreservation.stanford.edu> 


-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Louisa Watrous
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 8:16 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Art Loans to Individuals?

You are right, and it's really tough to be in the role of enforcing
right practices! 

You can invoke basic tax law that a donor can't get any consideration in
exchange for gifts to the organization. It's a very serious area.

He should be purchasing a reproduction, as you suggested. The
organization should not give one to him.

We've had to do this on a number of occasions and felt really beaten up
by it. Fortunately, the last time this happened, our upper management
backed us up.

Call the IRS help line and ask for the business or nonprofit unit and
get some advice from them to specifically come back with. There should
be a Publication No. which you can download or have them send you, which
will back up this position. You can say that you don't want the donor to
be in jeopardy with the IRS, either.

Our Collections Policy provides that we don't loan original objects to
private individuals, only sister institutions. 

Surrogates based on originals can be lent or rented, but if there's a
donor relationship, fair consideration needs to be paid for them, as in
this case.

Louisa Watrous
Intellectual Property Manager
MYSTIC SEAPORT 
The Museum of America and the Sea
75 Greenmanville Ave., P.O. Box 6000
Mystic, CT 06355 USA
Tel: 860-572-5383, ext. 4703 / Fax: 860-572-5328
URLs: www.mysticseaport.org /
www.rosenfeldcollection.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Liz B
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 10:07 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Art Loans to Individuals?

Hello,
I am the Curator at a museum associated with a major national
non-profit. Our museum has a large art collection including many
paintings by Norman 
Rockwell. We typically only loan these works to other museums, but this
week 
I was asked (or should I say told) to loan one of the Rockwells to a
large $$ donor to display in his home until 2010. I offered other
solutions such as having a very high quality reproduction made for him
to keep, but this was rejected. All of my explanations as to why this is
a bad idea are laughed off and I am made to feel that I am overreacting.
The painting was promised to the donor by our Fundraising Division with
no consultation to the museum. My director understands my reluctance,
but is not willing to put her foot down and say no to them. Does anyone
know of any type of formal written statement issued by a museum
organization that says this is a no-no? I have searched but was unable
to find anything official. I am so worried about the door we are opening
if we go through with this loan! Am I overreacting in this situation??
Anyone dealt with anything similar and have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Liz

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