Stephanie,

For my two cents....The answer is easy, but the situation is a potentially
difficult one.

The "answer" is that the museum would not take the object(s). It is an
important element of standard collection care policy and our ethical
responsibility to our objects to avoid taking things that we can not care
for properly. There are numerous works on museum ethics you should be able
to cite in that regard.

That said, there are innumerable extenuating circumstances and options
under which the gift might be accepted none the less. The museum might make
special arrangements for its care, or ask an institution that can care for
it to house it on a loan basis. They might decide to take it based on the
unacceptable alternative of the object being lost or destroyed, and deal
with the care concerns later. The institution may suggest or solicit other
institutions that are able to care for it properly, for the benefit of the
donor. They might even request that the donor provide funds to help care
for the object properly, depending upon the needs of the object(s). It does
however happen, especially in cases where an institution has few options
and the donor/acquirer/purchaser offers no solutions.

In my case, refusals have almost always been because of an inability to
house a large piece(s), due to ever-decreasing storage space in an aging
building.

Good luck.

Mark Janzen
Registrar/Collections Manager
Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection
Wichita State University
(316)978-5850



             Stephanie Rohwer
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                                       Advice Needed

             12/08/2006 02:26
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I am a graduate student at Tufts University and I'm working on my final
paper assignment for a class I'm taking.  The assignment requires me to ask

question and then use research to support an answer to that question.  My
question is:  "What course of action should a museum take if it is
presented
with an object that meets its mission, but it is an object that the museum
can not properly care for."  I'm looking for any advice anyone can give me.

I know this situation has come up countless times, so if anyone is willing
to share their experiences, I would really appreciate your help.

Stephanie Rohwer

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