Astrida -- interesting dilemma.  If it were me, I wouldn't try to parse the murky ethics.  Rather, I would say that when a situation arises in which the ethics are so questionable, the museum should take the path of least impropriety -- i.e., auction the objects as originally planned and advertised, and avoid the perception that the museum might have done something unethical.

/stephen

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________________________________________
From: Museum discussion list [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Schaeffer, Astrida [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 7:27 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] ethics question

I am seeking advice on a potentially sticky situation.

We were recently given objects with no strings attached and have been storing them for some months. The verbal directive was to do with them as we saw fit, but the context was as a donation to an upcoming fundraising auction.The donor doesn't care if we accession or sell at auction, there has been no deed of gift or written instruction. Since the objects do not really fit the parameters of the collection nor our financial ability to give them the context of similar work in future, it made sense to us to include them in the auction so that their sale could help us acquire desperately needed improvements to storage, lighting, and other core needs. Indeed, they became the centerpiece of the fundraising event and moved it to a new, higher level than we've had before.

Now our Board of Advisors is beginning to make noises about wanting to accession some or all of the objects instead. But all have been featured in advertising for the auction, which is mere weeks away. It seems to us that if we were to change course at this late date there would be murky ethical issues, in part because since this saga began we have been provided with values, some of which are quite high. There is feeling that one of the values is in fact too high and unattainable at actual sale, there are big differences on the numbers from different sources, but if this object in particular would end up accessioned the tax benefit to the donor would be a good deal higher than if it sold. The donor has basically stayed out of the whole thing, the push to accession began very recently from within the Board. A new twist is that one of the donors is now on the Board (was not at the time we took possession of the objects); as far as we know, though, this person has remained aloof from the current argument.

The staff would rather keep everything in the auction, but it may happen that we will have to bow to Board pressure. I'm thinking that if any do get pulled for accessioning, step one would be, in effect, to give it/them back to the donors to close off this part of their history and to then have it/them cleanly handed back to us with written donor intent, followed by our usual deed procedures. Is this correct?

This is totally new territory for us. Any advice would be very much appreciated, and we want to do the correct, ethical thing!

Astrida


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Astrida Schaeffer, Exhibitions and Collections Manager
Museum of Art, University of New Hampshire
Paul Creative Arts Center
30 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824-3538
603-862-0310
FAX: 603-862-2191

www.unh.edu/moa<http://www.unh.edu/moa>

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