I have to agree with Jay Heuman on this point. We routinely take the
opportunity to use our collection in the way he describes in his very
well written message. The home of the President (at UAF at least)  is
owned by the University. It is used, as Mr. Heuman describes, as a
multi-function facility to which very influential and powerful people
visit. By loaning objects (and this is how we view it) to the office of
the President, we in effect are advertising our fine collection of
ethnological objects as well as contemporary pieces made by Alaska
Native people. By labeling properly, we are also able to throw in bits
of research being done by our academic curators, thereby promoting our
intellectual goals and encouraging continued funding of our institution.

Our museum does not have a regular acquisitions budget and the
ethnology department is dependent on donations to expand our
collection. By having recently donated material on exhibit in the
president's office and/or home (as well as the chancellor and other
upper level administrators) we are able to show the kinds of objects
that we accept and hopefully, are planting a seed to potential donors.

Our staff always goes to install these pieces. We choose where they
will be placed (or will advise where we prefer them to be). We always
provide exhibit cases for small, easily damaged (or pocketed) objects.
In these we place labels that follow the format of labels for our
permanent gallery. This allows anyone to follow up and get more
information from me regarding the individual piece. This also provides
advertisement for the aforementioned local Alaska Native artists, which
would hopefully help them sell more of their art work.

We have never had reason to question these procedures before. Each
president and chancellor that we've gone thru has truly appreciated
having these objects (both from our department and the fine art
collection). They provide talking points for visitors from the Lower-48
as well as international visitors and they help to put in visual terms,
some of the truly unique things that the people of our state represent
- this can be said of each and every state as well.

Sincerely,
Angela

Angela J. Linn
Collections Manager, Ethnology & History
University of Alaska Museum
907 Yukon Drive
P.O. Box 756960
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6960
TEL: (907) 474-1828
FAX: (907) 474-5469
www.uaf.edu/museum

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