>Its not just an ethical question is it? It is my understanding that
>non-profit institutions aren't allowed to sell anything, unless under
>special circumstances.

What do you mean by "anything?"  How about memberships, classes, tickets to
performances, admission to special exhibitions, postcards featuring work in
their collections, logo merchandise, etc.?  NFP's can sell what they want,
it's just got to be part of their mission or else it's taxable.

As for the issue of selling work from the galleries, well, when I was in
grad school there was a big flap about a Bougereau exhibition that was
supposedly organized by a curator who was supposedly working closely on the
show with a commercial gallery that sold--surprise--Bougereaus.  Although
none of the work in the exhibition was for sale, just having the exhibition
raised the prominence and prestige of Bougereaus (up to that point rather
ridiculed and scorned) and made the commercial gallery sell what ordinarily
couldn't be sold.  Museum exhibitions do help make the market even if they
don't sell stuff themselves.

BTW, as an art center we "can" sell out of our galleries.  Hardly anything
gets sold, except from the student or faculty shows.

Julia Moore
Indianapolis Art Center