Those of you working in University Museums--particularly art museums--may
be of help with our colleagues' circumstance, below. Max's reply to Lyndel's
query comes first.  Since niether is on MUSEUM-L, please reply to Lyndel at
<[log in to unmask]> directly and "cc." the list (if you think your
reply would be of general interest (I have no idea how many College and
University Galleries are on MUSEUM-L . . . ))
 
----- Forwarded message begins here -----From: Maxwell L Anderson
<[log in to unmask]>Fri, 17 Jun 1994 17:28:23 -0400
 
Subject: Re: portrait policy
 
Dear Lyndel & Co.,
 
How timely! We are struggling with the formulation of a policy of exactly
this kind, thanks to the well-intentioned but rather casually arranged
acceptance of a 1500-pound stone 'well-head' by our university's capital
campaign.  Its fair market value is $2000 and it would cost that to move,
install, and label it.  We've succeeded in persuading the university to
decline the gift--our facilities management division was ready to pick it
up!
 
Keep us posted on your successes in getting replies?  We are going to
push hard for Museum approval of all future gifts of "appreciated property"
that might come back to haunt us, on the assumption that the first hint
of vandalism will bring our conservator, preparators, and curators into
an unforeseen and unwanted situation.  When reviewing an offer of gift, the
administration should be prepared to answer the question "Who ya gonna
call?" in the event of any problem--and if it's likely to be us, we
should rule on the terms of its acceptance in accordance with existing
or reformulated collections management policies.
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Max
 
 
On Fri, 17 Jun 1994, Lyndel I. King wrote:
 
> Hello
>
> I don't mean to be cluttering up cyberspace, but I do use e-mail so constantly
> for staff communication that it seems perfectly natural to me to send out
 quick
> notes requesting information. So, to all you university museum directors who
 are
> in the ether, here's a question.
>
> I had a call today from one of our donors who is also affiliated with another
> university, and she's wondering if we or other universities have policies that
> require that all art given to the university get approved by a central
> committee.  She's thinking specifically of "dreadful portraits" of past
> presidents and deans, etc., that keep being given to the University to
> departments or dormitories, and that keep getting hung up in cafeterias and
> offices.
>
> I told her that we could control through our accessions committee process,
 what
> was given specifically to the museum's collection, and that might even later
 be
> hung up somewhere outside the museum, but that we had never been able to exert
> central control over what got hung up in dormitory cafeterias and departmental
> offices or even what art other departments of the university decided to
 accept.
> I told her I didn't think it was common at universities to have such central
> control, at least not big statge universities, but I would see if anyone else
> among us had more information. If anybody has such a policy or knows of a
 place
> that does, I'd appreciate your sending a quick note to let me know.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Lyndel
>
> Lyndel King
> Director
> Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum
> 333 East River Road
> University of Minnesota
> Minneapolis, MN  55455
> voice 612-625-9494
> fax   612-625-9630
> e-mail [log in to unmask]
>
>       portrait policy
>
      Re: portrait policy                                                    R
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