the art collectors

Friday, March 20th, 2009

Transparency in Deaccession

Image still from IMA’s online Deaccession Database

While the debate over museums’ rights to relinquish works of art continues, the Indianapolis Museum of Art has taken a step in the direction of full disclosure, launching an online database of deaccessioned or soon to be sold works from its collection.  Along with detailed sales records, the site also allows comments from the public, who wish to weigh in on the museum’s decisions.  As reported by Culture Grrl, IMA already has plans to improve these listings with information regarding how funds raised from the sale of specific works are applied to the acquisition of new art.

IMA Director and CEO, Maxwell Anderson commented on the endeavor, stating, “In light of the recent economic downturn and the resulting financial strain experienced by museums, the topic of deaccessioning has become a front-burner issue, making institutional transparency more vital than ever. This searchable database will evolve to include information regarding how the IMA uses funds from deaccessioned works to enhance and shape the Museum collection.” 

In a further mover towards transparency, the museum has published its Deaccession Policy, which clearly abides by the Association of Art Museum Directors code of ethics, stating that “funds received from all sales of works of art will be used for the purchase of works of art from the same period or culture.”

The IMA’s initiative comes in the wake of recent controversy concerning both the National Academy and Brandies University’s sale of art to meet operating costs. After The Academy sold two Hudson River School paintings this past December, The Association of Art Museum Directors implemented sanctions barring the institution from borrowing from other museums. Last week the AAMD met with National Academy representatives to discuss how they could achieve financial stability without further deaccession. A joint statement published 3/11 on the AAMD website, indicates the Academy “will begin a process to restructure its governance practices” to “include more rigorous fiscal oversight,” and halt the sale  of “additional works of art as was originally proposed.”