Gimme Space! Museum collections care with specific reference to deaccessions. An #OMA2022 session with Andrew Richmond of Wipiak Consulting and Appraisals. This ppt was prepared by Ware Petznick.

1. Gimme Space: A curator’s perspective
Dr Ware Petznick
Ohio Museums Association
Annual Conference April 2022

2. Deaccessioning is a regular part of collections
management. It is considered good practice when
the process follows professionally accepted ethical
and legal standards. Generally speaking,
deaccessioning does not cause institutional failure.
However, deaccessioning is sometimes a symptom
of institutional challenge if it is considered as a
means to financially stabilize an institution.
https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Collections-Sustainability-Rubric-Ready-for-web-6-20.2-1.pdf
What is Deaccessioning?
“undertaken solely for the advancement of the museum’s mission.”
– Code of Ethics CURCOM, 2009
https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/curcomethics.pdf

3. Who are you?
• Recent grad?
• Intern?
• Mid level staff?
No matter who you are, if you are in charge of a collection, you must
assume the role of an expert, make decisions and advise the board about
the best way to care for the collection. Although it is a part of collections
care, it can come with its own trials. Newark Deaccessions backlash: https://news.artnet.com/art-
world/newark-museums-plan-deaccession-sothebys-1966696

4. Curator Role – Focus on Principles
https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHII/mh2ch6.pdf
NPS Handbook on Deaccessioning alone is 59 pages! Forms,
examples, multiple ways of performing the process…

5. YOUR TIME is one of the greatest assets
NAVIGATE
COLLECTION
No matter your background your responsibility to care for your collection is limited by time – with
numerous responsibilities and stakeholders. TIME is of the ESSENCE – SPACE and an ORGANIZED
COLLECTION (storage, digital records and on display) helps you be efficient.
NAVIGATE
BOARD
NAVIGATE
COMMUNITY
NAVIGATE
STAFF/VOLS

6. Storage of
your Dreams

7. Storage of
your Dreams
Dunn Museum in Illinois – Crucial table space
to process incoming and outgoing loans and
exhibit objects
https://www.spacesaver.com/portfolio-posts/collections-storage-layout/

8. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Reality

9. Entrusted to care – Agents of Deterioration
• •Physical Forces
• •Thieves and Vandals
• •Dissociation
• •Fire
• •Water
• •Pests
• •Pollutants
• •Light, Ultraviolet and Infrared
• •Incorrect Temperature
• •Incorrect RH
Almost all of these threats to collections can be due to a lack of space –
or the right kind of space. https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/agents-deterioration.html

10. Entrusted to care – Agents of Deterioration
• •Physical Forces
• •Thieves and Vandals
• •Dissociation
• •Fire
• •Water
• •Pests
• •Pollutants
• •Light, Ultraviolet and Infrared
• •Incorrect Temperature
• •Incorrect RH
Inspector Morse The Daughters of Cain - At the Pitt Rivers, a murderer moved other knives to disguise its
absence. Hessian left no mark to indicate it was missing. If every object is visible and in a specific place, it is
easier to identify missing objects.

11. Entrusted to care – Agents of Deterioration
• •Physical Forces
• •Thieves and Vandals
• •Dissociation
• •Fire
• •Water
• •Pests
• •Pollutants
• •Light, Ultraviolet and Infrared
• •Incorrect Temperature
• •Incorrect RH
What was believed to have been a spelter sculpture was in
fact the base to an Ansonia swinger clock, ca. 1904-1906. It
was not located anywhere near it in storage, but once the
base was identified, it did not take long to find the clock –
which was with clocks!

12. Entrusted to care – Agents of Deterioration
• •Physical Forces
• •Thieves and Vandals
• •Dissociation
• •Fire
• •Water
• •Pests
• •Pollutants
• •Light, Ultraviolet and Infrared
• •Incorrect Temperature
• •Incorrect RH
Almost all of these threats to collections can be due to a lack of space – or
the right kind of space – let alone its contribution to staff frustration!

13. Entrusted to care – Agents of Deterioration
• •Physical Forces
• •Thieves and Vandals
• •Dissociation
• •Fire
• •Water
• •Pests
• •Pollutants
• •Light, Ultraviolet and Infrared
• •Incorrect Temperature
• •Incorrect RH
Almost all of these threats to collections can be due to a lack of
space – or the right kind of space
Hurricane Prep =
Books were all located together,
so was easy – under time
pressure – to protect books
under plastic

14. https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Collections-Sustainability-Rubric-Ready-for-web-6-20.2-1.pdf

15. How is your Collection
Protected?

16. How is your Collection
Displayed?

17. How is your Collection
Accessed?
https://www.historic-deerfield.org/flynt-center-of-early-new-england-life
“Museum’s Attic”
Storage AND Display in one. Not
everyone has such storage, so if you do
not have space to store objects like
this, you may consider deaccessioning.

18. • Focus collection content
• Put collection in line with Collections Policy
and mission
• Remove Nazi-stolen art and objects
• Remove items that cannot be cared for by
your organization
• Make room for what is important
• Turn assets into other kinds of assets
• Make it easier to protect collection during
emergencies
• Duplication
• You can legally and with approval of donors
• GIMME SPACE!
Why Deaccession?
Mercedes Benz Gullwing 1956 SOLD
Formerly in Crawford Auto Museum

19. • LEGAL terms of gift
• Public perception
• Favorite objects of board and public
• Objects contribute to mission
• Objects can be cared for
• Plenty of space and money to
store, research, document,
display, protect in emergencies
• Not necessary
Why NOT Deaccession?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

20. Most deaccessions decisions
involve at least one of these
internal or external factors.
REMEMBER
Collections objects are assets.
YOUR TIME is also an asset to your
organization.
If you struggle to find objects,
move objects, display objects, store
objects - - then you should consider
ways to make things more efficient
for you and your staff.
Strategic Decision-Making

21. According to CurCom’s 2009
Code of Ethics for Curators:
Deaccessioning is
undertaken solely for
the advancement of
the museum’s mission.
Suggest ONLY to raise
money for the collection.
Strategic Decision-Making

22. EXAMPLES:
Deaccessioning Nazi or other
illegally acquired objects
Deaccessioning objects that do
not contribute to your mission
or collections policy
Deaccessioning objects that
cannot be conserved/restored
Deaccessioning for Strength and Opportunities

23. EXAMPLES:
Board members don’t approve
Contradicts donor agreement >
illegal disposal
Public not informed and
question why money is being
made this way
Deaccessioning Weaknesses and Threats

24. • Board endorse action
• Legal – deeds of gift followed
• Public and DONORS notified
and educated about why
• Follows collections policy
• Contributes to mission
• Makes money that is applied
to a collections fund to care
for what remains
• Positives outweigh potential
negatives
• Clearly defined goals
Deaccessioning the right way
https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/developing-a-cmp-final.pdf

25. • Planned sale Andy Warhol’s Last Supper
• Board members sued
• Sale cancelled at last minute Oct 2020
• Followed AAMD guidelines
• Opportunities
• Make space – ONE LARGE CANVAS!
• Make $65M to care for current collection
• $ to diversify art acquisitions
Strategic Decision-Making – Baltimore
https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/10/the-covid-hydra-bites-a-baltimore-museum/

26. Deaccessioning choices – all create SPACE
.
ONLY AFTER CONFIRMING LEGAL OWNERSHIP, guidance regarding these
choices should be defined in your collections policy. If sell objects, do you keep
money specifically for a collections fund? Or general operating expenses?
DISPOSAL RETURN TRANSFER SALE

27. What Colleagues have to say…
I’m generally very wary of deaccessioning unless you
have an exceptionally good handle on your
collection. Twenty years ago, we did a book on the
Anglo Indian furniture collections in the V&A and
PEM. The simple morhas (reed stools) with good
provenance with American families in India in the
19thc were important, because the V&A had
deaccessioned all of theirs in the
1970s as unimportant. The work to
deaccession well is huge so it’s rarely
efficient from a space/time/$$
triangulation.
Karina Corrigan
Peabody Essex Museum

28. What Colleagues have to say…
*Don’t be afraid of it.
*If it’s in your collections policy, you have the
right/ability to do it.
*document, document, document and if you don’t
have a lot of documentation on the object(s), just be clear on
your justification for removal from the collection.
*in addition to having a clear deaccession policy, be sure to
have a clear disposal policy… what is allowed and
what isn’t? Do you have a priority order for disposal methods?
* don’t be afraid to talk about deacessioning… if you transfer
something, celebrate its new home. If you are doing a major
deaccessioning project, you have good reasons for doing it;
explain your work and your reasons, so people
can see the good and necessary work of
collections care.
Jason Krabill
Decorative Arts Center of Ohio

29. What Colleagues have to say…
In my opinion the key points about
deaccessioning are
1) it's a positive, healthy part of
collections management and
2) transparency is everything and that
money from disposal goes back to the
collection, to acquire or care for
existing objects--it's a beautiful thing
http://lacmaonfire.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-lacma-got-
wrestlers.html?m=1
Lauren Hansgen
Dunham Tavern Museum