Museums have moved beyond exclusively collections-based missions, and the economics of museums have tightened considerably. As a result, the tenor of the discussion around the practice of deaccessioning and use of its proceeds has become livelier, if not strident. While the professional associations continue to expect adherence to their standards, Boards of Trustees are looking at museum collections as assets that can potentially be monetized to support the museum’s mission or ensure its survival.

As museum professionals and trustees engage in these discussions and make critical decisions for their institutions, they will benefit from a deeper understanding of the complex and nuanced aspects of deaccessioning, which this book presents anew.

Is It Okay to Sell the Monet? provides background on deaccessioning and disposal of deaccessioned objects and a context for changes in the field brought about by expanding missions and contracting resources. It includes an important discussion on how museums might utilize collections in new ways that benefit their visitors and communities. It provides practical guidance on the process of disposing of objects and explores the ethical standards of professional museum associations—examining their history, relevancy, and practical effect. It also delves into the complicated legal issues that sometimes challenge these ethical rules. Finally, it analyzes high profile museum case studies with important takeaways that will be useful for museums faced with similar circumstances.

Julia Courtney holds masters degrees in art history and museum studies (Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts) and art and museum education (Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts). She recently published The Legal Guide for Museum Professionals (Rowman & Littielfield, April 2015). She has been in the museum field for over 23 years, and Curator of Art emeritus for the Springfield Art Museums in Springfield, Massachusetts. She is an independent curator, freelance writer, artist and adjunct faculty member for the Graduate Museum Studies Program at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts and the Graduate Gallery Management and Exhibits Program at Western Colorado State University in Gunnison, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Can We Save the Art and the Museum? – Julia Courtney

Part 1: The Context of the Debate
Chapter 1: Two Cheers for Deaccessioning - Bernard Fishman
Chapter 2: Museums Can Change—Will they? Michael O’Hare

Part 2: The Mechanics of Disposal
Chapter 3: Keeping Objects in the Public Domain: Legal and Practical Issues –Stephanie Jandl/Mark Gold)
Chapter 4: When Out of the Book Won’t Do: Next Steps in Resolving Deaccession Conundrums –Darlene A. Bialowski
Chapter 5: Are You Sure that was a Copy? Deaccessioning Mistakes—Chris Robinson

Part 3: The Use of Proceeds: Ethics and the Role of Professional Associations
Chapter 6: Use of Funds from the Sale of Deaccessioned Objects: It’s a Matter of Ethics -Sally Yerkovich

Chapter 7: Making the Case: FASBs Accounting Standards Should be Re-aligned with AAMs Long-Standing Guidance on the Use of Sale Proceeds - Lori Breslauer and Sara Eber
Chapter 8: Monetizing the Collection: The Intersection of Law, Ethic, and Trustee Prerogative - Mark Gold
Chapter 9: Flying Under the Radar: What Does Direct Care of the Collection Really Mean? -Ashley Downing

Part 4: Case Studies
Chapter 10: Building a Legacy for the Liberal Arts: Deaccesioning the Newell Bequest, Wheaton College – Leah Niedertadt
Chapter 11: Digital Deaccessioning: An Exploration of the Life Cycle of Digital Works in Museum Collections – Katherine E. Lewis
Chapter 12: Higgins Armory Museum and the Worcester Art Museum:
A Case Study in Combining and Transforming Mature Cultural Institutions - James C. Donnelly, Jr. and Catherine M. Colinvaux
Chapter 13: Taking the Barbershop out of the Berkshires: How the Berkshire Museum Case May Set New Precedent- Julia Courtney

This work examines the practice and ethics of museum deaccessioning. The subject of controversial and complex debate among museum professionals, deaccessioning remains relevant as many institutions continue to suffer the effects of the 2008 recession. Representing a variety of viewpoints, the contributors to this collection include museum collection experts, art attorneys, art dealers, and other professionals. The essays appear in four sections, the first of which explores the context of the deaccessioning debate, detailing the ethical dilemmas and exploring potential solutions to issues. The second section looks at the logistics of deaccessioning and works entering the private domain, and the third looks at the use of deaccessioning funds and the ethics regarding monetizing collections for other institutional means. The last section presents case studies, outlining the outcomes and lessons learned from recent major deaccessioning projects. Particularly noteworthy in this final section is an essay by arts attorney Katherine Lewis, who focuses on the new and increasingly important issue of deaccessioning in digital collections. An important and useful text, this timely, well-edited volume will be particularly valuable for museum professionals, historians, and those in adjacent art-related industries.
Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, researchers, faculty, and professionals.
— Choice Reviews
 

While deaccessioning is an acceptable collection management option for most museums, it also has the potential to cause enormous public controversy. "Is it Okay to Sell the Monet?" brings together thoughtful essays presenting various perspectives on the practice. It is a valued, reasoned, and welcome addition to discussion of this often highly volatile topic.
— Steven Miller, Adjunct Professor, ret., Seton Hall University MA Program in Museum Professions, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ. Author of Deaccessioning Today: Theory and Practice
 

This timely collection of essays should be mandatory reading for all museum professionals. It offers fresh perspectives on the legal, ethical, historical and political complexities of deaccessioning in the 21st-century museum world where no single approach works for all.
— Cynthia Robinson, Director of Museum Studies, Tufts University