Collections Management Policy

The Collections Management Policy (CMP) is a compilation of written policies covering all aspects of collection activities including acquisition, disposal, documentation, and care and use of the objects for which the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block is permanently or temporarily guardian.

The following information is an abridged version of the complete Collection Management Policy which is available upon request in writing to Rights@TucsonMuseumofArt.org.

I.  Introduction

While final legal responsibility for collections rests with the Board of Trustees, the Board delegates some of this authority to a duly appointed Collections Committee to approve acquisitions, outgoing loans valued over $50,000, and recommend deaccessions to the Board of Trustees for final approval. 

II. Duties and Responsibilities of the Collections Committee

  • As an individual with decision-making authority affecting the Museum and its collections, each member of the Collections Committee shall abide by the Code of Ethics Policy as adopted by the Board of Trustees, effective April 26, 2003.
  • The Committee shall hold regular quarterly meetings, and special meetings as necessary.
  • The Committee shall discuss and vote upon outgoing loans of items of value over $50,000, as well as potential acquisitions to the collection—i.e. gifts, purchases, bequests—as proposed by the Curators or Executive Director.
  • Decisions made by the Committee shall be by simple majority vote of those present.
  • Members of the Committee shall encourage the growth of the collection by assisting in the development and procurement of gifts, bequests, and funds for acquisitions, conservation, and collections care.

III.  Scope of Collections      

The core of the Museum is its collections and the aesthetic and educational information that they convey. It is the responsibility of the Museum to acquire objects that are consistent with the goals and purposes of the Museum and, recognizing that the collections are an irreplaceable and finite resource, to maintain those objects in perpetuity.

  • American Art of the United States includes: 19th to Early 20th Century American Art; Impressionist Art; Art of the American Scene; Modern Art (1913 to 1970); Contemporary Art (1970 to present); Contemporary Native American Art; Contemporary Craft; Art of the American West; Photography; and Decorative Arts of the American Arts and Crafts Movement.
  • Art of the Americas includes: pre-Columbian Art of Mexico, Central America, and South America; Art of the Hispanic Vice-regencies and Colonies including Painting, Sculpture, Decorative, and Minor Arts; Art of Latin American Nations (Republics) inclusive of the Caribbean from 1821 forward; Decorative and Minor Arts of the Mediterranean and Asia pertaining to the Art of the Americas; Folk Art of the Americas; and Ethnographic Art of the Southwest and Pacific Northwest (including Canada).
  • Asian Art Collection includes 1st century to the 20th century fine and decorative arts from China, Japan Korea, Thailand, and India.
  • European Art includes: 16th – 20th c. European Art; Modern Art; Contemporary Art; and European Decorative Arts.

IV.   Acquisitions Guidelines

Whenever considering an acquisition to the Permanent Collection, the Museum shall strive to follow ethical, legal, and practical guidelines in order to fulfill its mission and ensure the security and integrity of the object. Prior to the presentation of any potential acquisition before the Collections Committee, the potential acquisition must fulfill the following requirements:

A. General

  • The object is unencumbered by donor- or vendor-imposed restrictions, such as requirements for duration or placement of display, method of disposal, or length of time the Museum must keep the object. Objects with restrictions may be accepted for accession only by vote of approval of the Board of Trustees.
  • The object is consistent with the goals of the Tucson Museum of Art, and falls within the scope of collections.
  • Staff knowledge and storage are sufficient to care for the object properly.
  • The provenance of an object is documented to the satisfaction of staff, the standards set forth in the UNESCO Cultural Property Act of 1970, and the AAM’s Guidelines Concerning the Unlawful Appropriation of Objects during the Nazi Era of 1999 (amended 2001).
  • The ownership of the object is not in question.
  • If obtained at an archaeological site, the object has been documented and its existence disclosed to the lawful owner of the site, as well as to appropriate legal or governmental authorities in its country of origin.
  • If a purchase, there exists no opportunity to obtain the object or a comparable object by gift or bequest.
  • The Museum is considered to be the most appropriate institution to acquire the object, over the interests of other collecting institutions.
  • The Museum intends, in good faith, to keep the object in the Museum’s Permanent Collection for the foreseeable future.
  • The Museum intends, in good faith, to use the object in the foreseeable future, in accordance with its mission.
  • Due diligence has been exercised by curatorial staff to authenticate the object, including contacting specialists, appraisers, or connoisseurs in the field.
  •  According to the best judgment of staff, the object will not result in major expenses in the foreseeable future that the Museum will be incapable of fulfilling (e.g., will need conservation or maintenance, or will open a new area of collecting).
  • The object is not physically hazardous to staff or to other collections objects.
  • If it falls outside the scope of collections, the object is considered to be special enough to warrant a new area of collecting.
  • The object does not contain materials prohibited by State, Federal or International Wildlife Regulations, for use or sale. Exceptions for acquisition may be made based on the following guidelines and others contained in the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (amended 1996): The object has accompanying documentation, both from the country of origin authorizing its exportation, and from the United States authorizing its importation; the object is an antique (i.e., not less than 100 years old); the object falls under a permit of exemption issued by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
B. Legal, Ethical, and Social Considerations

The Museum recognizes that throughout the world, millions of objects have been transferred illegally or forcibly from their rightful owners or countries of origin. In an effort to avoid potential disputes of ownership, and to enforce the spirit of international conventions, the Museum has adopted guidelines for provenance of objects both in its collection and on loan. Primary guidance for the conduct of the Museum regarding suspect objects will be the following federal and international initiatives:

Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property ("Cultural Property Act"), adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 1970

American Association of Museums' Guidelines Concerning the Unlawful Appropriation of Objects during the Nazi Era, 1999 (amended 2001)

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 1990

C. Appraisals and Authentication

  • No member of the Museum staff or board may provide statements of monetary value of any items to be donated to the Museum. The Collections Manager/Registrar or Curators may assign estimated values for internal use, loan agreements, or for temporary insurance coverage, but must state as such the purpose of the estimated value, and that the estimated value must not be considered an appraisal.
  • The Museum shall not pay for appraisals on donated objects. The Executive Director has the authority to waive this prohibition in special circumstances, such as a donor with limited means yet a highly valued object to be donated. In this case, the donor would independently contract the appraiser and the invoice would be sent to the Museum.
  • No member of the Museum staff or Board of Trustees may recommend one appraiser to a potential donor. If a donor requests a list of appraisers, the referral will include a statement that any referral does not constitute endorsement.
  • Donors shall be encouraged to have an appraisal done before making a donation. If the appraisal is not done before the date of the gift, the Museum shall make the object available to the appraiser of the donor’s choosing.
  •  If an appraisal is contracted by a donor for an object donated to the Museum, the appraiser shall send the appraisal to the donor, who shall then provide a copy to the Museum.
  • No member of the Museum staff or Board of Trustees may provide authentication of any artwork. Authentication includes, but is not limited to, a professional judgment on authorship, country of origin, and date created, and implies legal responsibility or guarantee for the accuracy of the information.

D. Objects Accepted for Other Purposes

Objects considered to be outside the collecting interests of the Museum, or those that do not meet acquisitions criteria, may be accepted from time to time for study or educational purposes. Such materials require the signed consent of the donor as non-accessioned material for inclusion in the Study Collection. Non-accessioned objects shall be recorded by the Collections Manager/Registrar, utilizing a dedicated numbering system, and shall be located outside of the main collections area.