Open Forum

Maya:  Yes, and yes, both for annual giving and lifetime giving.  We book the gift at the appraised value of the artwork (gift-in-kind) at the time of the gift.  Ideally, this appraisal is done by an outside appraiser.  However, when that is not possible (or the donor does not need an appraisal for tax purposes), we will use a conservative "curatorial estimate" for the value (duly noted as such in the records). Of course, we make it very clear to the donor that we cannot provide them with appraisals, as that is their responsibility.  When we need to make a curatorial estimate, it is for internal records only.

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Gregory Wittkopp
Director
Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
Bloomfield Hills MI
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2019 08:59 AM
From: Maya Erhardt
Subject: Gifts of Art

Hello,

I'm hoping that colleagues at arts organizations could help me with a couple of questions regarding gifts of art. 

1. Do you count gifts of art in your annual giving totals. If so, how do you value the gifts of art?

2. Do you count gifts of art in your lifetime/cumulative giving totals. If so, how do you value the gifts of art?

Any policies or procedures that you can share regarding how gifts of art are recorded, acknowledged and recognized would also be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Maya

Maya Erhardt

Senior Manager of Donor Relations

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

200 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard 

Richmond, Virginia 23220

p: 804.204.2666

e: maya.erhardt@vmfa.museum

Original Message------

Hello,

I'm hoping that colleagues at arts organizations could help me with a couple of questions regarding gifts of art. 

1. Do you count gifts of art in your annual giving totals. If so, how do you value the gifts of art?

2. Do you count gifts of art in your lifetime/cumulative giving totals. If so, how do you value the gifts of art?

Any policies or procedures that you can share regarding how gifts of art are recorded, acknowledged and recognized would also be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Maya

Maya Erhardt

Senior Manager of Donor Relations

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

200 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard 

Richmond, Virginia 23220

p: 804.204.2666

e: maya.erhardt@vmfa.museum

It will be interesting to read responses to this question Maya.  Since museums rigorously avoid giving appraisals for collection gifts how would listing the monetary value of a donation differ from this?  Perhaps if it is cumulative and not itemized it might work.  Since museum collections are worthless...oops, I mean priceless, assigning a price tag to things runs counter to all that museums stand for.  Of course collections are insured but usually for a blanket amount on the assumption that not all will be lost at once.  Unless a museum has a very small collection and can keep tabs on the ebb and flow of the marketplace for such items, it is virtually impossible to set an honest appraisal and keep it current.  Of course, with the fast-growing commercial deaccessioning now favored by derelict boards of trustees, and the rise of television "game" shows such as the Antiques Roadshow, American Pickers, and Pawn Stars, everything has its price, including museum collections.  [For the Roadshow reference see the television sitcom series Frazier, episode 7, season 7 - hysterical.] And, speaking about deaccessioning, though you are asking about listing the market value of art donations, I would be interested to hear from museums that itemize in their annual reports the income gotten from selling individual collections in a given year.  The list could be referenced to the institution's website and should include photos and catalog information.

Regards,

Steve   

Steven Miller
Doylestown, PA

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Doylestown, PA

Executive Director Retired
Boscobel Restoration, Inc.
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2019 08:59 AM
From: Maya Erhardt
Subject: Gifts of Art

Hello,

I'm hoping that colleagues at arts organizations could help me with a couple of questions regarding gifts of art. 

1. Do you count gifts of art in your annual giving totals. If so, how do you value the gifts of art?

2. Do you count gifts of art in your lifetime/cumulative giving totals. If so, how do you value the gifts of art?

Any policies or procedures that you can share regarding how gifts of art are recorded, acknowledged and recognized would also be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Maya

Maya Erhardt

Senior Manager of Donor Relations

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

200 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard 

Richmond, Virginia 23220

p: 804.204.2666

e: maya.erhardt@vmfa.museum

Original Message------

It will be interesting to read responses to this question Maya.  Since museums rigorously avoid giving appraisals for collection gifts how would listing the monetary value of a donation differ from this?  Perhaps if it is cumulative and not itemized it might work.  Since museum collections are worthless...oops, I mean priceless, assigning a price tag to things runs counter to all that museums stand for.  Of course collections are insured but usually for a blanket amount on the assumption that not all will be lost at once.  Unless a museum has a very small collection and can keep tabs on the ebb and flow of the marketplace for such items, it is virtually impossible to set an honest appraisal and keep it current.  Of course, with the fast-growing commercial deaccessioning now favored by derelict boards of trustees, and the rise of television "game" shows such as the Antiques Roadshow, American Pickers, and Pawn Stars, everything has its price, including museum collections.  [For the Roadshow reference see the television sitcom series Frazier, episode 7, season 7 - hysterical.] And, speaking about deaccessioning, though you are asking about listing the market value of art donations, I would be interested to hear from museums that itemize in their annual reports the income gotten from selling individual collections in a given year.  The list could be referenced to the institution's website and should include photos and catalog information.

Regards,

Steve   

Steven Miller
Doylestown, PA

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Doylestown, PA

Executive Director Retired
Boscobel Restoration, Inc.
------------------------------

Original Message------

Dear Steve - Maya seemed to be asking only about current donations... not objects already in collections.  I may be wrong.  To your comments - Museums absolutely should NOT appraise for others and should not appraise (or even have appraised) their own collections for the very reason to which you allude but don't state - the temptation for some (see debates about Brandeis, Philadelphia Hospital - Dr. Gross Clinic, etc., etc.) institutions is too great and when they are short of cash - monetizing objects becomes too tempting.

I would also studiously avoid listing publicly de-accessioned objects and what they brought for SOOO many reasons, including, but nor limited to:

Funds from these can be used only to acquire other objects or for direct care of collections; there may be family members still living who would be offended (even litigious) learning of sales of objects; and again, the temptation by board members (even staff) to view collections as liquid assets is boosted by such a list.

I insist that auction houses, when representing objects from museum collections list provenance only as "sold to benefit a Connecticut museum."

Vivian F. Zoë, Director
Slater Memorial Museum
108 Crescent Street, Norwich CT 06360
860-425-5560 vox
860-885-0379 fax

"Inspiration is for amateurs - the rest of us just show up and get to work," Chuck Close, 2003

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