What comes around goes around...
You may do as you wish with the art that has already been deaccessioned, including returning it to the school for it to do as it wishes. Art you want to re-accession should go through your normal accessioning process, as if you are starting all over - which is what you are doing actually.
The processing and procedureal fault was in allowing the accession numbers to remain on the deaccessioned items. These are usually removed or covered over.
This is a new one to me so thank you. I'll not add it as an example in the book I have written on deaccessioning but it is unusal.
Regards,
Steve
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Steven Miller
Executive Director
Boscobel House and Gardens
Garrison NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2017 10:02 AM
From: Suzanne Slabaugh
Subject: Reaccessioning Deaccessioned Objects
All,
Last year we received a call from the local school board saying that they had found 30 pieces of art with our accession numbers and labels in their storage room and they wanted to return them to the museum. We couldn't find any paperwork on the deaccessioning process, so we took them back.
Now a year later, I've uncovered the deaccessioning paperwork and all were donated to the school board for education. Problem is - the school board doesn't want them back, AND we want to reaccession a select few back into the collection because they are actually valuable to our collection's mission.
Does anyone have any advice or articles or literature on what the ethics are on reaccessioning deaccessioned objects? As well as disposing of previously donated deaccessioned works?
Registrar/Collections Manager
Pensacola Museum of Art