7.3 Art Collection Management
The art collection at Bucks County Community College consists of artworks including, but limited to, paintings, murals, prints, sculpture, books, glass, photographs, ceramics and videos.
Management
The Art Collection is owned by Bucks County Community College with stewardship shared among three groups:
The Art Collection Committee assumes primary responsibility for curating and managing the objects including acquisition, de-accession, placement/display, oversight of facilities and risk management, and lending. The committee is appointed by, and reports directly to, the President and includes the Foundation Executive Director, the Assistant Academic Dean of the Arts, the Director of Exhibitions and Artmobile, full-time Art History faculty, and the Executive Director of Physical Plant.
The BCCC Foundation assumes administrative and financial responsibility related to the collection, such as correspondence with donors and maintaining all legal tax-related records.
The Department of the Arts assumes responsibility for the inventory and record keeping for the collection and appoints an individual to complete these activities.
Acquisition and Accession
Additions to the art collection may come as gifts, purchases or commissions and shall be reviewed by the Art Collection Committee whose recommendation will be forwarded to the President for action and communication to the Foundation Gift Acceptance Committee and Foundation Board of Directors. Included are acquisition proposals originating with the Cultural Programming committee, the Cultural Affairs Task Force, Cultural Incentive Grants as well as purchase prizes awarded to students by the Department of the Arts. Once accepted by the Foundation Board of Directors, a gift of art becomes College property and part of the College art collection.
The following criteria will be applied by the committee when an object is undergoing acquisition review:
- Object must have intrinsic artistic value and be consistent with the mission of beautifying the College campuses, preserving the history of Bucks County, and collecting work representing the achievements of students and faculty.
- Object must be suitable for all viewing audiences in a public space.
- Consideration will be given to care and handling requirements of the object.
- Object must have a verifiable record of authenticity and provenance as well as clear legal title.
- All acquisitions are to be outright, unconditional and irrevocable once physical transfer is
complete. - Object must be considered for display, not for immediate sale or exchange.
De-accession and Disposal
The Art Collection Committee shall make recommendations to the President regarding the de- accessioning of works of art in the collection. No member of the staff, Foundation Board of Directors or College Board of Trustees, shall personally profit from any transaction involving the sale or exchange of objects in the art collection.
Internal Loan
The Art Collection Committee may approve of the loan of artworks from the collection artwork to members of the College community for placement in College offices and other non-public spaces approved by the Art Collection Committee. Loaned artwork must be made available for viewing by the College’s art faculty and students. Artwork on loan may be removed from any area at any time, upon approval of the Art Collection Committee.
External Loan
The Art Collection Committee may choose to borrow privately-owned artwork for display in one of the College’s campuses; all maintenance, repairs and insurance will remain the full responsibility of the private owner.
Procedures: Art Collection Management
Acquisitions
The Department of the Arts is responsible for maintaining the Art Collection database. Acquisition information regarding any object which meets or exceeds the capital limit for the College must be communicated to the Finance department for inclusion in the institutional fixed asset database.
Each object in the collection will have an Accession Record that must include the following information: accession number, asset tag number, date and nature of acquisition, source of acquisition, artist, title, medium, dimensions, condition and description of object, provenance, value, name of staff recording the accession.
As available, additional information should be included, such as: copy of letter of gratitude from BCCC Foundation Office, copy of formal gift acknowledgement with Gift in Kind form from the Development Office, appraisal, artist biography, photograph and location.
De-accessioning
Objects may be de-accessioned through sale at public auction, donation or exchange to other nonprofit or educational institutions. The Finance department shall be notified of the de-accessioning of any object included in the institutional fixed asset database.
The Foundation should inform the donor, if known, of the potential disposition of the object and should acknowledge the generosity of the donor in connection with any activities accomplished due to the funds realized from the sale of objects. The Foundation is also responsible for any notifications required by the IRS as noted in the Foundation Gift Acceptance Policy.
De-accessioned objects should have a completed De-accession Form with the following information: date of recommendation for de-accession, accession number, asset tag number, artist, title, medium, dimensions, condition and description of object, name/address of source of accessioned object, date of accession and de-accession, name/address of new owner, sale price or exchange value, any limiting conditions agreed to at time of accession and the reasons for these conditions, insured value, estimated market value per appraisal, proposed method of de- accession, photograph of object.