Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum Collection Policy

The Museum Staff shall make the collection available to the public through popular and scholarly on-site and traveling exhibitions, virtual presentations (of exhibitions and collection objects), and professional publications. The collection is an important resource to the University's students, faculty, and staff, as well as to the region's communities and

visitors. In addition, it provides opportunities for the training of museum professionals, such as curators, registrars, museum educators, preparators, and gallery technicians, among others.

All collection items' acquisition and deaccession decisions are made by RAFFMA Staff, and when required, by RAFFMA's Acquisition Committee. The Committee adheres to this and other pertinent Museum documents including the Collection Plan and Code of Ethics. Acquisitions and deaccessions are identified and begin with Museum Staff with expert knowledge of collections and exhibitions.

1. All potential acquisitions should be evaluated by the following criteria:

   a. Relevance: The extent to which the acquisition aligns with and enhances the Museum's Mission and stated areas of focus (reference III - Collections Scope).

   b. Resources: Our ability to care for, store, maintain and exhibit the artwork and associated documentation, considering current and future resources such as storage and display space, conservation costs, staff, and budgets. No object should be acquired if the Museum is unable to give it proper care.

   c. Condition: RAFFMA declines donations or purchases of damaged artworks. New acquisition donors must provide the funding for conservation treatment as outlined in our Proposed Collections Donation procedure. The Museum does not accept works that it cannot manage in keeping with museum standards for present and future conservation.

   d. Provenance: No object should be acquired if its records or provenance are unsatisfactory or if there is any question concerning legal transfer or title. The acquisition should have documentation as to the origin, previous ownership, and pertinent classification information.

   1. Any work accessioned into the permanent collection must have a provenance that is satisfactory and legitimate in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. When applicable, the object must also satisfy the terms of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
   2. The Museum recognizes in accordance with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), that there are cases in which it may be in the public's interest for a museum to acquire an object, thus bringing it into the public domain, when there is substantial but not full documentation that the provenance meets the conditions outlined above. If the museum accepts material in such cases, it should be transparent about why this is an appropriate decision in alignment with the institution's collections policy and applicable ethical codes.

   e. The willingness of the donor (owner) to transfer complete ownership (provide clear title) to RAFFMA without restrictions, limitations, or conditions. Transfer of legal title is through a signed deed-of-gift and gift-in-kind between the RAFFMA, the CSUSB Foundation, and the owner.

   f. Intellectual Property and Copyright Issues should be considered.

   g. Acquisitions must comply with all applicable local, state, federal, and international laws.

   h. Collection care begins with the acquisition. It is the responsibility of the RAFFMA Collections Coordinator, Exhibition Designer, and the Director as appropriate to ensure that the Museum can provide storage, protection, preservation, and preventive conservation that assure the object's availability for Museum purposes and comply with the accepted professional standards.

   i. RAFFMA does not acquire object(s) or collections of questionable origin (legal or ethical), nor does the Museum exhibit or otherwise allow the utilization of such object(s) or collections.

2. It is intended for all the acquired objects to have permanency in the collection unless otherwise designated in the acquisition record or decided afterward for the benefit of the collection, its quality, and its consistency in accordance with the deaccession chapter of this policy.

    

3. Museum acquisitions shall be accepted as property of CSUSB. Accurate records of the collection shall be maintained by both the Museum and CSUSB. According to the CSU Chancellor's policy, the full collection inventory shall be conducted every three years (the last one was in Spring 2019, the next one will be in March 2022). The inventory is to be conducted by an outside firm/company. In addition, an internal spot inventory shall be conducted at the end of each budget year.

    

4. If the object is donated to the Museum by a living artist, a copyright agreement shall be signed by the artist so that the Museum can arrange to use reproductions of the work for educational, catalog, publicity, and professional purposes without infringing on the artist's copyright.

    

5. RAFFMA or its staff cannot ethically or legally appraise objects for private citizens prior to donation or at any time, thereafter, retain an appraiser for a private citizen, and, therefore, shall not be involved in appraisal activities. This restriction does not apply to in-house assessments of the value of objects owned by the RAFFMA for such collection objectives as insurance purposes, traveling exhibitions, loans, or for activities within the professional community that involve establishing the relative monetary value of certain kinds of objects. These activities are viewed as professional assessments and not commercial appraisals. Donors requiring appraisals for income tax purposes must obtain these at their own expense from a certified appraiser of their choice prior to donation.

    

6. The approved acquisition methods are:

   a. gifts

   b. bequests

   c. purchases

   d. deposits

   e. extended loans.

Acquisitions Committee

1. All objects proposed for acquisition shall be reviewed by the Museum Acquisition Committee. The Acquisition Committee shall make recommendations regarding acceptance.

   a. The Acquisition Committee shall analyze to determine the compatibility of the object with collection categories, its value, and its storage and display requirements. The committee shall also analyze requirements stipulated by the donor and other potential issues before making their decision.

   b. Working closely with the Museum Director and staff, consider larger strategic goals, such as cultivating donors or raising funds for new acquisitions that address the goals and needs of the collection.

   c. Based upon recommendations from the Museum Director and staff, review and approve new acquisitions acquired through gift or transfer valued at more than $10,000.

   d. The Committee shall make certain that there is no conflict of interest between the donors or lenders of objects and the Museum's best professional interest and its legal integrity.

   e. Objects valued at above $5,000 shall be verified by a qualified independent appraisal provided by and at the donor's expense to comply with CSUSB's gift acceptance policy and the most recent IRS regulations.

   f. Before the object is accepted, its provenance and title shall be verified, and a deed (certificate) of gift shall be prepared by the University Advancement and signed by the donor.

   g. Prior to its acquisition, a loan agreement shall be made and signed for the item(s) presented to the Acquisition Committee, and arrangements shall be made to properly insure the item using the CSURMA's Fine Arts, Artifacts, and Archives Program.

   h. The decision about accepting the object into the collection shall become final if supported by the Committee's voting members' majority.

2. The structure of the Museum Acquisition Committee:

• Museum Director,
• Museum Exhibition Designer or designated representative,
• Museum Collections Coordinator,
• Museum Egyptologist (if the acquisition pertains to the Egyptian/antiquity collection),
• Vice President, University Advancement,
• Associate Vice President, Advancement Operations
• Director of Philanthropy for the College of Arts and Letters,

• Dean, College of Arts and Letters,
• Chair, Department of Art and Design
• A studio/art history faculty member recommended by the Chair of the Department of Art and Design
• A Public History/Museum Studies faculty member recommended by the Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Member of RAFFMA Board of Advocates recommended by the Board, with expertise pertinent to presented items.

3. Membership of the Acquisitions Committee includes:

    a. Attend orientations on professional and ethical collections care and tours of collections facilities provided by RAFFMA staff at regular meetings.

     b. All actions and discussions by the Acquisitions Committee are confidential, particularly regarding potential gifts and donors, the value of collections,               and all committee deliberations.

    c. If an Acquisitions Committee member has any relationship with an artwork being considered for acquisition or deaccession, they will recuse themselves        from all deliberatior.s and voting.

   d. All members of the Museum Acquisition Committee are voting members.

4. The Museum Acquisition Committee shall:

    a. Carefully review objects being considered for acquisition (see article IV, section I),

    b. Recommend disposition of each object. Possible outcomes are:

         1. acceptance into the Museum's permanent collection

          2. acceptance with the possibility of future deaccession (see article VI, section 1)

          3. acceptance to the Museum study collection, with the possibility of a deaccession or distribution throughout campus (see article V, section 1)

          4. non-acceptance

     c. advise the Museum Director on matters of object conservation, storage, and insurance,

     d. recommend all deaccessions of collection objects to the Vice President for University Advancement and the Provosts 

      e. and, in offers of large sizes, such as the outdoor sculpture, obtain the approval of the CSUSB Facilities Planning, Design, and Construction.

5. All procedures as set forth in the University policy regarding solicitation, acceptance, and acknowledgment of gifts will apply to gifts of art and other museum objects.

6. If a quick response to a donor is necessary, the decision can be made jointly by the Museum Director and Vice President for Advancement and then presented to the CSUSB President or the President's designee for final approval. In such cases, the following conditions must be met:

    a. all the other previously stated requirements are met,

    b. objects accepted to the collection cannot have any unacceptable restrictions made by the donor,

    c. objects shall only be accepted into the study collection, not the permanent collection. They may be later moved to the permanent collection if approved        by the entire Acquisition Committee.

Deaccessions

1. Works of art or other objects from the Museum collection, which are the property of the University may be removed from the collection (deaccessioned), and then deleted from the inventory. Deaccessioning of collection objects shall be done in compliance with the most recent IRS regulations.
2. When it is determined that a collection object/item no longer meets the Museum's needs and/or standards, the object/item may be removed from the collection, if the Museum Director, in consultation with staff, deems its deaccession appropriate.
3. If the value of the object exceeds $10,000, the simple majority of the Acquisition Committee's votes, including the vote of the Vice President for Advancement, approve the Director's decision, but the CSUSB President shall give the final approval by signing the deaccession report.
4. Unless the donor has specified in the agreement, the preferred form of deaccessioning is a public auction/sale.
5. The Museum will own all funds received from auctioning/selling off the deaccessioned objects/items. The funds, deposited to the designated Museum's trust account, will be used only by the Museum, and only for purposes of acquisitions or direct care of collections including conservation. This includes replacing the object with another that has relevance, importance, or use to the museum's mission. Funds may also be used to invest in the existing collections by enhancing their life, usefulness, or quality and thereby ensuring they will continue to benefit the public. Conservation efforts will be carried out by a qualified conservator with expertise in the area of selected objects, their types, and materials.
6. There will be no private sale to staff or members of the governing authority of the University or the Museum, or to their representatives.
7. No part of the collection shall be gifted to any individual, institution, or other entity.

Exhibitions, Storage, and Use of Collections

1. Collection objects can be exhibited by the museum within its premises or off-site, if the chosen of-site venue meets all the requirements set for specific objects, considering security, light, and climate-control factors.
2. Selected collection objects such as works on papers, textiles, etc. shall not be displayed for longer than 10 weeks
3. The collection of Egyptian antiquities shall be on display year-round, and the objects on display should be periodically rotated.
4. Collection objects on display shall be checked by the Museum's designated personnel each morning, before the opening, and in the evening, right after closing.
5. If objects are temporarily removed from display for conservation, research, or other purposes, a signed and dated object removal form shall be placed in the object's location.
6. Temperature and relative humidity shall be regularly monitored within the galleries and storage areas.
7. All collection objects which are not on display shall be marked and properly stored in one of the two museum storage areas.
8. All the objects in storage shall be properly tagged, and their location entered in the museum's electronic Collector System cloud-based database.
9. All the objects should be placed in cabinets, on shelves, or hung above ground level.
10. Sensitive objects such as metal, fiber, etc. shall be stored in specially made boxes that provide a stable environment.
11. Works on paper shall be stored flat in fire-proof, metal cabinets.
12. Only selected, trained staff members should have full access to the collections.

13. Collection objects may be available for studying and research to CSUSB faculty or students, and outside researchers, only if deemed appropriate, by appointment in advance, and under the supervision of the museum staff.

     

Loans

1. Outgoing Loans

        The Museum may lend collection objects to other museums, non-profit galleries, and other institutions under the following conditions:

        a. A loan request for a single object is made at least 4 months in advance.

        b. Loan request for multiple objects is made at least 6 months in advance.

        c. All requested objects are available and, not on display or scheduled to be.

         d. All requested objects are in good stable condition and safe for travel.

         e. The facilities report from the borrowing institution meets all the collection safety, security standards, and requirements.

         f. For works on paper and other light-sensitive objects, the light level must be restricted, and the loan period shall not be longer than 3 months.

        g. The relative humidity range must be a constant of 40-55% unless otherwise specified in loan documents.

        h. Objects are handled only by qualified professionals. In selected cases, a courier's presence may be requested.

   2. Loan Fees and Costs:

      a. A general loan fee per object/work will be charged. Fees may be waived at the discretion of the Museum Director for certain non-profit institutions,

       b. The Museum will pack and crate all the loan objects at the borrower's expense. Any                                   

           crates made by outside professional vendors will be paid by the borrowing institution directly,

       c. All the shipping arrangements must be approved by the Museum and paid by the borrower,

       d. The borrowing institution provides shipping both ways and covers door-to-door insurance costs for the full loan value,

       e. Any conservation work required in the preparation of a loan will be conducted at the borrower's expense,

       f. All costs will be included in the loan agreement.

   3. Internal Loans:

       The Museum may also lend collection objects to other university entities, and occasionally to offices under the following conditions:

          a. the location meets all safety and security requirements; and

          b. an internal loan agreement is signed by the borrower, who assumes temporary responsibility for the loan object(s).

   4. Incoming Loans

       The Museum may borrow objects for temporary exhibitions from other museums, galleries, and institutions, as well as from individual artists and      collectors. There are two types of incoming loans:

• Temporary loan (TL)- up to 1 year
• Extended loan (EL) - over 1 year

      a. A general loan fee per object/work will be paid by RAFFMA.

     b. The lender will pack and crate all the loan objects at RAFFMA's expense.

     c. All the shipping arrangements must be approved by the lender and paid by RAFFMA,

     d. RAFFMA provides shipping both ways and covers door-to-door insurance costs for the full loan value,

     e. Any conservation work required in the preparation of a loan will be conducted at RAFFMA' s expense,

     f. All costs will be included in the loan agreement.

5. Abandoned Property:

If the Museum, after making a reasonable effort and through no fault of its own, is unable to return loan objects to the lender within 1 month from the loan period's close, the loaned objects will be placed in storage at the lender's risk and expense. The loaned objects shall be considered for the Museum collection if no claim is made, or action filed to recover the property after termination or expiration of the loan and the Museum has given notice pursuant to RCW 63.26,040 and no assertion of title has been filed within ninety days from the date of the second public notice.

Rights and Reproduction

The Museum collection objects may be reproduced. Requests for permission to reproduce the collection objects must be submitted to the Museum Director. The Museum has the right to grant the permission and provides or approves reproduction material. All requests will be considered. To obtain permission, the following criteria must be met:

1. Credits must be given to the artist, donor, and Museum,
2. Permissions are for one-time use only, typically first edition use only. Separate applications need to be submitted for other (e.g. foreign language) and subsequent editions,
3. Some artworks are under copyright by the artist and obtaining the artist's permission to reproduce is the publisher's responsibility. A copy of such permission shall be submitted to the Museum with the request to reproduce the work,
4. Type or other images shall not be superimposed on the reproduced image unless specifically permitted.
5. If the artwork's/item's detail is reproduced, it must be clearly marked as such, and the work shall also be reproduced in its entirety in the publication.
6. The Museum shall receive two complimentary copies of the publication in which the reproduction appears.

The museum charges a fee (see the current schedule of fees) per reproduction. The fee may be waived for original scholarly research and non-profit educational organizations. An additional fee will be charged for requests requiring the generation of new photographic material:

1. Black and white prints are sold to the user.
2. Color transparencies are rented and must be returned,
3. Digital images are sold to the user for one-time use only, and they cannot be used for any other purposes than those stated in the permission agreement.

Photography

1. Amateur photographs of objects, for personal or school project use, are allowed.
2. Professional photographs for reproduction purposes require submission of a special permission agreement. (See Article VIII)
3. Digital images are available for about 90 percent of the collection objects, high quality and resolution ones for about 50 percent. There are also slides of many objects available for digital conversion. Fees may apply. Again, permission is required in advance to reproduce any of the collection objects/items. (See Article VIII).
4. The Museum uses digital images of its collection on its website with controls to protect the rights of copyright holders. The Museum makes its best effort to build user awareness of those rights. To prevent unauthorized use, digitally reproduced images on the website are at a reduced resolution. Similar to other reproductions, digital images used for this purpose shall be true to the original and carry a proper credit line, as provided by the Museum, which acknowledges the artist, donor, and Museum. The use of digital images will be limited to a specific period, determined by the Museum when the image is lent.