[can-talk] Reply to Brenda O'Connor, Curator, Warrnambool Art Gallery

Posted on behalf of Bernice Murphy

Reply to Brenda O'Connor, Curator, Warrnambool Art Gallery  (Can-talk
Digest, Vol 26, Issue 1, message 1)

Re. queries concerning "Acquisition Committee Guidelines" (from Bernice
Murphy, Museums Australia, 6 July 07)

 
Most well-established public galleries/art museums these days formulate
detailed acquisitions policies, both for internal professional use and as
public documents.  They are part of the crucial documents that governing
boards/councils should ensure are produced and authorised (including
published) as institutional policy documents.

 
Thus many such documents should be readily available for consultation and
comparison.

 
I suggest that, for a regional gallery, it is always a good idea to seek
advice and assistance from your nearest major state gallery.  The state
galleries have a pastoral responsibility for their whole states to some
extent, and most try to assist their colleagues within their state (as a
first-line responsibility) as well as assisting others further afield.
Colleagues would, in general, be more than ready to send you, or direct you
to a copy of, their acquisitions policies, and today this should even be a
simple request to answer electronically.

 
However it is good to TALK with colleagues (by phone or in person if
possible) and seek their background knowledge and assistance.
Long-experienced curators can often give you comparative advice about
differing practices historically, and point you to best-practice
benchmarking examples of the present that might strategically help you.  

 
It was the case many years ago in some state galleries that directors did
not have a formal vote on acquisitions - e.g. Hal Missingham was for years
in that position as Director at the AGNSW in Sydney. Days long passed! With
the professionalisation of art museums (galleries) over recent decades there
has been a vast improvement and transformation of roles and practices -
though acquisitions will always be an area fraught with some tensions.

 
It could really help you to cite the practices of respected institutions,
rather than argue from within an embattled, localised situation about how
you wish it changed.  It could also help to seek the support of the state
gallery - as to whom, from that institution, might be prepared to talk to
your local council about how acquisitions might be handled more
progressively, along current professional practice lines.  Councillors will
often respond to members of other institutions whose diplomatically offered
advice they would be inclined to respect.

 
It is important to develop and use good policy documents as the framework
within which detailed practices and judgements may be exercised.   It is
desirable to try to move a board towards a 'within-budget' and
'within-policy' way of approaching the subject of proposed acquisitions -
and to keep discussing where acquisitions are heading, over the longer term
- rather than be stuck in a 'like-this'/'don't like this' in-turning circle
of asserted personal preferences.

 
With acquisition committees, boards etc. it is essential to work out broad
guiding conditions for terms of appointment, renewal (usually no more than
two terms) and stand-down periods, as necessary - after which further
appointment may be possible. Model rules of conduct are an invaluable
insurance against personalised struggles or conflicts that might arise
circumstantially, when things have been left to chance and completely open
to personal influence.  Most Councils these days would accept arguments
about the importance of good policies and operational rules of conduct - as
a protection against malpractice and possible exposure to legal action, if
not for the better reasons for doing so.

 
Ethical guidelines/ codes of practice are crucial documents that could
assist you (which should yield institution-specific codes of practice for
boards as well as staff as an outcome), and these should especially
incorporate clear statements about handling (i.e. avoiding) matters of
"conflict-of-interest".

 
I suggest you have a look at the ICOM Code of Ethics (international Council
of Museums, Paris) http://icom.museum/ethics.html   - which includes
reference to 'conflict of interest'...... and also at the Museums Australia
Code of Ethics <
http://www.museumsaustralia.org.au/aboutus.php?pageID=21&fileName=aboutus&di
spModule=twocolnav&contentID=123&head=no> ..... The MA Code is different,
more detailed, and more helpful in many ways, but unfortunately it has no
mention of 'conflict of interest' (a serious omission) - which Museums
Australia plans to amend in a review process in the following twelve months.

 
I hope these remarks, quickly made, are of some assistance.

 
Bernice Murphy
National Director
Museums Australia
National Office, Museums Australia 

Old Parliament House, Canberra
PO Box 266, Civic Square, ACT, 2608
T: (02) 6273 2437    F: (+61-2) 6273 2451
<national.director at museumsaustralia.org.au>
<http://www.museumsaustralia.org.au>


Joy Suliman
Project Manager
Collections Australia Network
Powerhouse Museum
PO Box K346
Haymarket NSW 1238

w: www.collectionsaustralia.net
e: joy.suliman at collectionsaustralia.net
p: +61 2 9217 0347
f: +61 2 9217 0616