AbstractsPhilosophy & Theology

This thesis researches the issues surrounding cultural property acquisition within American art museums by analyzing legislation, history, ethics, collections and documentation, and how the current standards and policies in place effect these practices. The primary goal of this thesis is to discover where the gaps are in current collections practices within American art museums. This information lays the groundwork for understanding the current climate of the cultural property debate and also assists in determining areas within current collections and documentation policies that require updating and improvement. This thesis collected relevant information relating to the topic by using scholarly resources, historical records, legal documents and current collections policies. Selected collections policies from The Mint Museum of Art in NC, The Telfair Museum of Art in GA, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY have been reviewed for this paper. Each of these sources are explained and presented in detail, in order to understand the issues surrounding the cultural property debate, while also illustrating the current gaps in information and policy. These three organizations were chosen for various reasons including scope of collections, interview availability, and access to collections and ethical policies. The outcome of this thesis presents results on the research completed. The selected collections policies and conducted interviews offer an understanding of the current collections practices within American art museums as they relate to the acquisition of works of cultural property. Recommendations will be given regarding ways to improve the current practices within these organizations. Information will also be presented on why adding this information to every U.S art museum’s collections policy is not only a useful step, but also one that is vital for the protection of an organization’s reputation and credibility. In addition to these suggestions for improvement, information will be given about how to successfully implement a reasonable code of ethics that can be easily followed and understood by museum staff. A discussion of suggested unification among U.S art museums will also be discussed.