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Educational Support

Art Acquisition

Mission Statement

The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) seeks to collect works of art and objects that exemplify the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative accomplishment, and public service. The University of Illinois at Springfield’s Art and Artifacts Collection exists to encourage an environment of life-long learning, enriching the cultural lives of members of campus, Springfield, and surrounding communities.

Collections Scope

The University of Illinois at Springfield’s Art and Artifacts Collection is composed of works of art and historical and cultural artifacts, hereinafter referred to as objects and/or acquisitions, currently held or acquired by the means cited under Acquisitions, I.

  • UIS and the University of Illinois Foundation (UIF) acquire works of quality and inherent value that prove complimentary to the enhancement of the educational environment and to the mission of the campus.
  • The collection will not include books, manuscripts, and other materials acquired by and held in Brookens Library’s Archives and Special Collections Department. The future acquisitions of such materials shall be governed by the Library’s Collection Development Policy.

Acquisitions

  1. UIS and the UIF shall acquire objects by means of gifts, bequests, purchases, loans, or commissions.
  2. The UIS Art and Acquisitions Committee is charged with the administration of the collection, with the Provost’s Office serving as the administrative authority. The Provost is assigned property control of all contents of the collection and provides fiscal resources in support of the collection. The UIS Art and Acquisitions Committee shall review proposed acquisitions of the university, evaluate and recommend objects for deaccession, make suggestions for placement of works in the collection, and conduct stewardship review of acquired objects.
  3. The Art and Acquisitions Committee shall be comprised of representatives of the following, with power to add to their number:
    • Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Brookens Library/Archives
    • Facilities/Risk Management
    • Chair, Visual Arts Department
    • Foundation
    • University Property Accounting and Reporting
    • Campus Security
    • History Department Faculty Member
  4. The UIS Art and Acquisitions Committee shall review all potential acquisitions addressing, but not limited to, the following criteria:
    • Relevancy to the educational mission of the university.
    • Condition, display, storage, and conservation requirements.
    • Conditions set by the donor.
    • Conflicts of interest.
    • Insurance requirements.
    • Title, value, and provenance confirmation by an independent appraiser, as defined by the internal revenue code.
  5. Following the review, the Art and Acquisitions Committee shall render a decision within three months, by a majority vote, regarding the object’s suitability for acceptance into the university’s collection.
  6. A deed of gift agreement will be drawn up upon approval of gifted acquisitions and will include statement of transfer of legal title, copyright, trademark, literary rights as applicable, and signature of donor.
  7. The University normally will make no commitment to display permanently an acquisition or retain ownership in perpetuity.
  8. The University will retain unrestricted property rights to all objects accepted into the UIS permanent collection.

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Inventory Procedure

  1. The UIS Art and Acquisitions Committee is charged with full custodial and curatorial responsibility for the UIS Art and Artifacts Collection. As such, the committee is responsible for developing and maintaining a current inventory and providing reasonable care and security for items in the collection. Objects accepted into the collection must be marked for identification and catalogued according to inventory procedures approved by the committee, taking into consideration the donor, donor contact information, and designated accession number, title, value, and provenance of the work.
  2. Custodial/Curatorial Responsibility
    • Committee members representing the following units will provide advice and service to the committee as needed in the roles specified below:
      • Library designee (registration advisor)
      • Chair, Visual Arts Department (curatorial advisor)
      • Campus Security (security advisor)

Loans

  1. Loans to the University
    • The Art and Acquisitions Policy Committee will review all potential loans to the university, with the consultation of the curatorial advisor and the party responsible for housing the work.
    • A loan agreement and condition reports (prior to and after the loan period) will be conducted for each loan.
  2. Loan Requests
    • Loan requests from other institutions must be approved by the UIS Art and Acquisitions Committee, in consultation of the curatorial advisor.
    • A loan agreement and condition reports (prior to and after the loan period) will be conducted for each loan.
    • The Borrower will normally assume all insurance, conservation, repair, and shipping costs.

Deaccession

  1. The University shall retain the right to deaccession objects in the UIS Art and Artifacts Collection in accordance with university policy, pending review and recommendation by the Art and Acquisitions Committee to the Chancellor’s office.
  2. Objects may be reviewed for deaccession upon careful consideration of the following:
    • Relevancy to the mission of the university.
    • Integrity and impact on the development of the collection.
    • Conservation needs.
    • Duplication.
    • Forgeries, fakes, objects falsely identified or acquired improperly.
    • Health risks.
  3. To be considered for deaccession, an object must be in the permanent collection for at least three years.
  4. Deaccessioned objects may be disposed of according to University policy as administered by University Property Accounting and Reporting.
  5. Objects in the UIS collection and those deaccessioned will not be sold privately or given as gift to those affiliated with the university without careful attention to conflicts of interest.
  6. Funds from the sale of deaccessioned works may not be used for university operating expenses. These funds must be used solely for collections expansion or maintenance.

Approved Chancellor’s Cabinet, January 29, 2008.