CITY COUNCIL: Approve the City's Art Collection Deaccession Policy

Meeting Date: November 1, 2011
Prepared by: Molly Laughlin

City Council
Agenda Item Summary

Name: Approve the City’s art collection deaccession policy.

Description: On June 8, 2010, the Carmel City Council adopted Resolution 2010-43, approving a management policy for the City’s art collection. The intent of the management policy was to define the scope of the collection as a regional collection that reflected the long artistic heritage of Carmel-by-the-Sea. As such, parameters were established in order that the collection would include art by artists who have lived, worked or belonged to art organizations in Carmel. In addition, art depicting the geography of the Carmel area would be included. Finally, art pertaining to Carmel history (people, architecture, events) also would be retained.

Resolution 2010-43 also authorized the city to hire art consultant Sheryl Nonnenberg to begin the deaccession process. Deaccessioning is defined as “the formal process of removing an object from a collection.” Nonnenberg’s report, detailing her work in this effort, is included in the attached report.

Fiscal Impact: Revenue generated by the sale of deaccessioned art works can be used for the care, maintenance and augmentation of the City’s art collection, which is a significant asset.

Staff Recommendation: Approve the art collection deaccession policy.

Important Considerations: By using these guidelines established in this deaccession policy, the City will be able to more objectively review and define its art collection so that only objects that fall within the stated parameters will be retained, and those that do not can be deaccessioned. This will reduce both staff time and the amount of physical space necessary to mange the art collection. Revenue generated by the sale of deaccessioned art works can be used for the care, maintenance and augmentation of the art collection.

Decision Record: Resolution 2010-43 (June 8, 2010) which approved a management policy for the City’s art collection and the hiring of an art consultant to begin the deaccession process.

Reviewed by:


__________________________ _________________
Jason Stilwell, City Administrator Date

ART COLLECTION DEACCESSION PROJECT
August 24, 2011
To: Sue McCloud, Mayor
From: Sheryl Nonnenberg
Re: City of Carmel Art Collection Deaccessioning

Background
On June 8, 2010, the Carmel City Council approved a resolution to establish a management policy for the City’s art collection. The major intent of the management policy was to define the scope of the collection as a regional collection that reflected the long artistic heritage of Carmel by the Sea. As such, parameters were established in order that the collection would include art by artists who have lived, worked or belonged to art organizations in Carmel. In addition, art depicting the geography of the Carmel area would be included. Finally, art pertaining to Carmel
history (people, architecture, events) would also retained. By using these guidelines to define the collection, it is possible to review the art collection objectively so that only objects that fall within the stated parameters are retained, and those that do not can be deaccessioned (formal
removal). This will decrease the amount of staff time, and physical space, required to manage the art collection. In addition, any revenue generated by the sale of deaccessioned art works can be used for the care, maintenance and augmentation of the art collection, which is a substantial
city asset.

The resolution also approved the hiring of an art consultant to begin the deaccession process. Since that time, I have carefully reviewed every object in the collection, utilizing the inventory/appraisal list compiled by Ellen Osterkamp in 2007. Only objects falling within the category of fine art (painting, prints, watercolors, drawings, etc) were considered, with objects belonging in the realm of library holdings (bookplates, rare books, letters, etc.) excluded. Each object was considered using the approved collection parameters, with supplemental research found by using the research compiled by Amy Essick, internet resources, art history books,
Harrison library documentation and membership lists from local arts organizations, such as the Carmel Art Association. In addition, several local art dealers were consulted to insure that objects did not have an historical significance.

Scope of Collection

The City of Carmel Art Collection consists of art work executed in a variety of media:
• Oil Painting
• Watercolor
• Pastel
• Prints
• Sculpture
• Photographs

While some of the art has little or no value, there are many pieces that have substantial worth, according to the most recent (2007) appraisal. This is particularly true of the works by early California artists such as Armin Hansen, Mary deNeal Morgan and Edward Weston. Most of the
Collection reflects the long and rich artistic history of Carmel by the Sea.

The approximately 1,000 works of art are housed in a variety of storage venues (Main Library, Branch Library, Sunset Center). A small percentage of the works are on view in public venues such as Harrison Library, Sunset Center and City Hall.

The scope of the collection, as it pertains to this Deaccession Policy, refers only to the works of art recently inventoried and appraised by Ellen Osterkamp. Books, bookplates, letters and historical artifacts fall outside the scope of the Art Collection and should be under the purview of
the Harrison Library.

Although documentation of the art work has not been consistent, ownership by the City is assured. The most recent appraisal resulted in each piece of art being numbered and photographed. Documentation from this appraisal is currently overseen by the City Administrator’s office.

COLLECTION PARAMETERS
1. Work by artists who have lived, worked, taught in Carmel. Also those who studied or belonged to regional art associations, such as the Carmel Art Association. This is probably the largest parameter, and includes such famous artists as Edward Weston, Armin Hansen, Mary DeNeale Morgan and Jules Tavernier. Works by these early California artists are now quite collectable and fetch high prices at auction. There are also contemporary Carmel artists represented, such as Dick Crispo and Bill Bates, current members of the Carmel Art Association.

2. Art of or about Carmel localities. This category includes artists who may not have lived in
the area, but used it as subject matter in their work.
Examples in this category would include George Demont Otis and Stanley Wood.
3. Art pertaining to Carmel history (people and places). Again, artists who may or may
not have lived in the area.
Examples in this category include portraits/busts of such notable Carmel figures as:
George Sterling, Robinson Jeffers, J.F. Devendorf and art work such as the Forest Theater
Posters.
4. Art that can be safely, effectively and appropriately cared for by the City staff.
Concerns here include: stability, size, storage ramifications and possibility for public display.

Examples of art that do NOT fit in this category include the recent gift of abstract paintings by Rudolf Haegele. They are large, contemporary works that do not fit into the categories listed above, and, because of their scale, are difficult to store. As such, they would be prime candidates for deaccessioning.

4. Contemporary art by established artists, with subject matter, such as seascapes, that can be
related to the history/geography of Carmel.
This category is included so that the City can have some flexibility in collecting works that
would be assets, both in terms of monetary value and in rounding out a possible museum
collection (should a museum be established in the future). A good example in this category
would be the work of Roy Lichtenstein. He was a well-known artist, his art is valuable and, although he had no connection with Carmel, the subject of his work “Night Seascape Banner” is applicable to a collection that includes many works that focus on the sea.

Deaccession Policy for the Art Collection, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
Deaccessioning is the formal process of removal of an object from a collection. The City of
Carmel’s deaccession policy must seek to strike a balance among the following three
considerations:
1. The fiduciary obligations with respect to the preservation of the art collection, which the
City owes to persons who have donated to the collection as a public trust and for those
individuals, the residents of Carmel, for whose benefit the City has undertaken to preserve
the collection.
2. The City’s need to periodically renew and alter its collection policies.
3. The City’s need to selectively refine its existing collection in order that it remains consistent
with these policies.
GASB 34 requires that the City have a current appraisal of its assets. In order to fulfill this
mandate, the City has determined that the art collection shall be appraised every five years.
Recommendations regarding possible deaccessioned objects will be made following review of
the appraisal report.
Criteria for Deaccessioning
All artworks owned by the City, whether acquired through donations or any other method, are
eligible for the deaccessioning process. In the case of donated artworks, all legal documents
relating to the donation will be consulted prior to beginning the process. No artwork shall be
deaccessioned unless it meets at least one of the following criteria:
1. Its retention would be inconsistent with the established Scope of Collection (approved by
City Council in June, 2010).
2. The object is proven to be a fake or forgery.
3. The collection would be improved if the object is deaccessioned and a better example
from the same historical period or by the same artists or from the same art movement or
period is acquired.
4. It is a duplicate or of inferior quality to another identical or similar article in the City’s
collection.
5. The object has deteriorated to such a poor physical condition that it is not possible or
practical for the City to adequately conserve it, or a restoration would be so extensive that
it would destroy the integrity of the work.
6. Deaccessioning of the object would help to eliminate an over-representation in an
historical area of an artist or movement in the collection.
7. It cannot be adequately stored or cared for.
8. It is in such bad condition or in such a bad state of deterioration that it is useless as part of
the City collection.
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9. A clear determination has been made that the City does not hold legitimate title to the
work.
10. The object lacks significant artistic or historical merit.
11. The artwork endangers public safety.
12. The artwork will never, in all likelihood, be placed on display because of size, weight or
lack of a suitable site.
Restrictions
A work may not be deaccessioned or disposed of in violation of restrictions stated in the original
deed of gift, purchase agreement, or in other documents pertaining to the acquisition of the work
unless there is written approval of such action from the donor or the donor’s legal heirs.
Authorization of Deacessioning
The object intended for deaccession shall be recommended by staff to the City Administrator and
approved by City Council.
Following the action of the City Council, staff shall in good faith send a letter to the donor’s last
known address and to the donor at General Delivery in the city of the donor’s last known address
advising them of the City’s intention to deaccession the work or works. This step need not be
taken if the donors signed a release at the time of the donation.
Procedures for Disposal
The possible methods include: sale of art by city via a public sale, sale of art by an art dealer or
sale of work via competitive bidding through an established auction house. Preference shall be
given to disposing of deaccessioned objects in public sales, but other methods may be selected
after the advantages and yields of the different methods and the best interests of the City have
been examined.
Those objects that will be sold which, in the best estimation of the City, have an insured value of
over $500, will be appraised by an outside appraiser at the expense of the City.
No works of art may be sold, traded or transferred to members of the City Council, City staff or
their agents.
City staff or agent will negotiate with the public auction house the terms for sale of
deaccessioned objects, and a copy of the executed agreement will be kept in the City’s records.
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Proceeds from the Sale of Deaccessioned Objects
Regarding proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned objects, the American Association of
Museums’ Information Fact Sheet – Ethics of Deaccessioning quotes:
The American Association for State and Local History’s Statement of Professional Standards
and Ethics specifies that “Collections shall not be deaccessioned or disposed of in order to
provide support for institutional operations, facilities maintenance, or any other reason than the
preservation or acquisition of collections.”
All proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned works of arts will be used to purchase other works
for the collection, or to restore and maintain works already owned by the City.
Deaccession Records

The City of Carmel will maintain permanent records of all deaccessions including all legal documents pertaining to the acquisition, deaccession and disposal of each object deaccessioned.