Terms of lending artwork to museum exhibit?

[tb]

This is a question for anyone who might have had their OA on loan to museums.

 

I have been in contact with the organizers of an upcoming exhibit of Carl Barks artwork which will take place in Austria from March through November. They have expressed interest in borrowing half a dozen pieces from my collection of early inked originals. Although I have little to gain by helping, I do feel an obligation to make the artwork, most of which has never been seen in public before, available to anyone interested. Naturally, it would be on the condition that insurance, security, etc. would be handled by the organizers. The current FMV of the art is in $6 figures, but it is worth much more than FMV to me personally.

 

Question: There have to be standard terms for lending artwork to international exhibits (I live in California)? I would greatly appreciate if anyone familiar with the process could PM me: if I am unable to resolve this the art won't be exhibited.

 

I will treat all contacts confidentially. I prefer to keep a low profile myself and would like to remain anonymous.

 

tb

[Kevin76]

I wouldn't let a 6 figure art collection outta my sight! I wouldn't do it for 'peace of mind' purposes...of course your covered through insurance,but any $ amount isn't going to replace or prevent it from damage.Think of it as life insurance...sure if you were to lose a child/spouse/sibiling ect...would some company giving you $100K for your loss,make up for it?

[Hart1000]

Well said Kevin76...I agree completely.

 

- Hart

[tb]

Thanks for your comments.

 

The way I look at it, any OA in private collections is constantly at risk and is likely to get destroyed by fire, flooding, theft etc. some day. Loans to a museum introduces additional risks, but as the owner of truely exceptional pieces by a major artist for whom someone is arranging a once-in-a-decade, professional exhibit, I feel an obligation to contribute as long as the art is properly insured. The risk is IMO justified by the importance of paying tribute to the artist and giving people a chance to see how great his work truely is. I would rather see my originals lost for a great cause than keep them stored away forever until my (or some future owner's) house inevitably burns down sooner or later, whether it be tomorrow or 200 years from now.

 

In the particular case of Carl Barks originals, there are only 11 1/2 inked pages known from the 1940s (his best period) and I currently own 2 of these, including the earliest known cover. Because of the extreme scarcity, the general public will never get the opportunity to see art like this unless I, as the owner, am willing to take a calculated risk. Very few people have ever seen an early Barks original in person and, as both I and other collectors have observed, you really need to see one to understand their appeal. The attraction can never be communicated through reproductions.

 

I know this is controversial and I've thought about it for a long time. Still, I feel lending my art is the only right thing to do. I would be interested in hearing what other people think.

[*paull*]

You should talk to someone like Geppi or a similar person who has major work that has been loaned for exhibition. There are a lot of concerns such as shipping, insurance, type of framing/matting, lighting, etc. Three months of unfiltered light blasting on your works of art wouldn't be good.

[Tatterdamillion]

I think it is admirable that you want to loan your artwork.. If the museum has all the insurances and assurances that you need I tend to agree that the work is in safe hands. I have no artwork that compares so it is apples and oranges but I was going to contact the SF Cartoon Art Museum and let them know I would be willing to put stuff up if they have an exhibit. Good luck!

[cheekyj2112]

 

I know this is controversial and I've thought about it for a long time. Still, I feel lending my art is the only right thing to do. I would be interested in hearing what other people think.

 

I was asked a couple of years ago to lend a number of my original pages to an Alan Moore exhibition in Belgium. I thought about it and decided that despite the inherent risks it wasn't fair to lock away art from the rest of the world just because I'm lucky enough to be the owner/custodian of it. I own what many consider to be a key Watchmen page and its nice for others to get the chance to appreciate it up close.

I'm fortunate enough to have seen some truly great comic art in museums and private collections. For me to then deny others the same opportunity seems a tad hypocritical.

I know people who like looking at comic art but don't believe in having CAF's themselves. If we all adopted the same stance what would there be to look at?

 

On the plus side I got invited to the opening night preview party and then taken out to dinner by the Belgian Arts Council since I was a "patron of the arts". Went drinking with David Lloyd et al and made some new friends. So its not all doom and gloom.

 

Don't let that stop you checking the insurance and details of how they're going to display it etc

 

Good luck.

 

Joseph

[heartened]

The Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey is planning an exhibit on American Comic Books and Original Comic Art to run from July 2007 through January 2008. I was asked to help with procuring pieces of art and some books. Items from teh Golden Age, Silver Age and rise of the Graphic Novel will be highlihted, with a particular emphasis on how comic books mirrored the culture of the day. At the NY Comic-Con, the curator (Gail Stavitsky) and I visited with many of the dealers to get some books and art on loan, and she was very well received.

 

We will be posting a list of art and/or books that are still needed for the exhibit, the majority that we are still missing being books from the Golden Age. Perhaps some of the collectors here will be inclined to lend them. The museum exhibit, of course, will be well-insured. They have much more expensive pieces in their permanent collection, including works by Andy Warhol, so comic art won't be much of a big deal for them.

 

http://www.montclairartmuseum.org/information.cfm?id=44

 

I thought long and hard about whether to lend some pieces (primarily examples from Silver Age and the rise of the Graphic Novel), and I've decided to go for it. Just like you, Joseph, I just feel that it's important to share what we have with others. Of course, the museum being just 16 miles outside of NYC makes it easier for me to trust.

[*paull*]

Right... in this case, you can hand-deliver the pieces and see first-hand how they are displayed.