Hello!
I am seeking to connect with anyone who has experience with or is working with a public collection that has a decentralized system of ownership –
specifically related to insurance. Most of the other public art collections that I am aware of have a centralized system of ownership and care, where a government (city, county, state) owns the collection, and the management and care of the collection
is allocated to a single entity, like an arts agency.
In Oregon things are a little different. The Oregon Arts Commission manages active Percent for Art projects, keeps an inventory and records of the collection, maintains decision-making authority on some things (such as relocation and deaccessioning),
and advises on conservation, maintenance, security, plaques, etc. However, each different state agency maintains title to the artworks in their buildings (ie. they ‘own’ the artwork in the name of the State), is legally responsible for maintaining and caring
for their artworks, and must report the value of the artworks on their annual insurance risk reports (or the artworks won’t be insured by the State).
Among other issues related to this decentralized system of ownership, I am working on developing methods for establishing current artwork values for insurance purposes and making sure that the artworks are reported and insured across many
state agencies and site locations. Does anyone else have a similar situation (or an insurance-related situation that might apply)? If you have ideas or experience you’d be willing to share I would appreciate speaking with you!
Thanks for reading.
Best,
Eleanor Sandys | Registrar & Research Specialist
she/her pronouns
Oregon Arts Commission
775 Summer St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
o: 503-986-0091 | m: 971-707-3004
