Speaking of deaccessioning (see below), the University of Iowa is about to be back at the center of the debate. The Art Law Blog and Illicit Cultural Property both highlight decision by university to establish a committee to explore the possibility of a sale of some works to pay for a new museum that was damaged in a severe flood, according to the Iowa Press-Citizen:
UI officials don’t yet know how to pay for a new museum, which makes it different from virtually every other major flood recovery project on campus. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover 90 percent of renovation costs for most projects and to rebuild the Hancher Auditorium complex and Art Building complex, which are eligible to be relocated under FEMA guidelines. However, the old Museum of Art facility was not damaged severely enough to be eligible for FEMA funds for relocation. That leaves UI on its own in planning and paying for a new home for the art collection. “That’s been our assumption. It will be left to us to determine its fate and its future,” Mason said.
UI Looking at Future of Art MuseumAf (Press-Citizen)
