Collecting cultural material

The Australian Ministry for the Arts has released a new guide which outlines the legal and international obligations when purchasing or borrowing cultural works for public museums and galleries.

The Australian Best Practice Guide to Collecting Cultural Material will assist museums, galleries, libraries and archives to navigate the complex ethical and legal requirements of acquiring works by incorporating national and international guidelines into a single document.

The guide outlines key principles and international standards for museum and gallery professionals, as well as additional transparency and accountability measures.

It will help to ensure consistency in acquisition processes across our institutions.

The guide was prepared by the Ministry for the Arts in consultation with the national, state and territory museums and galleries, as well as cultural heritage experts.

CAMD provided detailed comments on earlier versions of the Guide in concert with its colleagues in the Museums and Galleries Australia Alliance.  CAMD will have further discussions with the Ministry over the next six months to explore a range of interrelated issues focused around the new Guide, the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 and the Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan Act 2013.

You can download a copy of the Guide here.

See also:  Michaela Boland ‘Guidelines ensure artworks pass the test of authenticity’, The Australian, 15 October 2014