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Art Collection Policy

Effective Date: October 25, 2022
Downloadable Version: PDF ICON Art Collection Policy
Related Procedure(s): PDF ICON Art Collection Procedure
  This document is available in alternate format on request.

Purpose/Rationale:

The Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning (hereafter referred to as "Humber" or "the College") is committed to the acquisition of contemporary Canadian art, particularly from the community and region. The intent of the art collection is to provide opportunities for students, staff, and visitors to learn and grow through interaction with the collection.

Scope:

The policy applies to all art acquisition in any media acquired by the College.

Definitions:

Art: works of art of all forms, including but not limited to paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, architecture, installations, public art, digital and electronic works, murals and relational aesthetics.

Policy:

Humber will acquire art in a flexible manner including gifts of art, direct purchase through cash, securities or other income streams, and grants from foundations and governments.

  1. The primary aim of the collection is to acquire contemporary Canadian art, particularly from this region that reflects the diversity of the Humber College community and city of Toronto.
  2. International art is a secondary focus of the collection when it enhances the representation of Humber and related communities and inclusive of Humber’s international partnerships.
  3. The collection should include various mediums and artistic styles.
  4. The collection will provide opportunities for the Humber student population to learn and grow through interaction with and exposure to contemporary art. Thus, the work collected and how it is presented and made available will be affected by the goal of ensuring it is seen by and influences the student population.
  5. In addition to the focus on community and region, the collection policy provides support for the development of areas of specialization as determined by the Director/Curator e.g., figure drawings that, in turn, would provide illustrative support for visual arts students.
  6. The principal acquisition considerations for the collection include quality (preference for high quality pieces), relevance to the collection and the mission of Humber College, condition, provenance, cost of the acquisition and adequate funding for maintenance, conservation, storage, and expenses related to the donation and installation of the artwork, and unencumbered and clear legal title.
  7. The College must be assured that the work has not been collected under circumstances considered to be exploitative, unethical, illegal, or otherwise incompatible with professional standards.
  8. The College will establish a Humber Arts Curatorial Committee (HACC), chaired by the Director, to provide input to the College on the acquisition and deaccession of art.
  9. The Director, reporting to the Vice President, Academic, is the key strategic driver for the development and presentation of the collection. They will, with input from the HACC, determine and drive the focus for the collection.
  10. The Director is responsible for approving all art acquisitions.
  11. The Director is responsible for properly cataloguing, researching, storing, and preserving the collection as well as ensuring it is appropriately insured and protected; registration and storage procedures should be evaluated and checked against a recorded inventory of works of art on a per semester basis.
  12. The Director is responsible for approving all artwork loans to other institutions. Procedures for loans are outlined below.
  13. The Director in collaboration with the Humber Arts Curatorial Committee is responsible for reviewing and considering artworks for purposes of deaccessioning and presenting recommendations to the Senior Vice President Academic. The decision to deaccession an artwork will consider the use being made of stored artworks and the value of items, if they are to be sold at a public auction, commercial art gallery, private art dealer or traded.
  14. Proposals for temporary indoor or outdoor art installations on campus should be made by The Director in consultation with the HACC. The Director and Humber Arts Curatorial Committee will be responsible for making determinations and approvals. Procedures for temporary indoor or outdoor art proposals and installations are guided by the policies below.
  15. The Director is responsible for approving requests for reproduction of artworks for publication.

References:

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Appendices:

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