Agenda Item: 5D
Wolverhampton City Council OPEN EXECUTIVE DECISION ITEM (AMBER)
CABINET Date 5 MARCH 2012
Portfolio(s) COUNCILLOR E MATTU / LEISURE AND COMMUNITIES
Originating Service Group(s) EDUCATION AND ENTERPRISE
Contact Officer(s)/ CORINNE MILLER KEY DECISION: NO Telephone Number(s) 2050 IN FORWARD PLAN: YES
Title CULTURE, ARTS & HERITAGE - COLLECTIONS DEVELOPMENT POLICY
RECOMMENDATION
That Cabinet approve the Culture, Arts & Heritage Collections Development Policy in support of the application of Wolverhampton Culture, Arts & Heritage to Arts Council England for Accreditation, a national museum standard, which is a requirement for a number of funding streams.
1 1. PURPOSE
1.1 To approve the Collections Development Policy (formerly known as the Acquisitions and Disposals Policy) for the museums and galleries that are part of Wolverhampton Culture Arts and Heritage (WCAH). The Archives have a separate but complimentary acquisitions policy.
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 The Accreditation Scheme recognises museum services that meet nationally agreed standards of museum provision. The three museums and galleries of Wolverhampton, Bantock House Museum, Bilston Craft Gallery and Wolverhampton Art Gallery, have been invited to apply for Accreditation in April 2013. Three submissions will be made, one for each venue. The submissions have to include all the policies and procedures for the service in addition to site specific information.
2.2 The Accreditation Scheme requires the Collections Development Policy to be approved by Cabinet.
2.3 The Collections Development Policy is based on the Acquisitions and Disposals Policy which was agreed by Cabinet in March 2012.
2.4 Since March 2012 some additions have been made to the policy which now covers the period 2013-2018, and the policy has been checked for compliance with the new national standards.
2.5 The scope of the collecting activities of the service has been extended to include material relating to post war Wolverhampton, an area currently underrepresented in the collections. This was identified by Ian Lawley in a mapping report on Black Country collections undertaken in 2009. The WCAH service will seek to collect material in partnership with other museums in the Black Country to ensure that there is no duplication of effort and that best use is made of resources.
2.6 The policy now covers collections of contemporary craft for use at Bilston Craft Gallery. It is not intended to add to this collection in significant numbers. It is felt that it is important to represent the work of designer/makers from Wolverhampton and/or designer/makers who trained at the School of Art and Design of Wolverhampton University which is recognised internationally for excellence in the fields of applied art. Former student, Professor Ronald Pennell, has recently offered a piece of his glass for the collection.
2.7 The policy also sets out the approach of the service to rationalising the collections. A priority will be to contact all lenders of long term loans and seek to return items to their owners.
3. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
3.1 There are no direct financial implications arising from this report. The Collections Development Policy will be disclosed in the Statement of Accounts for the authority each year in line with the Code on Local Authority Accounting in the UK.
3.2 Any asset acquired or disposed of by the City Council either by purchase, donation or sale where the value exceeds £100,000 will require to be shown as a capital transaction in the balance sheet of the authority. [CF/19022013/Y]
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4. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
4.1 There are no direct legal implications attached to this report. [JH/22022013/X]
5. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IMPLICATIONS
5.1 There are no equal opportunities implications attached to this report. An Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out.
6. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
6.1 There are no environmental implications attached to this report.
7. BACKGROUND PAPERS
Acquisition & Disposal Policy - Culture, Arts & Heritage March 2012
3 2013-2018 Collections Development Policy
Museum: WOLVERHAMPTON CULTURE, ARTS & HERITAGE (hereinafter called the Service)
Museums covered by this policy: Wolverhampton Art Gallery (Arts Council Accreditation number 705) Bantock House & Park (Arts Council Accreditation number 707) Bilston Craft Gallery (Arts Council Accreditation number 706)
Governing Body: Wolverhampton City Council
Date on which this policy was approved by governing body:
Revised to reflect changes in organisational development and new recommendations by Arts Council on content and structure of museum Acquisition and Disposal Policies. Adopted by Cabinet 13th March 2012.
Date at which this policy is due for review: March 2018
1. Museum’s statement of purpose
Mission statement
Wolverhampton Culture, Arts and Heritage seeks to:
• Harness the arts and heritage to stimulate critical thought and debate through exhibitions engaged with current social and political issues, including sensitive and emotive subjects. • Promote excellent experiences of visual art and craft by presenting outstanding contemporary practice and bringing leading regional, national and international artists/makers to the Midlands. • Encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to learn new skills and create, responding to our programmes in safe and inspiring environments. • Support artists /makers throughout their careers by providing high quality exhibition and selling spaces, commission and teaching opportunities, affordable studio spaces, advocacy and development. • Place arts and heritage at the heart of civic life promoting the city nationally and actively engaging with communities to counter social deprivation and increase prosperity; with the council we promote wellbeing, access, aspiration, and shape the built environment • Create a dialogue with our collections to foster a sense of our shared heritage and build an outstanding national resource with strengths in Pop, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and historic japannned ware and enamels. • Develop and utilise wide networks and partnerships to share skills, resources and audiences to extend our reach, enhance the regional arts and heritage offer, and attract new sources of support and income. • Nurture a reflective organisational culture that enables innovation and adventure, constantly learns from evaluation and adapts delivery mechanisms and approaches.
2. Existing collections, including the subjects or themes and the periods of time and /or geographic areas to which the collections relate
2.1 FINE ART
• 18th Century British Oil Painting The Service holds a collection of Georgian paintings which features several works of the highest quality including examples by Gainsborough, Zoffany, Fuseli, Richard Wilson, Joseph Highmore (his finest surviving family portrait), Francis Wheatley, Wright of Derby and Raeburn. The collection also includes a number of works by Edward Bird RA, a local artist who rose to prominence as a court painter. We have recently been given, on long term loan, a portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, of a female member of the local Bagot family.
• 19th Century British Painting and Sculpture The Service’s holding of 19th century pictures is especially strong in domestic ‘genre’ paintings and its collection of works by the Cranbrook Colony of painters is the finest in the UK. This is the most important asset within our historical collections and its continued development should be seen as a high priority. The Cranbrook collection, apart from being of immense educational and recreational value, has the highest income generation potential (from reproduction fees and royalties) of any part of the permanent collection. • 18th and 19th Century Works on Paper The collection includes fine work by Turner, Sandby, De Wint, Varley and others, but lacks examples of Grand Tour topography, which was influential in British art of this period.
• Modern British Painting, Sculpture and Works on Paper This aspect of the collection has been significantly improved by strategic purchasing since the mid 1970s. The aim has been to represent major influences and trends in British figurative painting and sculpture from between the Wars with a focus on artists associated with Unit One and the Surrealist movement. Acquisitions have included major works by Paul Nash, Wadsworth, Hillier, Spender, Armstrong, Bigge, Banting, Trevelyan and Sir Roland Penrose. This is rapidly becoming one of the best collections of its kind in the region, and with selected future purchases could achieve national importance.
• The Twentyman Collection - Works by John Piper and Others The acquisition of this major collection which includes an important group of paintings, drawings and ceramics by John Piper, has enhanced our holdings of post-war British paintings (hitherto very weak) and bridged the gap between the late 1940s and the Pop collection of the 1960s. The Twentyman collection features significant works by members of the St Ives School, such as Patrick Heron, Patrick Hayman, W B Graham and Ben Nicholson and a small work by Graham Sutherland.
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It forms the basis for development of a representative collection of post-war British Romantic painting.
• British and American Pop Art In 1970, a renewed emphasis was placed on the purchase of contemporary art, particularly items associated with the Pop Art movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Works by American as well as British artists were acquired and by 1980, Wolverhampton Art Gallery had won national recognition for the quality of its collecting in the contemporary field - a vindication for this strong but often controversial element of the collecting policy. This is the finest regional collection of its kind in the UK and includes work by Lichtenstein, Warhol, Lindner, Rivers, Hamilton, Blake, and Rosenquist. Its educational value is immense, especially in cross-curricular projects. In 2007 a dedicated gallery for this collection formed opened as part of the extension. Through these displays we have been able to present an insight into the art, music, politics, literature and popular culture of 1960s and 70s Britain and the US. In 2011 we were recipients of the Eric and Jean Cass gift via the Contemporary Art Society. This includes a number of works by significant 20th century artists associated with the British and European Pop and Op Art movements including Allen Jones, Karel Appel and Victor Vasarely. This is an important development for our collection and will form a key part of our programming and research strategy.
• Contemporary British Painting, Sculpture, Works on Paper, Photographic Works, Video, Digital Media and Contemporary Craft The Service continues to prioritise the development of the contemporary British art collection. Important works were added in the 1980s by artists such as Ana Maria Pacheco, John Bellany, Adrian Wiszniewski, Jock McFadyen, Gavin Jantjes, Gilbert and George, Conrad Atkinson, and Eileen Cooper. The themes of social and political conflict, first addressed by artists of the Pop era, continue to be of particular interest. To this end the Service has also acquired work by international artists whose work deals with the areas of the world where British foreign policy has impacted. The Service has also acknowledged the importance of acquiring works by women artists, often less well represented than their male counterparts, through the acquisition of works by Jan Haworth, Usha Parmar, Shani Rhys James, Rita Duffy and May Cornet. The Service seeks to reflect the diversity of our local population, which has a high number of Asian and African Caribbean such as Eugene Palmer. Wolverhampton Art Gallery is part of a network of a West Midlands Curatorial Network of curators who are committed to showing contemporary art. The profile of the region has been raised over the past few years with the creation of new gallery buildings for Walsall Art Gallery and Ikon Gallery and Wolverhampton Art Gallery has an important role to play in this regeneration of contemporary art in the West Midlands. The contemporary collection is an increasingly important educational asset, not just for Wolverhampton, but for the region as a whole. The Service’s participation in the first Contemporary Art Society (CAS) / Arts Council of England (ACE) Collection Scheme, 1993 - 96, enhanced the status of the collection. The foundations were laid for the creation of a contemporary art collection of national importance. The Service then participated in the CAS Special Collection Scheme, (1999 - 2005) with funds from the National Lottery positioning the Gallery as one of the leading centres for the study and enjoyment of contemporary work in the UK with collections equalled only by the national museums. In tandem with the extension to the Gallery premises in 2007, the establishment of a nationally important collection of contemporary art has helped to determine a positive role and identity for the Service for the first quarter of the 21st
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Century. To this end, the continued improvement of this collection should be seen as the main priority within the Collection strategy as a whole. The works acquired under the first CAS / ACE Collection Scheme with assistance from the Museums and Galleries Commission, included major examples by David Mach, Helen Chadwick, Paul Graham, Willie Doherty, Tony Bevan, Lisa Milroy and Suzanne Treister. To give the acquisitions a coherent theme we developed an existing strength acquiring works which, in some way, reflected social, ethical and environmental aspects of life in modern Britain, within a global context. This has given the Service a focused collection that demonstrates the capacity of art to be a relevant and powerful voice in today’s society addressing everyday issues of war, race, gender, civil liberties and national identity. It is particularly rich as a resource for the National Curriculum. The CAS Special Collection Scheme enabled us to further develop this theme with acquisitions by Tom Hunter, Breda Beban, Rut Blees Luxembourg, Richard Billingham, David Rayson, Chad McCail, Ross Sinclair, Simon Norfolk, Paul Seawright, Siobhan Hapaska and Jeremy Deller. Future acquisitions should continue this general theme and follow through the exciting developments already in place. The Service has recently been developing its holdings of artists’ film and video with works by Cornford & Cross, Breda Beban, Joonho Jeon, Willie Doherty and Seamus Harahan. The Gallery won the CAS Commission to Collect Award in 2010, alongside the Hepworth Wakefield. This will result in a new commissioned work by Luke Fowler to be completed and displayed in 2012. There is an opportunity for the Service to build a reputation in this area to lead the way in terms of best practice in collecting moving image based works. The Service also holds work by artists who grew up or were trained in Wolverhampton as well as work that deals with the landscape and people of Wolverhampton and the wider Black Country such as David Rayson. The Service should continue to collect work by local artists where there work fits in with other priorities for collecting.
• The Northern Ireland Collection There is a nationally important collection on the theme of the conflict in Northern Ireland, the foundations of which were laid in the 1980s. Wolverhampton Art Gallery curated a ground-breaking exhibition in 1994, to coincide with the IRA ceasefire of that time and has since built a reputation for tackling issues in Northem Ireland. The collection is the only regional collection of its kind with only the Imperial War Museum and the Arts Council Northern Ireland collection coming close in comparison, Even these collections lack the breathe of ours in terms of subject matter and medium. The collection includes work by Conrad Atkinson, Jock McFadyen, Willie Doherty, Paul Graham, Anthony Davies, John Keane, Terry Atkinson and John Kindness. The award of an HLF grant in 2009, through Collecting Cultures, has enabled us to develop the collection further, adding works by Paul Seawright, Victor Sloane, Sean Hillen, Anthony Haughey, and Locky Morris.
• Contemporary Craft Through the Service’s contemporary craft exhibition and education programme focussed at Bilston Craft Gallery a small number of high quality contemporary craft objects have been acquired since 2000. Many of these are commissions enabled as part of particular exhibition projects and have specific links to the local history or decorative art collections such as metalsmith John Grayson’s three enamel boxes A trifle from Bilston which relate to an historic Georgian enamel box with this phrase inscribed on the lid. The historic and contemporary works are shown in proximity to one another. Others such as Junko Mori’s forged steel work Lichen Petals, purchased with the support of the Art Fund, provide a contemporary perspective on the heritage of
Page | 4 Acquisitions and Disposals Policy Wolverhampton Culture, Arts and Heritage skilled manufacturing in the local area – in this case steel which was produced in Bilston on a huge scale into the 1970s. The Service will continue to acquire on occasion exceptional works of contemporary craft that show current skill and innovation and illuminate objects or related themes in its local history or decorative arts collections. The ability to display these acquisitions or make them otherwise readily accessible to the public will be an important criterion. Bilston Craft Gallery also has a handling collection of contemporary craft items acquired to support the engagement and participation of the public with the Gallery’s programme. This is recorded and managed according to the Service’s policy for handling objects, ie. clearly designated and with lower expectations for preservation and conservation standards.
2.2 DECORATIVE ART
• 18th Century English Enamels Outside the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Wolverhampton has the finest collection of enamels in the country with examples of Bilston, Birmingham, South Staffordshire, Battersea and Liverpool manufacture. It is a collection of regional and international significance and a source of great local pride. The collection includes outstanding examples of the enamellers’ craft and important documentary objects, as well as a range of snuff patch boxes, pill boxes, tea-caddies, candlesticks and so on, which illustrate the variety of objects made and mirrors the fashionable society for which they were produced. The collection has been acquired chiefly through the Bantock Bequest, through the purchase of large collections by both Wolverhampton Art Gallery & Museum and Bilston Museum & Art Gallery prior to the boundary changes in 1966, and more recently by purchase at auction.
• 18th and 19th Century Japanned Ware of the West Midlands Wolverhampton was a leading centre for the craft of japanning - the application of thick varnish as both protection and a base for spectacular decoration to tin, iron, papier mâché and wood. The collection enjoys strong regional significance, as well as wider repute both nationally and internationally. It came to the Service largely by way of gifts from manufacturers and their descendants, and those employed in the industry. Since the 1970s the Service has pursued an active acquisitions policy and so raised the profile of the collection to become a major resource for the study of such wares. We should therefore continue to develop the collection with a view to making it fully representative of this important Midlands industry. Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery, which has a good but smaller collection, does not actively seek to acquire objects in this field. To complement our holding, a small number of objects are on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and from private collections. We will support the Local History & Archives department in the acquisition of photographs or other printed images of workpeople, workshops, tools, products etc. relevant to the industry and recognise the local History & Heritage Society’s research in this area.
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• Dolls and Toys, 1780-1950 (CLOSED) The doll collection, largely acquired in 1952 through the gift of Miss Daisy Mander, divides into three groups: historical European dolls, dolls in national and regional costumes and ethnographic dolls. A collection of toys and objects associated with the education of children, was begun in the 1970s and has been acquired almost entirely by way of gifts The collection has rich educational use as an illustration of childhood at different periods, especially in the context of Bantock House, and for educational sessions focusing on costume, mechanics and materials. The ethnographic and national dolls are also a useful resource for sessions on geography, citizenship and cultural diversity.
• 18th and 19th Century Ceramics (CLOSED) A small representative collection covering the history of the English ceramic industry from the Industrial Revolution to the late 19th century and ranging from highly sophisticated porcelain, to lively, cheaply produced cottage ornaments. It includes a small but fine collection of 1st Period Worcester porcelain (1751-80) bequeathed by Alderman and Mrs A B Bantock and representative pieces from most major English factories: Bow, Chelsea, Caughley, Wedgwood, Spode, Derby, Coalport, Barr, Flight & Barr and others. The collection has been acquired partly through gifts and bequest and partly through the purchase of a small but good collection of late 18th/early 19th century English pottery for Bilston Museum in the 1950s. It is particularly useful in the context of Bantock House.
• Asian Decorative Art (CLOSED) The collection includes Japanese and Chinese material and a small range of Indian and Middle Eastern objects, comprising: lacquer, swords and sword furniture, carved ivories and bronzes; ceramics, carved ivories, soapstone and jade and bronze figures and vessels and includes a small number of outstanding items. The collection has been acquired through gifts, including several from the Bantock family, and was mostly collected in the early 20th century. It has strong educational potential, particularly in the context of the history of Bantock House. Although this collection is closed, we seek to increase it’s diversity and will accept items in exceptional circumstances which are of particular significance to our local communities.
• Elkington Plate and Fictile Ivories (CLOSED) A collection of reproductions of previous metalwork and ivories from historic European collections. Such reproductions were commissioned by the Department of Science and Education to advance ‘the progress of art’, by use in schools of art and display in museums. It was acquired in the 1880s and stands as a useful collection in its own right, as a supporting collection and as an educational resource.
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• 19th/early 20th Century Costume (CLOSED) As a result of the fine skills employed in making christening robes, bonnets and underwear and sentiment for those who wore them, such garments have been donated in large numbers to museums throughout the country. Wolverhampton’s collection was no exception and included much so-called ‘whiteware’ and miscellaneous pieces of 19th and 20th century costume. Given the specialist display and storage requirements of such a collection, unavailable at Wolverhampton, we have transferred the collection to Walsall Museum, except for five items to be used as handling objects in educational sessions.
• 18th and 19th Century Glass (CLOSED) A small collection acquired by various gifts over a number of years. While it includes several attractive pieces, it is too disparate a group to display in its entirety, especially with a major collection so close by at Broadfield House, Kingswinford. Individual pieces are useful in connection with the enamel displays.
• Mediterranean Ceramics and Other Archaeological material (CLOSED) Along with many museums earlier this century, Wolverhampton benefited from the generosity of the Brassey family whose archaeological explorations to many parts of the world led them to form collections of material from the various sites they visited. Other gifts have enhanced the collection which includes small groups of Egyptian artefacts, Roman domestic pottery and glass, and a larger group of Cypriot pottery which recently formed the subject of a scholarly paper. Although not sufficiently comprehensive or rich enough to display, the collection nevertheless includes some good examples. It is a useful educational resource and it is only in this context that the non-local material is retained.
2.3 LOCAL HISTORY
The local history collections currently comprise: I. locks and keys II. cut steel III. printed ephemera IV. photographs V. post-medieval archaeology VI. decorative and architectural metalwork VII. commercial vitreous enamelling. VIII. Miscellaneous
During the first 80 years of the Service’s history, and in accordance with its stated aims, attention was focused upon the acquisitions of decorative products manufactured in the region, enamels, japanned ware, cut steel and so on. We aim to build on these
Page | 7 Acquisitions and Disposals Policy Wolverhampton Culture, Arts and Heritage strengths in future collecting, especially for the displays at Bantock House. We are currently working with the Black Country Museum Services to develop a strategic regional approach to collecting local Black Country history. Local History collecting will be informed by, and complement, that of Wolverhampton Archives whose collecting policy outlines its statutory obligations and the acquisition of material relating to the history of Wolverhampton. It also identifies communities whose archives are currently underrepresented as a focus for collecting activity.
Through generous gifts and the Bantock Bequest in 1941, the Service has good collections of local photographs and printed ephemera, which dovetail together with those held by the Archives & Local Studies. We will support Archives & Local Studies in their collecting and aim to bring the two collections closer together.
2.4 GEOLOGY
• The Fraser Collection (CLOSED) Dr Fraser, president of the Dudley and Midlands Geological and Scientific Society, and medical practitioner in Wolverhampton, bequeathed his collection of geological specimens in 1911. It includes about 7,000 specimens and is almost entirely composed of British fossils, representing main groups though most stages of geological history; many specimens are of excellent quality and come from localities which no longer exist. It is consequently a rich educational resource.
3. Criteria governing future acquisition policy including the subjects or themes, periods of time and/or geographic areas and any collections which will not be subject to further acquisition.
The Service is committed to developing the collections through strategic purchasing, using the acquisitions budget as seed funding and seeking grants to increase the funding available for developing our collections. We will also consider gifts and bequests which fall within our collecting criteria. The acquisitions committee, which currently comprises the Head of Service, the Curatorial Services and Programme Manager and the Collections Development Officer, meets quarterly to consider proposed acquisitions. Where the opportunity arises we will work in partnership with other organisations and we will explore joint acquisitioning as a means of further developing our collections. This has already been done successfully with joint acquisitions with the Imperial War Museum in 2009 (Willie Doherty) and The Arts Council Collection and The Herbert, Coventry (The Wilson Twins). The following section highlights priorities for collecting in all of the still ‘open’ collections.
3.1 FINE ART
• 18th Century British Oil Painting In order to present a more accurate picture of British art during this period, the collection requires good examples of: a sporting picture, a conversation piece and a history painting.
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We will seek to acquire: I. a sporting picture (and/or an equestrian portrait) II. small-scale conversation pieces by e.g. Arthur Devis or School of Devis III. history paintings reflecting the interest in classical culture and the Grand Tour e.g. work by Benjamin West, Gavin Hamilton or Angelica Kauffman IV. 18th century sculpture to complement the existing collection.
• 19th Century British Painting and Sculpture The Service is not in a position to develop a ‘survey’ collection of major British art movements of the Victorian period; this is already well done by Birmingham City Museum & Art Gallery, and the necessary costs would be prohibitive. Nevertheless, works by major members of the Cranbrook Colony are currently under-represented and should be sought. We will seek to acquire: I. domestic genre painting II. ‘Cranbrook’ works by major members of the group, especially, in order of priority, Thomas Webster, J.C. Horsley, A.E. Mulready, George Hardy, F D Hardy, and G B O’Neill. III. Small sculptures which relate to the existing collections IV. Works of local significance
• 18th and 19th Century Works on Paper We will seek to acquire: I. selected works by e.g. Cozens, Francis Towne, William Pars etc II. watercolours by artists working in the Indian Sub-Continent e.g. George Chinnery, William and Thomas Daniell etc III. Works of local significance
We will also seek to acquire: 18th, 19th and early 20th Century works of local relevance, including: I. landscape II. portraiture III. history painting IV. works by e.g. Edward Bird and Joseph Barney.
• Modern British Painting, Sculpture and Works on Paper
The Service should continue to acquire works of specifically local relevance from the inter-war period.
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We will seek to acquire works by: I. Eileen Agar, Ithel Colquohoun, Grace Palethorpe, Barbara Hepworth, Conroy Maddox, John Melville and other artists associated with the Surrealist Movement and Unit One II. work of specifically local relevance from the inter-War period, e.g. R J Emerson and Charles Wheeler and their pupils and associates III. topographical works by local artists e.g. Sidney Causer, George Phoenix etc.
• The Twentyman Collection - Works by John Piper and Others
The acquisition of this mass of work by John Piper (and associated archives deposited with the Archives and Local Studies Service), gives the Service the opportunity to further develop its Piper holdings and become a major centre for the study and interpretation of Piper’s work. The range and quality of the collection is unrivalled by other galleries in the West Midlands.
We will seek to acquire: I. Michael Ayrton, John Craxton, Graham Suherland, Richard Eurich, Winifred Nicholson, Ben Nicholson, Alfred Wallis, Bryan Wynter, Peter Lanyon and other members of the St Ives school II. a small-scale bronze or maquette by Henry Moore III. works by John Piper.
• British and American Pop Art
We will seek to acquire: I. works by Allen Jones, Peter Phillips, Tom Wesselman, R B Kitaj, E Paolozzi, George Segal, Robert Rauschenberg, Mel Ramos and other important members of the ‘Pop’ and photo-realist schools. Female artists are particularly under-represented in this collection and although we have recently acquired a sculpture by Jan Haworth, we are also seeking to acquire a significant work by Pauline Boty. II. We will also seek to acquire works by members of the Pop art movement, or those directly influenced by it, who are not currently represented in the collection such as Claes Oldenburg, Yves Klein, Jasper Johns, Bill Woodrow, Tony Cragg, Julian Opie, Richard Smith, Anthony Donaldson and Gerald Laing.
• Contemporary British Painting, Sculpture, Works on Paper, Photographic Works, Video Digital Media and Contemporary Craft
We will seek to acquire: I. works by British artists whose work reflects the political and social climate of contemporary Britain and the world that impacts on it. eg. Gillian Wearing, Janice McNabe, Christine Borland, Steve McQueen, Yinka Shonibare and other national and international artists of the first rank. II. Works by international artists who comment on the global issues of war, identity, oppression and civil conflict. A specific area for development following the success of our joint bid with The Imperial War museum in 2011 is the conflict in the Middle East, specifically in Israel and Palestine. We will seek to acquire work by Emily Jacir, Mona Hatoum, Ruti Sela, Yael Batarna, Janane Al-Ani and Omer Fast.
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III. Film work which builds on our existing collection of film and video art by artists including Cornford and Cross, Willie Doherty and Seamus Harahan.
• Local Artists
We will seek to acquire: I. the work of local artists i.e. those who grew up, were trained in, or who live in the area, or whose work is concerned with the area II. work specific to the area, concerning the people or landscape of Wolverhampton, through commissions.
• The Northern Ireland Collection We will seek to acquire: I. work by artists who are concerned with the issue of conflict in Northern Ireland who are not currently represented in the collection including FE McWilliam, John Duncan, Dermot Seymour, Rita Donagh.
• Contemporary Craft
We will seek to acquire: I. Works of contemporary craft that exemplify excellence in making skill and innovation AND respond, relate to, or reflect on the making and manufacturing heritage and tradition of the Black Country region OR illuminate its particular social history. These may be in any medium but metal, enamel, leather, ceramics and glass have particular significance in the local area.
3.2 DECORATIVE ART
• 18th Century English Enamels Given the significance of the enamels collection, it is important to continue an active acquisitions policy in order to present a more representative picture of their social and manufacturing histories, and to build up a collection of comparative examples from various periods and regions of the world.
We will seek to acquire: Enamels which I. bear a signature, date, mark or other documentary evidence, especially if of local significance II. exemplify a particular manufacturing technique or form of decoration, not represented in the collection III. illustrate social, political or economic developments in the society which produced and used them IV. illustrate links between enamelling and other areas of decorative art, e.g. glass and ceramics, japanning V. illustrate links between enamelling and fine arts, such as items decorated with derivations of prints and paintings VI. illustrate any cultural cross-over and cross-pollination between enamelling traditions
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• 18th and 19th Century Japanned Ware of the West Midlands We will support the Local History & Archives department in the acquisition of photographs or other printed images of workpeople, workshops, tools, products etc. relevant to the industry and recognise the local History & Heritage Society’s research in this area.
We will seek to acquire: I. objects of a type not already in the collection, to illustrate the wide product range II. marked, signed or dated piece III. objects which illustrate social, political or economic developments in the society which produced and used them IV. pattern books and trade catalogues used by and printed for Midlands japanners V. tools and equipment associated with the industry VI. any outstanding examples of the manufacturing and/or decorative skills of the Midlands japanners
3.3 LOCAL HISTORY
We will seek to acquire: I. 18th and 19th century cut-steel toys: jewellery, buckles, small tools etc. II. exceptional examples of locks, keys and related goods III. exceptional examples of commercial vitreous enamelling IV. objects of particular connection to the Bantock family V. historic fittings for Bantock House and the Molineux Hotel (City Archives) and repatriation of items to the houses where appropriate VI. Objects related to the post 1950s industrial history of Wolverhampton.
and VII. To collect any item which reflects the social, cultural, industrial, religious and political life within the stated boundary which is deemed important to the heritage of Wolverhampton.
4. THEMES AND PRIORITIES FOR RATIONALISATION AND DISPOSAL Disposal and rationalisation will be motivated by curatorial reasons and will seek to increase public benefit derived from the museums’ collection and make better use of resources. Rationalisation and disposal by gift, sale or exchange will be undertaken in accordance with procedures outlined in paragraphs 13e and 13f. The service is currently undertaking a scoping exercise (Making Space, led by Staffordshire MDO, Helen Johnson) to determine the most effective areas for rationalisation.
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Collections potentially under review include: Transfer of the geology collection to a museum with fitting curatorial expertise Lend large scale poor condition Victorian oil paintings to MA painting conservation courses in order to benefit students and create opportunity to exhibit/ lend paintings post- conservation Transfer paper archive material to city archives Transfer least significant social history objects to the handling collection Return under used long term loans to lenders
5. LIMITATIONS ON COLLECTING 1.1.4 The Service will only acquire an object for the collection where there is adequate resources in terms of storage, documentation, security, conservation and professional advice and support to ensure that the object is well cared for and safe. In addition, any repair, restoration, framing, exhibition or special conservation needs will be considered as part of the acquisition. 1.1.5 The Service will only acquire an object for the collection where there is an open collecting remit, and where the object will make a significant addition to the collection. The acquisition policy will also reflect the priorities determined in the artistic and cultural policies. 1.1.6 In considering acquisition, the Service will not normally accept any gift, bequest or loan to which any special conditions apply (e.g. that items will be permanently displayed, kept in a separate room etc.)
6. COLLECTING POLICIES OF OTHER MUSEUMS
The Service recognises and supports the need for co-operation and consultation between museums and other organisations. The Service will take into account the collecting policies of other museums and organisations collecting in the same or related areas or subject fields. It will consult with these organisations where conflicts of interest may arise or to define areas of specialisms, in order to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste of resources. We will work in partnership with these organisations, where we can, to maximise the potential of our collections. Their policies will be reviewed every 5 years in order to keep information current.
Specific reference is made to the following museums: The other Black Country Museums: Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell and the Black Country Living Museum
In specific subject areas, the policies held by: • Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery (Fine Art, Enamels and Japanning) • Victoria & Albert Museum (Enamels and Japanning) • Tate (Middle East collecting)
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• Bristol Museum Service (Middle East collecting) • Manchester City Art Gallery (enamels) • Liverpool Museums (enamels) • National Museum of Wales (Japanning) • The Herbert (Global conflict) • The Imperial War Museum (Global conflict and particularly the Northern Ireland and Middle East collections. • The Ulster Museum (Northern Ireland collection)
We will work with our Archives and Local Studies to support their collecting and also to rationalise our collections. This may mean transferring some archival material over to the archives section, where appropriate.
7. POLICY REVIEW PROCEDURE The Acquisition and Disposal Policy will be published and reviewed from time to time, at least once every five years. The date when the policy is next due for review is noted above. The Arts Council will be notified of any changes to the Acquisition and Disposal Policy, and the implications of any such changes for the future of existing collections.
8. ACQUISITIONS NOT COVERED BY THE POLICY Acquisitions outside the current stated policy will only be made in very exceptional circumstances, and then only after proper consideration by the governing body of the museum itself, having regard to the interests of other museums.
9. ACQUISITION PROCEDURES a. The museum will exercise due diligence and make every effort not to acquire, whether by purchase, gift, bequest or exchange, any object or specimen unless the governing body or responsible officer is satisfied that the museum can acquire a valid title to the item in question b. In particular, the museum will not acquire any object or specimen unless it is satisfied that the object or specimen has not been acquired in, or exported from, its country of origin (or any intermediate country in which it may have been legally owned) in violation of that country’s laws. (For the purposes of this paragraph `country of origin’ includes the United Kingdom). c. In accordance with the provisions of the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, which the UK ratified with effect from November 1 2002, and the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003, the museum will reject any items that have been illicitly traded. The governing body will be guided by the national
Page | 14 Acquisitions and Disposals Policy Wolverhampton Culture, Arts and Heritage guidance on the responsible acquisition of cultural property issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in 2005. d. So far as biological and geological material is concerned, the museum will not acquire by any direct or indirect means any specimen that has been collected, sold or otherwise transferred in contravention of any national or international wildlife protection or natural history conservation law or treaty of the United Kingdom or any other country, except with the express consent of an appropriate outside authority. e. The service will not acquire archaeological antiquities (including excavated ceramics) in any case where the governing body or responsible officer has any suspicion that the circumstances of their recovery involved a failure to follow the appropriate legal procedures. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales the procedures include reporting finds to the landowner or occupier of the land and to the proper authorities in the case of possible treasure as defined by the Treasure Act 1996.
The Service will not acquire any archaeological material. f. Any exceptions to the above clauses 8a, 8b, 8c, or 8e will only be because the Service is either: acting as an externally approved repository of last resort for material of local (UK) origin; or acquiring an item of minor importance that lacks secure ownership history but in the best judgement of experts in the field concerned has not been illicitly traded; or acting with the permission of authorities with the requisite jurisdiction in the country of origin; or in possession of reliable documentary evidence that the item was exported from its country of origin before 1970. In these cases the museum will be open and transparent in the way it makes decisions and will act only with the express consent of an appropriate outside authority.
g. As the Service holds or intends to acquire human remains from any period, it will follow the procedures in the “Guidance for the care of human remains in museums” issued by DCMS in 2005.
10. SPOLIATION The museum will use the statement of principles ‘Spoliation of Works of Art during the Nazi, Holocaust and World War II period’, issued for non-national museums in 1999 by the Museums and Galleries Commission.
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11. THE REPATRIATION AND RESTITUTION OF OBJECTS AND HUMAN REMAINS
The museum’s governing body, acting on the advice of the museum’s professional staff, if any, may take a decision to return human remains (unless covered by the “Guidance for the care of human remains in museums” issued by DCMS in 2005) , objects or specimens to a country or people of origin. The museum will take such decisions on a case by case basis; within its legal position and taking into account all ethical implications and available guidance. This will mean that the procedures described in 12a-12d, 12g and 12s below will be followed but the remaining procedures are not appropriate.
The disposal of human remains from museums in England, Northern Ireland and Wales will follow the procedures in the “Guidance for the care of human remains in museums”.
12. MANAGEMENT OF ARCHIVES As the museum holds / intends to acquire archives, including photographs and printed ephemera, its governing body will be guided by the Code of Practice on Archives for Museums and Galleries in the United Kingdom (3rd ed., 2002).
13. DISPOSAL PROCEDURES
Disposal preliminaries a. The governing body will ensure that the disposal process is carried out openly and with transparency. b. By definition, the Service has a long-term purpose and holds collections in trust for society in relation to its stated objectives. The governing body therefore accepts the principle that sound curatorial reasons for disposal must be established before consideration is given to the disposal of any items in the museum’s collection. c. The museum will confirm that it is legally free to dispose of an item and agreements on disposal made with donors will be taken into account. d. When disposal of a museum object is being considered, the museum will establish if it was acquired with the aid of an external funding organisation. In such cases, disposal will only be considered after due permission from the relevant organisation and any conditions attached to the original grant will be followed. The museum recognises that this may include repayment of the original grant and a proportion of the proceeds if the item is disposed of by sale.
Motivation for disposal and method of disposal e. When disposal is motivated by curatorial reasons the procedures outlined in paragraphs 13g-13s will be followed and the method of disposal may be by gift, sale or exchange. Page | 16 Acquisitions and Disposals Policy Wolverhampton Culture, Arts and Heritage
f. The museum will not undertake disposal motivated principally by financial reasons
The disposal decision-making process g. Whether the disposal is motivated either by curatorial or financial reasons, the decision to dispose of material from the collections will be taken by the governing body only after full consideration of the reasons for disposal. Other factors including the public benefit, the implications for the museum’s collections and collections held by museums and other organisations collecting the same material or in related fields will be considered. External expert advice will be obtained and the views of stakeholders such as donors, researchers, local and source communities and others served by the museum will also be sought.
Responsibility for disposal decision-making h. A decision to dispose of a specimen or object, whether by exchange, sale, gift or destruction (in the case of an item too badly damaged or deteriorated to be of any use for the purposes of the collections or for health and safety), will be the responsibility of the governing body of the museum acting on the advice of professional curatorial staff, if any, and not of the curator of the collection concerned acting alone.
Use of proceeds of sale i. Any monies received by the museum governing body from the disposal of items will be applied for the benefit of the collections. This normally means the purchase of further acquisitions. In exceptional cases, improvements relating to the care of collections in order to meet or exceed Accreditation requirements relating to the risk of damage to and deterioration of the collections may be justifiable. Any monies received in compensation for the damage, loss or destruction of items will be applied in the same way. Advice on those cases where the monies are intended to be used for the care of collections will be sought from the Arts Council. j. The proceeds of a sale will be ring-fenced so it can be demonstrated that they are spent in a manner compatible with the requirements of the Accreditation standard.
Disposal by gift or sale k. Once a decision to dispose of material in the collection has been taken, priority will be given to retaining it within the public domain, unless it is to be destroyed. It will therefore be offered in the first instance, by gift or sale, directly to other Accredited Museums likely to be interested in its acquisition. l. If the material is not acquired by any Accredited Museums to which it was offered directly as a gift or for sale, then the museum community at large will be advised of the intention to dispose of the material, normally through an announcement in the Museums Association’s Museums Journal, and in other specialist journals where appropriate. m. The announcement relating to gift or sale will indicate the number and nature of specimens or objects involved, and the basis on which the material will be transferred to another institution. Preference will be given to expressions of interest from other Accredited Museums. A period of at least two months will be allowed for an interest in acquiring the material to be expressed. At the end of this period, if no expressions of interest have been received, the museum may consider disposing of the material to other interested individuals and organisations giving priority to organisations in the public domain.
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Disposal by exchange n. The nature of disposal by exchange means that the museum will not necessarily be in a position to exchange the material with another Accredited museum. The governing body will therefore ensure that issues relating to accountability and impartiality are carefully considered to avoid undue influence on its decision-making process. o. In cases where the governing body wishes for sound curatorial reasons to exchange material directly with Accredited or unaccredited museums, with other organisations or with individuals, the procedures in paragraphs 13a-13d and 13g-13h will be followed as will the procedures in paragraphs 13p-13s. p. If the exchange is proposed to be made with a specific Accredited museum, other Accredited museums which collect in the same or related areas will be directly notified of the proposal and their comments will be requested. q. If the exchange is proposed with a non-accredited museum, with another type of organisation or with an individual, the museum will make an announcement in the Museums Journal and in other specialist journals where appropriate. r. Both the notification and announcement must provide information on the number and nature of the specimens or objects involved both in the museum’s collection and those intended to be acquired in exchange. A period of at least two months must be allowed for comments to be received. At the end of this period, the governing body must consider the comments before a final decision on the exchange is made.
Documenting disposal o/s. Full records will be kept of all decisions on disposals and the items involved and proper arrangements made for the preservation and/or transfer, as appropriate, of the documentation relating to the items concerned, including photographic records where practicable in accordance with SPECTRUM Procedure on deaccession and disposal.
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Collections Development Policy – WAVE February 2013
Equality Analysis of Policies, Services and Functions
1. Directorate and Service Group Education and Enterprise – Culture Arts and Heritage
2. Name of policy, project service/function, Collections Development Policy contract or strategy being analysed
3. Name and contact details of officers Corinne Miller x2050 completing the assessment Jessica Bromley x1952
4. Date 18 February 2013 5. People involved in the analysis • Museum Services in the Black Country • Friends of the Art Gallery and Museum • Curatorial Team 6. Brief Description of policy being analysed The policy describes the collecting activity of the galleries and museums service 7. Is this a new policy or a review of an Review of an existing policy existing one? 8. Data & Engagement – what information Collecting policies of the other museums in the Black did you gather and use? Country Black Country Museums Partnership meeting The Template required by the Arts Council 9. Findings – Did you discover any adverse The collections should have a wide appeal and reflect or positive impact on any of the following 9 the history of the city. We have therefore extended equality strands? the scope of the local history collections to be explicit Age about post war collecting as this was a period of rapid Disability change and is currently under‐represented across the Sex Black Country. This will allow for the collection of Gender Reassignment material from underrepresented communities and Marriage & Civil Partnership brings the Gallery and Museums collecting policy into Pregnancy & Maternity alignment with the collecting policy of the Archives Race which seeks to build archives with local faith and Religion or Belief disability groups and different ethnic communities. Sexual Orientation The new policy will allow the service to collect the material culture alongside the archives which has already made some significant improvements to the holdings of archives from the Sikh community. 10. If you have discovered some We have not identified any inequalities but will keep inequalities/adverse impact what this under review. provision, criterion or practices may have caused this?
1 Collections Development Policy – WAVE February 2013
11. What are you going to do to reduce or n/a eliminate the inequality/adverse impact? 12. How and when will you check whether n/a the adverse impact has been eliminated or reduced? 13. Do the proposals foster good relations We believe that the policy will improve the between the groups covered by the representation of community histories within the Equality Act 2010 (see guidance notes) collection 14. Do the proposals advance equal We believe that the widening of the scope of the local opportunities. If yes how do they do this? history collections will improve the representation of the history of currently underrepresented groups in the long term, and this will give a more holistic view of the history of the city. 15. How will you check that the proposals All items for the collections are considered at the will advance equal opportunities and foster regular acquisitions meetings which are minuted. This good relations between protected groups? will indicate who is offering material and why the (see guidance notes) items have been accepted or refused. This EIA will be kept with the policy to be considered when the policy is reviewed.
Signed Signed
Service Manager Director
2 Collections Development Policy – WAVE February 2013