Photography Policy
Photography is permitted with no flash for personal and casual use. Flash is forbidden because it has the potential to damage artworks as well as it is distracting to other museum visitors. On occasions, photography restrictions do come up. Visitor Services will inform the public about such restrictions upon their arrival and appropriate signage will be posted at exhibition entrances. Video and tripods may not to be used in any museum gallery. Movie and video cameras also may not be used in the galleries.
Image Licensing / Permanent Collection
Works of art in the collection of Memphis Brook Museum of Art (the “Museum”), although owned by the Museum, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, or related interests that are not owned by the Museum. In supplying images, the Museum is not giving permission to exploit any third party rights. Individuals requesting images have the responsibility to obtain whatever rights or other permissions that may be required from an artist, his estate or any other third party rights holder.
- The museum charges licensing fees for high resolution images (tiffs or jpegs) that are provided with contractual guidelines. These fees help fund ongoing efforts to care for our collection.
- The Registrar’s Office will provide, free of charge, a low resolution digital image (jpeg) of a work of art in Memphis Brooks Museum’s ("the museum”) permanent collection, if it is available, for educational use or for scholarly or personal research, including a thesis, dissertation, or other school related paper. If you request a work in the museum’s collection that has not been photographed, photography may have to be arranged and this could involve a fee. Digital materials requested for research and educational purposes are not intended for publication, broadcast, or in any medium or for personal or commercial gain. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or exploitation of this material is not permitted. All parties using this material will not infringe or violate the rights of any other party.
- The museum is committed to protecting the copyright and other protective rights of creative artists. Some artist’s copyrights may be administered by Visual Artists and Galleries Association, Inc. (VAGA) or Artists Rights Society (ARS).
Submitting Image Requests
Requests must include contact information (name, address, telephone, e-mail), and refer to image by artist/maker, title, and/or accession number. If it is to be published in any format, other information required: title and author of publication; format (book, web, journal, catalog, etc…); Print run and retail price; publication date; publishers name and address; number of languages; designate cover, full page, ¼ page, ½ page illustration; size of digital image required for project (pixels).
PLEASE FORWARD ALL IMAGING REQUESTS TO:
Registrar’s Office / Rights and Reproductions
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
1934 Poplar Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104
Fax: 901-544-6276
E-mail: Collections@brooksmuseum.org
All requests are subject to review and approval. Costs vary and will be determined based upon intended use, available photography, and preferred delivery method. A quote will be sent outlining these costs, followed by a contract that specifies how the image(s) may be used in your project. Advanced payment required.
Please state whether the image will be used for research purposes or publication. Once a written request is received, an Application for Permission for Reproduction form along with an invoice for the appropriate fees will be sent. Reproduction fees vary, and requests for new photography incur additional fees. Upon receipt of signed form and payment, photographic material will be forwarded.The Brooks will provide reproductions of work protected by the artist’s copyright once permission is granted by either the artist, his or her estate, or the organization handling the artist’s copyright, including the Visual Artists and Galleries Association (VAGA) or the Artists Rights Society (ARS).
VAGA
350 Fifth Ave., Suite 6305 New York, NY 10118
Tel: 212.736.6666
Fax: 212.736.6767
E-mail: rpanzer@vagarights.com
Website: www.vaga.org
ARS
536 Broadway, 5th Floor New York, NY 10012
Tel: 212.420.9160
Fax: 212.420.9286
E-mail: info@arsny.com
Website: www.arsny.com
Appraisals
The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is unable to appraise artworks. The museum recommends that an accredited appraiser be contacted directly. The following information is provided to aid in your search for an expert in a field related to your artwork. For assistance with finding an appraiser, please contact:
International Society of Appraisers
225 West Wacker Drive, Suite 650
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: 312-981-6778
Fax: 312-265-2908
Email: usa@usa-appraisers.org
Website: isa-appraisers.org
Conservation
Stanford University's Preservation maintains links to numerous websites providing information regarding the care of artworks. Please click here for online conservation resources. For assistance in finding a conservator, please contact:
The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works
1156 15th St. NW Suite 320
Washington D.C. 20005-1714
Tel: 202.452.9545
Email: info@aic-faic.org
Website: conservation-us.org
Before choosing a conservator, we suggest you refer to the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Work brochure guidelines. This brochure can be accessed at conservation-us.org.
Additional Internet Resources:
What is a print?
The Art History Research Centre
Artnet Worldwide Corporation
MBMA Frames Assessment
Provenance
The provenance of a work of art is the history of the object’s ownership from the time of its creation to present day. Gaps in an object’s provenance highlight the need for further documentary evidence to clarify the history of ownership. In compliance with best-practice guidelines issued by the American Association of Museums in 1999 and 2001, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is committed to researching the provenance of the objects in our collection. While the provenance of many of these objects may never be fully resolved, the recent declassification of documents and the broad range of databases, catalogues, and images available on the Internet from libraries, museums, and research centers worldwide, make the chance for success greater than ever before.
Nazi-Era Research
Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazi Party systemically persecuted and stripped Jewish people from Nazi-occupied Europe of their possessions. These objects were looted, sold, dispersed, or destroyed. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art began Nazi-Era provenance research in 2002, focusing on all European paintings in the permanent collection that transferred ownership or have gaps in their provenance from 1933 to 1945.
Although we cannot conclude that a work of art was looted or appropriated by the Nazis simply because it has incomplete or unverified information in its provenance, gaps in provenance do indicate that more robust research must be conducted. Many times, these gaps are the result of lost or destroyed gallery records or requested anonymity of a past owner. Several of the museum’s paintings have been researched and their provenance has been established, while others continue to be investigated.
The American Association of Museums has developed a Nazi-Era Provenance Internet Portal which provides a searchable registry of objects in United States museum collections that fit the criteria discussed above.
Colonial-Era Research
Throughout history, many works of art from around the world were stolen, forcibly sold, or taken without consent as the direct result of Colonialism. The communities whose objects were taken experienced trauma, violence, and loss. Looting is not just an issue of the past. These problems persist globally due to war, riot, shifts in government, organized crime, terrorism, and natural disasters and, unfortunately, looted objects emerge on the art market to this day. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is committed to not only investigating the history of objects in our collection with possible links to Colonialism, but also to ensuring that all incoming acquisitions and gifts have a verified past that align with our ethical obligations.
Click here to see a list of works from the Brooks Museum’s permanent collection that are currently undergoing research due to lapses in provenance. In allowing public access to this information, we join with the international art museum community in the diligent search for items seized or looted. Our records undergo continuous review, and we update them as new information is available.
If you have any inquiries or information about these items, please contact the museum.
DISCLAIMER
The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art does not recommend one appraiser, conservator, framer, or other art professional over another. This list includes suggestions of organizations that may be consulted, however, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will not be held responsible for any conservation or appraisals. This information is provided as a resource and is not an endorsement of any organization or individual.
