Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Some Museums Want to Sell Art to Make Ends Meet
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Aug 11, 2010
Modified Aug 11, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Aug 11, 2010
Modified Aug 11, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A bill to prevent cultural institutions from selling artworks to cover costs has been opposed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other organizations—and it has pretty much died in the State Legislature. Museums generally "deaccession" works of art to use the proceeds to buy other works of art, and the Board of Regents already prohibits some museums from selling art to cover other costs. However, the bill would have made the practice, which the Times describes as a "misuse of funds that jeopardizes preserving cultural heritage as a public trust," illegal across the board.
Michael Botwinick, director of the Hudson River Museum, says the issue is so concerning because letting museums sell works to pay expenses will make them believe "the Rembrandts in the collection are no different than the IBM stock." James C. Dawson, former chairman of the Regents’ cultural education committee, agreed that "Museums hold their collections in the public trust. They should not be selling those off for operating funds or to pay debts." Doing such would essentially turn the museums into large, government-funded galleries.
The Board of Regents wants to make their prohibitions permanent, but they would only apply to state-funded museums, not museums like the Met which operate under other legislative charters. Director Thomas P. Campbell assures anyone that's worried that their deaccessioning process is "tightly governed by its trustees, subject to review by the State Attorney General, and requiring that funds from deaccessioning be used only for the purpose of acquiring other works of art," but if money gets tight, there's nothing stopping them. The National Academy Museum already sold two Hudson River School paintings to cover some expenses in 2008. Maybe they should just downsize those apartments.
Tagged
art
bill
deaccession
museums
selling art
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Yes, Stevie Wonder is playing MSG. No, you can't afford tickets. See these shows instead.
LCD Soundsystem also uses synthesizers. Ok, maybe not the same thing. But it's still a great month for music in NYC.
By
Hank Shteamer
Published Nov 3, 2026
'The Muppets Take Manhattan' in Queens and more November films in NYC
'Remember, remember the 5th of November' - and also all those other days - in theaters this month.
By
Emma Stefansky
Arts & Entertainment
'The Muppets Take Manhattan' in Queens and more November films in NYC
'Remember, remember the 5th of November' - and also all those other days - in theaters this month.
By
Emma Stefansky
Why LCD Soundsystem's 'New York, I Love You' is still the city's most honest anthem
By
Sonia Rao
Would you live on a Halloween block? These Hackensackers live for it.
By
James Ramsay
Owl pellets and period equity: What's happening at NYC's public libraries this November
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .