HOUSTON – Could Houston museums be tempted to sell their art?
The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) has temporarily relaxed its rules on selling art, the Washington Post reports.
Recommended Videos
According to the report, AAMD has looked down upon museums that sell art for purposes other than acquiring new art, but as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic, times are desperate.
The once unthinkable notion of selling off a famous artwork is suddenly something to contemplate.
“There are many members of the association who think that this is way too much, and others who think it’s way too little,” Brent Benjamin, the AAMD president and the director of the Saint Louis Art Museum, told the Art Newspaper according to the Post.
Since closing due to the coronavirus outbreak, museums’ income from admissions and retail has evaporated.
The Post reports museums may now “use the proceeds from deaccessioned works of art ... to support the direct care” of their collection, according to AAMD.
KPRC 2 reached out to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston about the situation.
“The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston currently has no plans to sell art from the collection to support operations,” officials wrote in a statement. “While this is a difficult time for our Museum --losing $400,000 each week that we remain closed to the public, while retaining at full pay 640 employees – we hope that reduced discretionary expenditures and community support will enable our operations to continue through this unprecedented period and beyond.”