Circulating Art Loan Program

OVERVIEW AND GUIDELINES

In an effort to meet the Collection's mission and to make a portion of the Tufts Permanent Art Collection accessible, the Tufts University Art Gallery administers a Circulating Art Program. Through this program, select works of art are available for loan to eligible departments, offices, and centers on Tufts' campuses, provided that the conditions for loan, described below, are met.

LOAN REQUEST PROCESS

Requests for loans of works of art should be made in writing (or email) to Collection Registrar (Laura McCarty) and should address the following conditions:
- Kind of space (private office, semi-public office/department/suite), public access area (e.g., corridor, lobby)
- "Live" Security level of that space during business hours (no live security; minimal or occasional live security; constant live security)
- Business hours (when is space unlocked and locked?)
- Is there an after hours security system with keypad in the space?
- Natural light level (number and location of windows in space) and ultraviolet window treatments (do they exist or not?)
- Configuration of space (a diagram or sketch is needed of the walls or other spaces available for works of art; this should include notations on window, door, and furniture locations; width of each wall available; existence of chair rails; height of each wall (if chair rail exists, height from top edge of chair rail and/or height of furniture)
- Type of art work preferred (photographs, paintings, prints [lithographs, screenprints, woodcuts, etchings, etc.], drawings, sculpture)
- Aesthetic preferences (abstract, representational, experimental, conceptual, portraits, landscapes, genre/still life, other subject matter, etc.)
After the request is received, the Collection Registrar and Director of Galleries and Collections review the request and propose a list of works to match the Borrower's criteria as closely as possible. These images will be electronically sent to the main contact/liaison for the Borrower as JPEGs or in a grouping as a PDF. An exchange will ensue till a checklist of works to be borrowed is agreed upon.
By initiating the Request Process, potential Borrowers agree to comply with the additional conditions and eligibility requirements cited below.

ELIGIBLE SPACES

Tisch Library conference rooms, stacks, reading areas, and Tower Café
Deans', Provosts' and President's Offices and suites
Gifford House (President's Home)
Chase Center, Carmichael Hall
Admissions Office (Bendetson Hall)
Center Directors' and Department Chairs' offices
Lobbies
Wide corridors
Department conference/seminar rooms and offices
Suites and/or reception areas with live security
Other libraries
Tufts University Art Gallery and Slater Concourse Gallery (Aidekman Arts Center)

INELIGIBLE SPACES

Auditoria
Class Rooms
Department lounges/common areas
Dining Halls
Dormitories
Faculty offices
Hallways
Private staff offices and meeting rooms not frequented by students
Rehearsal rooms

REQUEST PERIOD

March 1 to May 15 (annually)

Exceptions will be made when an office is vacated, newly occupied, or moved and new, or additional art that meets the aforementioned eligibility requirements is requested in writing.

DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION PERIOD

May 23 (after Commencement) to fourth week of August (before Freshman Orientation week). Delivery and installation will be scheduled and conducted by Tufts University Art Gallery staff in the order in which requests are received, subject to framing needs and other preparation requirements of the loan.

Exceptions will be made when an office is vacated or moved and new or additional art that meets the aforementioned eligibility requirements is requested.

CONDITIONS OF LOANS

The Department to which the work(s) of art are loaned assumes responsibility for the care and the safety of the art. The Department cannot transfer responsibility to another Department. If damage (physical stress from sources such as sunlight or moisture, or vandalism) or loss is detected to any work of art on loan, the primary contact for the Borrowing Department will notify the Collection Registrar and/or the Director of Galleries and Collections immediately.
The work(s) of art must be installed, moved, or removed only by Tufts University Art Gallery staff.
The Tufts University Art Gallery may recall the work(s) of art at any time for purposes of conservation, research, exhibition, or as deemed necessary.
The Tufts University Art Gallery must receive at least two weeks' notice to remove (a) work(s) of art, unless the cause for removal is damage.
Works of art lent to the Borrowing Department shall not be unframed or removed from mats, mounts, or bases for any purpose whatsoever, or cleaned, repaired, or transported in damaged condition except with the express permission of the Director of Galleries and Collections.
The duration of the loan is at least one year and a maximum of five years, with the exception of circumstances noted in Point 3. The Tufts University Art Gallery reserves the right to determine the length of the loan period.
The Borrower agrees to pay a fee to prepare the loan, deliver and install the art work(s) of $45/hour with a minimum of two (2) hours; payment will be handled by IDR.
The Borrower agrees to pay for museum-quality framing (arranged for by the Tufts University Art Gallery) if two-dimensional works of art selected are not currently framed; payment will be handled by IDR.
Failure to comply with any of these terms may result in the removal of art work(s) from your custody.

Retroactive Enforcement and Recall
In addition to the aforementioned Conditions of Loan, The Tufts University Art Gallery reserves the right to retroactively enforce and recall works of art that it deems are in jeopardy, which no longer meet the eligibility requirements, or which have been on view more than five years, particularly in the case of works of art on paper located in proximity to natural light or windows without UV-treatment.

Alternatives to Original Works of Art
If no appropriate or desirable work is available for loan at the time of your request, you could consider purchasing museum reproductions (essentially high quality posters, not original works of art). Many vendors exist and many museums now have online gift shops, where poster reproductions may be purchased.