The interaction of people with collections is at the heart of museums and galleries. But the significance and meanings of objects aren’t static; they depend on the viewer and the context. For this reason, it’s vital that collections move around the UK, reaching new audiences wherever they go.
I’ve often witnessed the impact of loans on borrowing institutions. The loan of a few Renaissance drawings to the Moray Art Centre on the north coast of Scotland led to a tripling of visitor numbers last summer. Dorset County Museum’s visitor numbers have tripled as they show the loan exhibition Pharaoh: King of Egypt.
Even more striking is the impact on the individual. I’ll never forget the rapt attention of a local British-Indian boy as he stood for an hour drawing an Egyptian bronze cat, not at the British Museum, but in his local museum in the London borough of Brent.
That’s why the Museum Association’s (MA) Smarter Loans initiative, to be launched next month, is so important. Smarter Loans is a set of principles that set out what it means to be a good lender or borrower.
At their heart they advocate for a presumption to say “yes” rather than “no” to loan requests. They also reflect the changed economic situation and the need to minimise environmental impact.
The William Morris Society is currently researching its collection to make it ready for loans, and to advertise the availability of loans. The Renaissance Hubs in London and the East of England Hub have run schemes in the past two years that encourage borrowing between national and non-national museums.
Manchester Art Gallery is undertaking a fundamental review of the environmental conditions acceptable for its loans. And National Museums Scotland has an exemplary website that proactively suggests sets of objects that are available to borrow.
John Orna-Ornstein is the head of London and national programmes at the British Museum and a Museums Association board member. The MA is looking for new examples of best practice in this area to report on in the coming months.
I’ve often witnessed the impact of loans on borrowing institutions. The loan of a few Renaissance drawings to the Moray Art Centre on the north coast of Scotland led to a tripling of visitor numbers last summer. Dorset County Museum’s visitor numbers have tripled as they show the loan exhibition Pharaoh: King of Egypt.
Even more striking is the impact on the individual. I’ll never forget the rapt attention of a local British-Indian boy as he stood for an hour drawing an Egyptian bronze cat, not at the British Museum, but in his local museum in the London borough of Brent.
That’s why the Museum Association’s (MA) Smarter Loans initiative, to be launched next month, is so important. Smarter Loans is a set of principles that set out what it means to be a good lender or borrower.
At their heart they advocate for a presumption to say “yes” rather than “no” to loan requests. They also reflect the changed economic situation and the need to minimise environmental impact.
The William Morris Society is currently researching its collection to make it ready for loans, and to advertise the availability of loans. The Renaissance Hubs in London and the East of England Hub have run schemes in the past two years that encourage borrowing between national and non-national museums.
Manchester Art Gallery is undertaking a fundamental review of the environmental conditions acceptable for its loans. And National Museums Scotland has an exemplary website that proactively suggests sets of objects that are available to borrow.
John Orna-Ornstein is the head of London and national programmes at the British Museum and a Museums Association board member. The MA is looking for new examples of best practice in this area to report on in the coming months.
