Collections

The Eiteljorg stewards a significant Native American art collection. Compliance with federal legislation regarding the repatriation of Native American ancestors and cultural material is an important element of maintaining relationships with Native nations, communities, and individuals.

For potential claims, please contact:

John Vanausdall, President and CEO, jvanausdall@eiteljorg.com
Dorene Red Cloud, Associate Curator of Native American Art, 317-275-1352, dredcloud@eiteljorg.com
and Allison Evans, Director of Museum Collections, 317-275-1358, aevans@eiteljorg.com

For general inquiries regarding NAGPRA, please contact:
Dorene Red Cloud, Associate Curator of Native American Art, 317-275-1352, dredcloud@eiteljorg.com
and Allison Evans, Director of Museum Collections, 317-275-1358, aevans@eiteljorg.com

Policy regarding NAPGRA (excerpt from Eiteljorg Museum Collections Management Policy)
The acquisition of cultural property of Native Americans will comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-601; 25 U.S.C. 3001-3013; 104 Stat. 3048-3058) and all associated regulations. NAGPRA requires that all institutions that receive federal funds (including the Eiteljorg Museum) report summaries of cultural objects and inventories of Native American ancestors (human remains) and associated funerary objects to federally recognized tribes. Ancestors (human remains), funerary objects, objects of cultural patrimony, and sacred objects can be claimed by federally recognized tribes for repatriation (https://www.nps.gov/).

• Under no circumstance shall the museum pursue the acquisition of ancestors (human remains) from any source, nor will ancestors (human remains) be allowed on museum property.
• Under no circumstance shall the museum pursue the acquisition of Native American funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony, unless it facilitates repatriation to a tribe. If for the sole purposes of repatriation, then objects will not be accessioned, but will be assigned a temporary hold number and appropriate cultural representatives will be contacted for transfer.

Acquisitions

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art acquires art for the collection through gift, bequest, transfer, commission, or purchase. The Eiteljorg only accepts unrestricted gifts, bequests, transfers, commissions, or purchases for the collections.

All item(s) under consideration for acquisition, either through gift, purchase, transfer, commission, or exchange, will be subject to thorough examination and research by Curatorial Staff. No item(s) shall be accepted for consideration without the full knowledge of the Curatorial and Collections Staff.

Curatorial Staff will make recommendations to the Acquisitions Committee and Collections Council before a formal decision is made. All acquisitions must receive approval by the Collections Council, which has been designated to represent the Board of Directors in taking such action.

If you have an item(s) you would like to gift to the museum please contact us via email or phone.

For inquiries about gifts of Native American Art, please contact:
Dorene Red Cloud, Curator of Native American Art dredcloud@eiteljorg.com 317-275-1352

For inquiries about gifts of Art of the American West, please contact:
Johanna Blume, Curator of Western Art, History, and Culture jblume@eiteljorg.com 317-275-1327

If you are unsure how to categorize your gift, please email Elias Garza Garcia, Curatorial Assistant, egarcia@eiteljorg.com 317-275-1361 and you will be directed to the correct curator. Images of your items are extremely helpful and encouraged.

Donors are responsible for appraisals of value. Under no circumstance shall the museum provide an appraisal of a donation.

We do not accept any walk-in gifts, purchases, transfers, and bequests. Do not abandon any items on our premises.

Deaccessions

The museum reserves the right to deaccession any item(s) from the accessioned collection for the purpose of refinement and development. The item(s) must meet institutional criteria to be considered for deaccessioning. A full list of deaccession justifications is available upon request.

Collections Staff confirms clear title of items recommended by Curatorial Staff for deaccession. Curatorial staff will justify deaccession recommendations and provide suggested disposal methods to the Acquisitions Committee and Collections Council. The Collections Council President recommends all deaccessions to the Board of Directors for final approval.

The Collections department will maintain documentation related to deaccessioned items in perpetuity.
If you have questions regarding deaccessions, please contact Collections Manager, Rebekah Ryan, rryan@eiteljorg.com.

Copyright Information
Please note that while the Eiteljorg Museum owns the physical items featured in our online database it does not assume responsibility for their intellectual property, including copyright or any other legalities involved in the publication and reproduction of items in its collection. Works of art that appear in images within the online collections database, although owned by the Eiteljorg Museum, may be protected by copyright, publications rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, or other interests that the museum does not control. The Eiteljorg Museum does not grant permission to exploit any third-party rights. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain any permissions that may be required from the artist, the artist’s agent and/or estate, or any other third-party rights holder before use.

If you have any questions about rights, image use, and reproductions, please contact Olivia MacIsaac, Collections Specialist at omacisaac@eiteljorg.com.

Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions
Like many cultural institutions, the Eiteljorg Museum has relied on intellectual property law that is central in Anglo-American legal systems to make copyright determinations over items within the collections. In many instances, Native / Indigenous cultures have different belief systems towards property and ownership. United States law does not always formally acknowledge or protect these knowledge systems, and this has led to misappropriation and misuse of Native / Indigenous cultures, stories, visual art, and other intangible assets.

As a museum, we ask that users do not misappropriate and misuse knowledge or cultural heritage that is not your own. Open sharing of cultural heritage materials does not grant you permission to use someone else’s culture.

Takedown Policy
The Eiteljorg Museum makes every effort to ensure that it has the appropriate rights to disseminate content within the online collections database. Parties who wish to request an item be taken down from the online collections should reach out to Olivia MacIsaac, Collections Specialist at omacisaac@eiteljorg.com.

Image Request Form
Photographic materials of objects owned by the Eiteljorg Museum are available to scholars, educators, publishing companies, and commercial entities, with the prior written approval from the museum. If you would like to request an image, please fill out the image request form.

Please plan ahead when requesting images. In the case of living artists, the Eiteljorg Museum will require the artist’s permission in writing before releasing any photographic materials. Additionally, some deceased artists’ intellectual property is managed by an agent and/or estate, heirs, or other third party. The Eiteljorg Museum may assist in providing contact information for copyright holders, but it is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain these permissions.

Normal processing of requests can take up to 4 to 6 weeks. Rush requests will be considered individually and may require additional fees. Reproduction and/or new photography fees may apply.

Loans
The museum engages in loans for exhibition and research purposes. Items from the museum’s collections may be loaned to other museums and institutions for a finite period of time.

Loans will be considered on the basis of the best interest of the museum, the item(s) in question, and the public it serves.

Loans are approved by the Acquisition Committee and the Collections Council.

A one year advance notice for a requested loan is required. For international loans, 18 months is preferred.

Submission of a loan request:
All requests must clearly state in writing the intended use (including exhibit, publication purposes, and loan period). Loan request letters should be sent via mail or email to the appropriate curator, the VP and Chief Curatorial Officer, and Director of Museum Collections.

Requests for Native American Art: Dorene Red Cloud, Curator of Native American Art, dredcloud@eiteljorg.com

Request for Art of the American West: Johanna Blume, Curator of Western Art, jblume@eiteljorg.com

cc: Elisa Phelps, VP and Chief Curatorial Officer, ephelps@eiteljorg.com
Allison Evans, Director of Museum Collections, aevans@eiteljorg.com

The borrower must provide a completed copy of the AAM Standard Facility Report to be reviewed by the museum’s Collections department. Facility Reports are approved or declined by the Collections Staff.

Appraisals
The Eiteljorg Museum does not appraise artwork. For art appraisals please go to https://www.appraisers.org/ and click on “Find ASA-qualified appraiser.”