Ken Krenz; Associate Registrar for the Permanent Collection; at work in MIA main storage

Managing Mia’s Collection

Managing Mia’s Collection

Managing Mia’s Collection

Mia holds its collection in public trust. As stewards of these artworks, we follow core standards set by the larger museum community to responsibly preserve, document, and exhibit them, ensuring they remain in good condition and are accessible to the public for generations to come. Mia is committed to continuously assessing the collection and expanding it responsibly to ensure it reflects our values of inclusivity and equity. We also realize that museum collecting practices of the past do not always measure up to today’s legal and ethical standards. Our goal is to be transparent about this, and we will work in good faith with any parties that claim ownership of artworks in the collection.

Collection Planning

Building the Collection

Mia believes it is in the public interest to judiciously
expand the collection, ensuring it represents the full
range of creative expression by people the world over,
past and present.

Researching Provenance

Establishing the history of ownership for objects in
Mia’s collection helps ensure that the museum may
legally and ethically own them.

Deaccessioning Artworks

At times, Mia deaccessions artworks, a process
through which artworks legally leave Mia’s collection
under the oversight of its Board of Trustees.

Ken Krenz; Associate Registrar for the Permanent Collection; at work in MIA main storage