Our Legal Issues In Museum Administration

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When Grants Become Grievances: Woodmere’s Battle for a Federal Grant

By Lauren Stein On August 26, 2025, the Woodmere Art Museum (Woodmere), a Pennsylvania nonprofit museum, filed a complaint alleging the federal government improperly terminated...
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The Clash: Staying Power of Small Museums and Cultural Institutions

By Max Beckwith Why are small museums closing or changing their business models across America? How are small museums like, The Rubin in New York,...
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Book Review: “Museum Administration: Law and Practice” by Walter Lehmann (2022)

By Helen Boone According to Walter Lehmann, out of the 35,000 museums in the United States, only 50 maintain in-house counsel.[1] For those institutions without...
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Trends in Repatriation of Cultural Objects from US Museums

By Harper Johnson and Suzanna Neal Museums in the United States, whether they be federally, state, or privately owned (including those run by universities), are...
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Ask SAM: Navigating NAGPRA Challenges in Museums, with a Focus on the Seattle Art Museum

By Claire Killian What is NAGPRA? In the ecosystem of cultural heritage and museum governance, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) stands...
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The Rubin is Transforming…? Chelsea Museum to Himalayan Art to Close in 2024

By Claire Killian Introduction: What’s Happening? The impending closure of the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City marks a change in the cultural...
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Labeling Misappropriated Nazi-Era Art: Issues with Compelling Signage at New York Museums

By Sophia Williams From 1933 to 1945, during the Nazi party’s rise to power, the Nazis looted, confiscated, or involuntarily transferred more than half a...
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Art is Forever? How the Pandemic Spurred Transformations in Museum and Gallery Experiences and IP Considerations

ARTECHOUSE, New York; Picture Courtesy of Atreya Mathur By Kelsey Clifford Art is a consistent escape from reality. When COVID-19 emerged and infiltrated each of...
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Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Limits of International Cultural Property Law

By Kavita Oza In 2003, the Baghdad Museum suffered tremendous damage due to looting during the US-led invasion of Iraq. Years before, Afghanistan’s National Museum...
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Australian Museums and Restitution: An Ongoing Revision

By Alexandra Taylor For the integrity of the memory it is good to have sound health and convenient digestion of the meats, and a mind...
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Berkshire Stock: Much to do about Deaccessioning

By Jennie Nadel What is deaccessioning? The process of eliminating a piece of work from a museum’s permanent collection is known as deaccessioning. According to...
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Art Hygiene Law: Artists Who Use Unusual Materials and Viewers Who “Take In” The Art

By Ethan Ashley Arsenic orange, cadmium red, vermilion, lead white, cobalt, chrome green, formaldehyde, pig skin, feces...What happens when the substrates of creativity confront the...
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