Art and Museum Law: Cases and Materials

The art world has long had a symbiotic relationship with museums. These institutions provide important assistance in the development and promotion of artists. The great variety of museums, however, provide educational experiences in many subject areas in addition to art. Natural history, cultural, and historical museums all work toward increasing and protecting their collections so that they can better serve those who visit their institutions. Museums have become more than mere repositories of artifacts. They have become central meeting places in their communities.

Art and Museum Law provides a survey of legal issues that are relevant to artists, art institutions, collectors of art, and museums that display art and artifacts. It provides recent court decisions, interesting examples of relevant ethical, sociological, political, and legal conflicts, and nearly fifty problems posed for analysis. By addressing issues ranging from whether paintings by elephants constitute "art," to whether a museum is liable for a defamatory email sent by an employee, the book raises issues that are enjoyable as well as informative. This text does not attempt an encyclopedic coverage of topics, but its sixteen chapters are designed to provide information concerning a wide selection of issues. The comprehensive and diverse materials are intended to be used by those studying these issues in law schools, art institutes, and museum studies programs.