The University Art Collection at Sacramento State: making a public collection available

Universities are treasure troves of knowledge. From the vast halls of teaching to the academic hub in the library, there is an abundance of resources. California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) has other treasured resources, treasures of collections of visual and material culture. However, some of these collections have been left deep in dark closets, barely noticed for over twenty years, and all of these collections need to be updated to a common digital registration system and collectively managed in a professional manner to be an academic resource for students, professors, scholars and the public. This project focuses on the art collection, which includes over four hundred works collected by Art Department professors since the 1960s. It includes works on paper (drawings, prints and photographs), ceramics, paintings and sculpture. There are works by regional artists with national and international historical significance, including students, alumni, professors, and famous artists. This collection is too valuable to be neglected and not professionally maintained as a resource for the university and the greater Sacramento region. Sources of data: I began initial research and investigation by locating and comparing previous art collection inventories. Three prior art collection inventories were found: a 1992 inventory, including addendums for the years 1992 through 1997; a 2003 ceramics inventory; and a 2006 special project inventory. However, it was not clear if the inventories had been verified by physically documenting the actual works. Additionally, the collections were spread throughout various locations on campus, with some collections being unavailable for viewing. Taking a physical inventory around the campus and noting visible artwork, I developed a notebook as a starting point. The inventory notebook includes: the Art Department collection; the former School of the Arts collection (now part of the College of Arts & Letters); outdoor art/sculptures; the College of Continuing Education collection; Alumni Center artworks; art and visual culture located throughout the library; and art on view in the University Union. In September, 2013, Zenia LaPorte, University Union Assistant Director of Program and Marketing, provided a current inventory of their collection, including their works in storage. I conducted my research by reviewing documentation from the past; interviewing present university faculty, students, alumni, and staff; and reviewing oral history tapes located in Special Collections. From this information, Sacramento State faculty recognized the need for more organization and authority in securing the collections on campus. A collections advisory committee was formed in June, 2012 with campus and community art and collection management professionals. I was asked to be a member and to serve the committee's objectives through research. The collections advisory committee includes: Elaine O'Brien, Professor of Modern & Contemporary Art & Theory; Professor Phil Hitchcock, Director of the University Library Gallery; Professor Terri Castaneda, Director of the University Anthropology Museum; Sheila O'Neill, Head, University Library Department of Special Collections and University Archives; Graduate students Nancy Wylie and myself. Additionally, community art professionals: Diana Daniels, Crocker Art Museum; and Beth Jones and Lynda Jolley, owners of the Jay-Jay Gallery, Sacramento, added professional support and advice. Professor Dan Frye, former Art Department Chair; Professor Catherine Turrill, current Art Department Chair, Nancy Tooker, emeritus Associate Dean of the School of the Arts; Leslie Rivers, Assistant to the Director of the University Library Gallery; and Kevin Ptak, Art Department instructional assistant, all made essential contributions. The purpose of this collections advisory committee is to devise a plan for this ongoing project of securing, managing, and developing the entire permanent collection of Sacramento State at the industry-level standard for public collections. The committee continues to meet, research and review industry standards for university collections to formulate a policy and a management plan for the permanent collections at Sacramento State. My research for this master's project has supported the needs of the collections advisory committee and helped shape policy and management plans. It includes: a comparison study of CSU galleries and museums (Appendix E); review of insurance standards for fine arts; a comparison of campus collection managerial positions; review of comparable university collection policies and procedures; recommendation of anticipated supplies for stewardship program start-up (Appendix G); and review of industry-standard museum forms in collections management. This research was utilized in the drafting of the Sacramento State University Permanent Art Collection Management Plan (Appendix H), the Sacramento State University Art Collection Management Proposal (Appendix I), and the proposed Sacramento State Interim ARTS Collection Management Policy (Appendix J). Additionally, co-curating the exhibition, Lost & Found: Selections from the Sacramento State Art Collection in the Robert Else Gallery of Kadema Hall in August/September, 2012, opened up a major part of the collection to us and provided me with the opportunity to research, review, document and further study the collection of the Art Department and the former School of the Arts. A panel discussion regarding the history of the collection was held on September 13, 2012 in conjunction with this exhibition. Art Department Chair Dan Frye (Chair 2007 – 2013) and five former Art Department chairs: Emeriti Professors Irving Marcus (Chair 1966 – 1970), Allan Gordon (Chair 1970 – 1976, 1985 – 1988), and Lita Whitesel (Chair 1991 – 1995); and Professors Phil Hitchcock (Chair 1976 – 1985) and Catherine Turrill (Chair 2001 – 2007, 2013 – present) discussed their involvement with the history and the development of the Art Department collection. Also in conjunction with the exhibition, Laurence Campling, a documentary videographer, presented a guest lecture on September 20, 2012 about his video project on the Candy Store Gallery (1962 – 1992) in Folsom, California, which is a key part of the history of art held in the university art collection. Conclusions reached: As of this date and at the request and with the support of Ed Inch, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters, progress has been made in regards to the professional management of the university art collection. The Art Department collection and the collection from the former School of the Arts have been moved from their various storage locations into a temporary storage facility and a pre-accession inventory has been conducted. Using the Art Department Collection Inventory that I compiled in April, 2012 and updated in September, 2012 (Appendix B), I have been part of a three-person team that has photographed, documented, secured and entered inventory data for each work into the university art collection catalog. Condition reports have been conducted and entered into the database for each piece as well. Additionally, I have created individual hardcopy artist/artwork files which correlate with the database and the temporary numbers assigned to each artwork. This project relied upon my extensive research regarding collections management. I had learned the professional art collection management methods and knew the best reference books, which we kept at hand and consulted throughout. Integrating this knowledge of correct procedures into the Sacramento State University Permanent Art Collection Management Plan (Appendix H) and the Sacramento State University Art Collection Management Proposal (Appendix I), which I wrote collaboratively with members of the university collections advisory committee and then following the guidelines and recommendations set forth in these documents, we accomplished the following: relocated the Art Department and the former School of the Arts collections to a suitable storage/management facility; purchased and instituted FileMaker Pro5 software with a collections management template for a collections digital database; conducted an industry-level pre-accession inventory, including photographing, documenting, wrapping, securing, numbering and labeling each artwork; and developed the proposed Sacramento State Interim ARTS Collection Management Policy (Appendix J).