When Bob Berg of Berg Muirhead says "The DIA's art collection is held in trust for the benefit of the public. Works of art may not be sold except to purchase further art for the DIA's collection," he is repeating the AAM/AAMD line [[that's American Association of Museums/Association of Art Museum Directors). The Founders Society that runs the DIA for Detroit has had it in these associations for a long time, but that's voluntary. DIA is obliged to follow federal law, state law, county code, municipal code and its contract with Detroit, and none of those say DIA may only sell artworks [[i.e., reverse decisions taken by earlier curators, donors, etc.) to buy more artworks [[enshrine decisions by current curators, until someone new comes along). But let's say the Founders Society gets to play by its own museum rules rather than actual laws and contracts. If Detroit goes bankrupt, that may put the DIA collection up in the air. Where would it land under AAM/AAMD rules?

Reporter Amy Rogers Nazarov put together a nice description -- Death With Dignity -- of different fates for various defunct museums:

http://www.aam-us.org/pubs/mn/dwdignity.cfm

Note that the AAM/AAMD doesn't step in to help museums in extremis. If you haven't got the money to keep your museum going, don't come whining to them. No, find yourself a healthy museum and give your collection to them. The 1% get richer, the 99% lose more assets. That's why lawyer Mark Gold questions the ethics of the "No Deaccession" rule [[well, the "No Deaccession Except to Reshape Your Collection" rule):

http://www.aam-us.org/pubs/mn/nothingethicalaboutit.cfm

What museum is healthy enough to support Detroit's DIA art collection? The Cranbrook? Would they get it all, or would Gross Pointe start up a healthy museum so they could split Detroit's collection with Bloomfield Hills? The only thing the AAM/AAMD rule tells us is that whoever gets the collection, they don't have to pay Detroit a penny for it. Bye-bye billions! It was nice having you in the neighborhood for a while.

When the Barnes Foundation moved from suburban Philadelphia to downtown Philadelphia, the Friends of the Barnes called it the Steal of the Century because downtown Philly foundations only put up about $150 million to capture $25 billion in artworks. If the DIA moves from Midtown to Bloomfield Hills or Gross Pointe [[or both), they'll have to call it the Steal of the Millennium -- the Barnes only has 2500+ objects, while the DIA has 60,000+. Meanwhile, Detroit's juggling payroll and vendors and only has to line up 48 unions to keep the DIA away from an EFM or bankruptcy judge.

AAM/AAMD rules? Those are ethical!

Putting the DIA billions to work to fund a Detroit Arts Endowment that makes Detroit even more of an arts destination and keeps Detroit police officers and firefighters and paramedics on the payroll in open police precincts and firehouses while moving the paintings now on the walls in Midtown not a single inch? EEEEVILLLLL!!!!!!

Gotta love those AAM/AAMD rules. They may not save anybody's lives, but they let museum people feel really righteous.