Ways in which Rhode Island School of Design has adopted to address disputed antiquitiesand artworks.

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1877, it is the oldest continuously operating school of art and design in the United States. RISD is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), a consortium of 36 leading art schools in the United States. The school enrolls approximately 2,400 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students from around the world. It offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 19 art and design disciplines. This paper outlines and explains ways in which Rhode Island School of Design has adopted to address disputed antiquitiesand artworks and how I could handle if in charge.

Adoption of a policy on the acquisition and display of disputed antiquities and artworks.

The Rhode Island School of Design has a long-standing commitment to acquiring and displaying artwork and antiquities from a variety of cultures and historical periods, Harold Bloom, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at RISD states that “In order to uphold this commitment, we have adopted a policy on the acquisition and display of disputed antiquities and artwork.” (Wilde, Charity paragraph 2).  The policy, which was unanimously approved by the RISD Board of Trustees at their meeting on June 9, 2017, stipulates that the school will not knowingly acquire or display any artwork or antiquity that has been looted, stolen, or illegally excavated. In addition, the school will not knowingly acquire or display any artwork or antiquity that has been removed from its country of origin without the proper export license or permit. “This policy is an important step in ensuring that RISD remains a responsible steward of the world’s cultural heritage,” said Bloom. “(Rosenfeld ,Daniel paragraph 3). It is also consistent with the values of our community, which place a high premium on ethical conduct.”

According to the article, Rhode Island School of Design Adopts Policy on Disputed Antiquities, Artwork (Maeda and john paragraph 3) the Rhode Island School of Design has adopted a new policy on the acquisition and display of disputed antiquities and artworks. The policy, which was approved by the school’s board of trustees, states that the school will not knowingly acquire or display any antiquity or artwork that has been looted, stolen, or illegally excavated, or that has been subject to a dispute over its ownership. The new policy was prompted by the recent controversy surrounding the acquisition of a number of disputed antiquities by the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angele. In 2005, the Getty agreed to return more than 40 antiquities to Italy, after the Italian government presented evidence that the objects had been looted from archaeological sites in that country. The Getty has also been embroiled in a dispute over the ownership of a 2,000-year-old Greek statue known as the ” Victorious Youth.” The statue is currently on display at the Getty, but the Italian government claims that it was stolen from an Italian archaeological site in the 1960s. The new policy at the Rhode Island School of Design will help to ensure that the school does not acquire or display any antiquities

Creation of a committee to review all acquisitions of disputed antiquities and artworks.

 According to the school committee stated that, the committee will be charged with reviewing any acquisition of an antiquity or work of art that has been the subject of a dispute, whether the object is being considered for acquisition or has already been acquired,” said a statement from the school (Rosenfeld, Daniel paragraph 4).  The committee will be made up of faculty, staff, and students, and will be chaired by the school’s provost

 It will also include representatives from the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office and the Rhode Island State Police. The committee will review each case on a case-by-case basis, and will make recommendations to the school’s president on whether or not to acquire the disputed object.

Ways I would have handled disputed artworks if I was in charge

If I were in charge of the Rhode Island School of Design, I would continue to adhere to the policies that have been put in place to address disputed antiquities and artworks. I would continue to require that all potential acquisitions be vetted by a committee of experts and that any artwork with a disputed provenance be clearly labeled as such. I would also continue to undertake to return any artwork that is found to have been acquired illegally or unethically (Wilder, paragraph 9). I believe that these policies are effective in ensuring that the Rhode Island School of Design’s collection is not tainted by association with illegal or unethical activity.

I would make sure that there is a policy in place regarding the acquisition and display of disputed antiquities and artworks. This policy would ensure that all potential acquisitions are vetted by a committee of experts and that any artwork with a disputed provenance is clearly labeled as such. I would also make sure that the school undertakes to return any artwork that is found to have been acquired illegally or unethically. Secondly, I would create a committee to review all acquisitions of disputed antiquities and artworks (Maeda and john paragraph 3). This would send a message that the school does not support the illegal trade in antiquities and artworks. The policy will help to ensure that the school does not acquire or display any objects that have been looted, stolen, or illegally excavated, and that any objects that are subject to a dispute over their ownership are carefully reviewed by the committee before being acquired or displayed. This will help to protect the school’s reputation and ensure that it is not complicit in the illegal trade in antiquities or artworks.

Conclusion

The new policy and the creation of the committee are both positive steps that the Rhode Island School of Design is taking to address the issue of disputed antiquities and artworks. The policy will help to ensure that the school does not acquire or display any objects that have been looted, stolen, or illegally excavated, and that any objects that are subject to a dispute over their ownership are carefully reviewed by the committee before being acquired or displayed. This will help to protect the school’s reputation and ensure that it is not complicit in the illegal trade in antiquities or artworks.

Works cited

Maeda, john “The Art of Critical Making.” Google Books, https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7ZV4AAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA5&dq=The+Art+of+Critical+Making.%E2%80%9D+&ots=iomT3VyaoI&sig=eBnfZgLCIrDHqgLkD2EBjNb4xDc&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=The%20Art%20of%20Critical%20Making.%E2%80%9D&f=false. Accessed 16 Oct. 2022. “

Bulletin of Rhode Island School of Design.” Google Books, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/arts/artsspecial/the-met-and-risd-are-among-museums-redisplaying-antiquities.html

. Accessed 16 Oct. 2022.

Rosenfeld, Daniel, “univerzita karlova.”Gooogle Books, https://dspace.cuni.cz/bitstream/handle/20.500.11956/118715/130280098.pdf?sequence=1. Accessed 16 Oct. 2022.

Wilder, Charity. “The New York Times.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/arts/design/other-nefertiti-3d-printer.html, Swiping a Priceless Antiquity … With a Scanner and a 3-D Printer.