The University Museum will actively seek, collect, and exhibit such works of art and artifacts as relate to and/or enhance SIUE and its scholarly, cultural, and educational mission. In its quest to acquire significant and appropriate objects for its collections, The University Museum may employ all legal and ethical means including the following: gift, purchase, bequest, exchange, abandonment, levy, adverse possession, permanent loan, transfer, and contract. Items accepted by the Museum will be assigned to one of the following collections or categories.
Significant objects within the holdings of The University Museum will be catalogued and accessioned into one of the following permanent collections:
The Louis H. Sullivan Architectural Ornament Collection
The University Drawing Collection
The Master of Fine Arts Collection
The Bachelor of Fine Arts Collection
The Nelson/Wagner Print Collection
In some cases collections have been named for the person or people making significant donations to the University Museum. Some of our existing named collections are:
The Irvin and Margaret Dagen Collection
The Dr. David L. Harner Collection
The Milton K. and Doris T. Harrington Collection
The Jay and Sara Mae Hinchcliffe Collection
The Nause and Graf Print Collection
The Stroup Korean Pottery Collection
Additional named permanent collections may be created in recognition of significant donors, development of a new area of collecting, or in order to acknowledge other significant sources of support for The University Museum.
Objects will be assigned to one of the permanent collections if, after review of the curatorial staff, they have been found appropriate for a commitment by The University Museum to long-term care and protection. Factors to be considered during this review include true artistic, historic, or cultural significance and clear relevance to the mission of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
The Study Collections shall consist of those objects, materials, and specimens which are kept in a systematic manner primarily to serve as standard keys for comparison and identification in the classroom, research lab, or studio. Objects in this category are catalogued and accessioned under a separate system from the permanent collections. These objects are of such minimally significant nature as to justify their use for legitimate purposes involving the risk of possible loss, damage, or destruction. Objects in this category may be readily replaced if necessary.
From time to time, The University Museum will accept items into the museum development collection with the understanding that those objects are accepted for the express purpose of being disposed of at a subsequent time in order to realize funds to support the permanent collections. Properly deaccessioned items from the permanent collections may be placed temporarily in this collection.
