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On April 16, the museum hosted the lecture “Returning Home: DAM Repatriations Over a Half Century” and shared case studies of repatriations from the museum’s collection—one example from each area of focus. It was a continuation of our lecture series dedicated to updating the community on provenance research work.
Provenance research is an investigation into an artwork’s unique history, and specifically its chain of ownership. The museum’s curatorial teams research the provenance of artworks before they are acquired and investigate artworks acquired in the past where there may be gaps in ownership history.
The DAM is one of a handful of US art museums with a dedicated Department of Provenance Research, which launched in 2022. The team includes three full-time provenance researchers, in addition to the ongoing research that takes place as part of curatorial department work. The team focuses its efforts on four key areas of the museum’s collection, including art acquired during the Nazi-era, works subject to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), art from ancient and archeological contexts, and art with a legacy of colonialism or conflict. (Learn more about the DAM’s provenance research policies and priorities.)
The goal of provenance research is to be able to tell each artwork’s full and unique ownership story, which can lead to enhanced storytelling and education for the museum’s visitors. Sometimes, provenance research can lead to learning new facts about an artwork’s ownership that makes it clear the piece belongs to an individual, community, or nation of origin. In those cases, the DAM moves to restitute or repatriate those works so they can be with the proper, legal owner.
The museum welcomes new information about its collections, as well as questions about this work. Please contact the provenance team at provenance@denverartmuseum.org to reach the team.
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