When it comes to ethics, officials at the Department of Cultural Affairs just don't seem to get. According to the New Mexican's Elizabeth Cook-Romero May 5th piece on the “Santa Fe Collects Elias Rivera” art show at the Museum of Fine Arts,
Despite repeated requests, the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs has refused to release the names of collectors who are lending artworks to the exhibit.
The New Mexican first requested the names in January when the show was announced.
Since January, museum officials have promised to provide them when all the loan agreements were finalized. But on April 26, MFA director Marsha Bol said, "requests from the press have been going on for months, and the attention far exceeds the kind of coverage a show like this gets. It would not be in the best interest of our lenders to release their names."
Secretary of Cultural Affairs Stuart Ashman, a Richardson appointee, said he was reluctant to furnish the names of lenders to the MFA's Rivera show because The New Mexican might compare them to a list of those who contributed to the governor's campaign.
...One reason why museum staff have to be diligent, the code states, is because, "loaned objects can be considerably enhanced in value by being exhibited."
The New Mexican has been on the story since January and has provided a resource site where you can read more on the issue (here)
The Albuquerque Journal throws their weight into the issue today with this blistering editorial: Museum Hangs Art, Hides List of Owners
The most artless rationale for locking up public records given yet this century— and unlikely to be topped before the next— comes from New Mexico's art czar...
...It's unusual for organizers of events that depend on attendance to complain about too much coverage. But it is also unusual for Cultural Affairs to mount concurrent one-man shows, coinciding with a book release and leading to a private gallery's show of new Rivera works. Unusual attracts attention and news coverage. Refusing to comply with public records law discourages coverage— like a red cape discourages a bull.
There is no public records law exemption for records of a state museum's exhibits. Neither is there any basis in the museum's code of ethics or that of the American Association of Museums, which calls for avoiding anonymity where it would conceal a conflict of interest, real or perceived.
The Hispanic Cultural Center hasn't stamped Top Secret on records for its concurrent Rivera show. Somebody there should tell the state's top art official that you can't hang shows on the public's walls without exhibiting the public's records.
For some reason, New Mexico public officials don't seem to understand that they work to serve the public's interest. Statements such as those coming from the Dept. of Cultural Affairs reflect an attitude in our state government that is an affront to the democratic virtues of our nation and unbelievable considering the political climate in which they're made.
The Journal editorial rightly depicts the Dept. of Cultural Affairs stonewalling tactic as short sighted, considering it will only invite more attention. But more than that, what the Dept. of Cultural Affairs is doing is damaging to the already fractured reputation of state government and public servants in New Mexico.
The statements and actions of the Dept. of Cultural Affairs, may potentially serve as yet another example that Government in New Mexico may be funded by all New Mexicans, but serve some more than others.
On the bright side, let's hope this will help shine light on why New Mexico's museums are so out of touch with the state's population and why our cultural resources are treated more like private commodities than public treasures.
Technorati Tags: lobbying, New Mexico, Politics
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