Museo de Pontevedra

1. AIM

Since the Museum of Pontevedra was created, it has been gathering, according to its bylaws, different collections, mainly from the province of Pontevedra but also from Galicia and abroad. Currently, the Museum's collections are part of the cultural heritage of the province and Galicia, and particularly belong to the fields of archaeology, art, history, numismatics, ethnography, photography and museology. Moreover, the Museum holds important collections that go beyond the Galician scope, which deserve special attention.

Today, the Museum is committed to continue building significant collections of reference. Thus, new pieces will be selected on the basis of their importance, their value for enriching or complementing existing collections, and their sustainable maintenance. However, due to the lack of available space, we must be pay special attention to our collections management policy. 

Besides the collections incorporated by the Archaeological Society of Pontevedra, the acquisitions and pieces provided by the Department of Culture and Tourism (Regional Government of Galicia) in the authorisation procedures of the archaeological works carried out in the province, donations and loans have greatly increased the collection of the Museum of Pontevedra throughout its history. The Museum is a department belonging to the Provincial Council of Pontevedra, so these collections are part of its heritage and are, therefore, public property.

The Museum's curators are the technicians in charge of assessing which works deserve to be added to the collection.

2. PROCEDURES

The procedure for increasing the Museum’s collection should involve several professionals, who provide different points of view, thus reducing subjectivity in decision making.

2.a Assessment report-proposal

The Museum of Pontevedra’s technical staff, comprising the director and the curators, is responsible for preparing a report-proposal, where they must include an assessment of the contributions made by individuals, justifying the suitability and interest of these new pieces for the collections, and accordingly their acceptance or refusal.

2.b Consultation with the Advisory Council

The report-proposal will be submitted to the Advisory Council of the Museum of Pontevedra which, as a collegiate body of a consultative and advisory nature, shall decide on its content. In addition, in accordance with the Regulations of the Advisory Council, experts or specialists may be invited to attend their meetings to provide information or advice on any aspect of the proposal in particularly complex cases or in those requiring specific expert knowledge.

2.c Acceptance decision and certificate of delivery

In the event that the proposal for increasing the Museum’s collection is accepted, then the administrative procedure will be carried out considering the different types of acquisitions (donations, transfers, pieces on loan, testamentary bequests, purchases and sales, etc.), according to the provisions of the regulations in force for each case.

In any case, the incorporation shall be approved by the responsible body, as established in the Budget Implementation Terms and Conditions of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra.

Then, once it is approved, the corresponding certificate of delivery will be signed and incorporated into the Museum's register.

3. CRITERIA

Acquiring a piece of artwork for the Museum’s collection entails different types of technical work: registration, documentation, study, preventive conservation, communication and dissemination, which implies permanent costs for the institution. Likewise, from a functional and operational point of view, the incorporation of new works requires available space, which is often limited in museums. Therefore, the Museum of Pontevedra will only select those pieces or collections that are unique and that enrich or complement existing works with the aim of building up reference collections.

In order to assess the suitability of new works as well as their compatibility with existing collections, it is necessary to establish a set of criteria to be used as a reference to reach a decision in the most rational and balanced way possible. The following criteria can be given as a guideline:

• They shall be focused on the territorial scope of the Museum, mainly in the province of Pontevedra and Galicia.
• They shall be authentic and traceable in order to guarantee their legal origin.
• They shall have a significant heritage value
• They shall be outstanding in terms of uniqueness, quality or excellence.
• They shall be a reference in their field
• They shall enrich or complement the existing collections.
• They shall be related to the collection into which they are incorporated and retain its original meaning.
• They shall not duplicate or overlap existing collections.

4. DONATIONS AND LOANS

Any person, organisation or institution interested in making a donation to the Museum of Pontevedra should fill in the following form and provide as much information as possible about the item, and attach at least a general photograph of the work and all necessary details (e.g. date, signature...) for proper assessment.

As a general rule, donations and loans are not subject to any condition and they will be assessed according to the above-mentioned criteria for increasing the Museum’s collection and to the assessment procedure described. In case a piece of artwork is accepted, the Museum will be committed to registering, documenting and conserving it properly. However, its display and dissemination will be subject to the Museum’s programme and needs.