Donations

Things We Collect:  MOCA's Acquisition Policy

Definitions and Purpose

The collection is defined as all the material of cultural or historical significance which has been accessioned by The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), and includes artifacts, such as furniture, works of art, photos in various formats, including films, slides, and digital images; archives, such as documents, manuscripts, oral histories, audio/videotapes, personal papers, maps, and music collections; as well as a library, including books, periodicals, pamphlets, and recordings that are systematically arranged.

Acquisition is defined as the transfer of ownership of a significant item to the permanent collection of the Museum, its management and documentation.  Material is acquired to enhance the ability of the Museum to carry out its mission of reclaiming, preserving, and interpreting the history and culture of Chinese and their descendants in the United States.

The collection is shaped by MOCA's Acquisition Policy, and totals over 60,000 items.  MOCA collection items are often a part of and inform Museum exhibitions, educational programs, and research and study projects.

How We Collection:  Acquisition Methods

We use six methods to acquire materials: Gift, Purchase, Copies, Exchange, Bequests, and Internal Transfer.

Gifts: These are a major source of material for the Museum’s Collection.  Gifts will be accepted only if they offer a genuine benefit and there is no ambiguity of ownership and intention.

Purchase: The collection is augmented by very selective purchase, which is only decided by the Board of Trustees and responsible officers.  For items of major importance it is usually necessary to seek additional financial support for external funding bodies.

Copies: For certain material, copies of original including digital files are acceptable as acquisition.

Exchanges: The Museum undertakes exchanges with other parties where there is a clear public benefit, enhancement of its collection and mutual gain to all parties.  The museum does not carry out exchanges with private individuals unless the benefit can be obtained in no other way.

Bequests: Material offered as a bequest will be evaluated against the standard acquisition criteria and items that do not meet these standards will not be accepted for the Collection.

Internal transfer: MOCA institutional documents are an important part of Asian American history, including photographs of public and educational programs; documents, audios, and videos produced by MOCA exhibitions and projects; and records of the Annual Legacy Dinner.

Acquisition Criteria

Collecting must comply with priorities defined by the Trustees, and meet appropriate acquisitions criteria.  These include the significance of the material to the Collection and the resource implications including preservation and storage.  The decision to acquire is made by the appropriate collecting department.  Only those categories of material, which meet the following conditions and governing rules of acquisitions, will be accessioned into the Museum’s collections.

The Museum will only accept items if the following criteria are met:

• The artifact is relevant to the Museum’s Mission Statement;
• The artifact has a free and clear title;
• The object must have intrinsic value;
• The object must have a verifiable record of authenticity and provenance;
• The Museum can provide adequate storage;
• The Museum has the financial resources to preserve/conserve the artifact. No object should be considered for acquisition if its physical condition exceeds the Museum’s financial ability to provide for its care and preservation.

Before donation the museum will require the following information on the artifact

• A photograph of the artifact
• All available information on the history of the artifact
• Potential donor’s name, address, email, and phone number

 
The Museum cannot provide an appraisal of a donation, but will provide a tax exempt form if it is requested.