Traveling show insurance question (from ListServe)

This is more of a Registrarial question, but hopefully someone in PACIN can help out with this. When you are travelling an exhibition of borrowed work, at what point does the organizing venue typically insure the work and at what point does the exhibiting venue typically take over? Our policy as an organizing institution has been thus far limited to covering the work as it is shipped to us from the lenders, while it's on site, and travels from us to the first exhibiting venue. Once it arrives at the exhibiting venue, it is covered by them until it reaches the next venue, and so on, until it returns to us, when we take over again. I know some institutions cover their shows throughout the entire tour, but it's financially not really viable for us to maintain insurance for all of our travelling exhibitions all the time while also covering exhibitions in-house. Right now we are going through a domestic to international transition in a tour, and a venue is balking at their contractual obligation to cover the show in transit. Does anyone have experience with these issues, any suggestions or good resources?
Thanks very much.


Valerie Imus
Exhibitions Manager
YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS

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replies:

Valerie,

I think it remains best, so that things don't fall through the cracks and so that no problems with lenders or venues arise, for the organizing museum to maintain insurance all through the show. Buy a rider for the specific exhibition and figure the cost of the insurance into the price of the show, or, alternatively, write the financial responsibility for insurance into the contract. Many lenders may be unsettled about different policies covering their works during a single show, and then you have the type of situation that you describe as well.

So either treat it as crating is treated (usually part of the cost of the show) or as shipping is usually treated (usually as pro-rated in addition to cost of the show).

Rebecca Buck
Chief Registrar
The Newark Museum

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Their confusion comes from equating responsibility with cost.

The organizer has the responsibility of arranging and providing continuous coverage for loans to the exhibition, usually through a special exhibition policy. Lenders should not bear the risk of pieced-together coverage, and should not be caught in the cross-fire of a blame game when loss occurs.

Generally, a borrowing venue has the responsibility of covering the cost of coverage while the exhibition is on their premises, and while on transit to the next venue (because the condition reports and actual packing is carried out under their custody and control). Borrowing venues are either billed by the organizer for their share of the insurance, or it is bundled into the exhibition fee.

Brian Kelly

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Our museum covers its traveling exhibits continually throughout the run of a tour. However we require borrowing institutions to have their own policies in effect during their venue. If anything should happen their policy is primary. If for any reason (such as insurance lapse, non-coverage, unscrupulous activities, or oversight) our museum's policy is secondary and protects us. Presumably the loan fee covers our insurance costs although it is not a separate line item but rather part and parcel of the loan fee.

Bill Maloney

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