Viewing page 69 of 242

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

-57-

[[underlined]] Museum Support Center and Inventory [[/underlined]]

The Secretary highlighted the following report which had been distributed in advance of the meeting.  He expressed his pleasure that the construction of the Museum Support Center, now more than 90% complete, is ahead of schedule and within budget.  Mr. Hughes added that plans are being formulated for an efficient move of collections and staff to the Center beginning in the coming year.  At Mr. Mineta's request e reviewed the difficulties experienced in the initial invitation for bids on supplying the storage equipment and suggested reasons for a more favorable response to the subsequent solicitation.

With reference to the report on the inventory of collections, the Secretary stated that he continues to urge his curatorial staff to be mindful of the space requirements of the national collections and to be alert to opportunities for appropriate deaccesions and loans to museums throughout the country.  He noted that Mr. Blitzer has been suggesting such loans and travelling exhibitions as a partial solution for the storage problems inherent in receiving Mr. Hirshhorn's bequest of thousands of works of art at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.  The Secretary added that Smithsonian has been sharing major new acquisitions with other museums, such as the Gilbert Stuart portraits of George and Martha Washington (shared with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts) and Stuart's "Edgehill" portrait of Thomas Jefferson (recently acquired jointly with Monticello).
*  *  *  *  *