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[[underlined]]COMMITTEE ON COLLECTIONS[[/underlined]]

Mr. Arnason reported on the preliminary deliberations of the Committee on Collections. It is his view, and Mr. Schreiber's, that the greatest task facing the Committee and the Board in the immediate future will be to study and evaluate the museum's collection. Only when this has been done will it be possible to formulate a coherent program of additions and deletions.

There was considerable discussion of various ways in which this study and evaluation  might be accomplished.

Mr. Arnason and Mr. Schreiber felt that professional assistance, beyond the members of the Board and the present staff of the museum, would be needed. One possibility would be for the Committee to establish an advisory subcommittee of three or four distinguished professionals, people like William Seitz and Brian O'Doherty, who would be engaged to advise the Committee on the collection.

The Chairman raised the question of whether the Bylaws contemplate the establishment of such a subcommittee, and Mr. Blitzer express concern at the prospect of having two paid staff in effect, one reporting to the Director and the other to the Board. Mr. Wallis observed that what is apparently needed is the advice of experts on an [[underlined]]ad hoc[[/underlined]] basis about the existing collection; he suggested that this could be secured without the establishment of any new committees or subcommittees.

The Chairman and members agreed that Mr. Wallis' suggestion was sensible one. The Chairman requested that the Committee on Collections make further recommendations at the next meet of the Board.

There was some discussion of acquisition funds. Mr. Bradley and Mr. Blitzer reported that other Smithsonian museums receive funds from the Congress for purchases, but suggested that the most pressing need of the Hirshhorn Museum at the moment is for funds to furnish and equip the building and build up a full professional staff.