Much of nation’s art is in peril

Millions of rare and irreplaceable works of art and artifacts held in public museums, libraries, historical societies and archives could be lost to damage and neglect, according to a survey of 3,370 collecting institutions across the country.

“A Public at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America’s Collections,” issued today in a partnership between the nonprofit Heritage Preservation and the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, found that improper storage and limited or nonexistent plans for disaster response top the risk list.

“Our results are that 80% of the nation’s collecting institutions do not have an emergency plan,” said Kristen Laise, index director. “In light of what we’ve seen down in the Gulf Coast this fall, that is real cause for concern.”

Individual responses by institutions are confidential, Laise said, but participants included the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum. The full report is available at www.heritagehealthindex.org.

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Lynne Heffley