Minutes of the 109th Museum Council meeting, March 8, 2012
March 8, 2012, 12:15 – 2:15 PM, meeting room in the National Museum tower
Present: Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, chairman, Helgi Torfason, Halldór B. Runólfsson, Guðný Dóra Gestsdóttir, Jenný Lind Egilsdóttir. Rakel Halldórsdóttir, CEO and Ágústa Kristófersdóttir, acting CEO.
1. Issues for discussion and decision:
1.0. Minutes of the 106th, 107th and 108th meetings approved and signed.
1.1. Director's report:
Discussions on the Museum List about the Museum Book. A distribution list will be requested and the book will be distributed as widely as possible. Emphasize that all museums are presented in the book. Explain the involvement of the Museum Council by announcing it on the museum list. Exports of jewelry and tableware suspended. The Ministry of Education and Culture has been asked for its opinion on what the next step should be after exports have been halted. Export of old jewellery (oral). Communication with Mark Nangle explained. Legal opinion for the Museum Council, authorization to work with information from museums. Trausti Fannar Valsson's opinion is that it is okay to work with museum board data as it does not contain personal information. Transfer of web hosting (oral). Website maintenance will be transferred to Hugsmiðjan on June 1st next year, the contract with EC Software has been terminated as of June 1st. Presentation in collaboration with the Directorate of Customs – illegal import and export of cultural and natural heritage. A course for customs officers is planned for April 12th. Spring meetings of the main museums. The National Museum Curator outlines the agenda for the spring meeting of the National Museum of Iceland. ÁK takes over at the Museum Council office (oral). ÁK will take over on March 12th, but then RH will go on maternity leave, RH is expected to return to work on December 1st, 2012.
1.2. National Audit Office report on the Icelandic Museum of Natural History. The report was useful. A forum needs to be created to discuss the future of the museum, for example with the participation of the museum council and the museum associations.
2. Papers for discussion and decision.
2.1. Questions from the National Audit Office. The CEO has responded to this.
2.2. The Living Art Museum's application for postponement of the use of a project grant from the museum fund in 2011. Postponement approved.
2.3. Comments requested from the Althingi on the draft Art Act and the Act on Cultural Heritage. Joint comments from the Museums Council, ICOM, FÍSOS and the main museums are sent to the ministry.
2.4. Michele Smith's application for a permit to export cultural property. Comments requested from the National Museum and the Icelandic Archaeological Conservation Authority. Comments were positive. Export permit granted.
2.5. Bjarni F. Einarsson's application for a permit to export cultural property. Comments requested from the National Museum and the Icelandic Archaeological Conservation Authority. Comments were positive. Export permit granted.
2.6. Ísafjörður Art Museum – application for postponement of the use of a project grant. Postponement approved.
2.7. Artifacts that were retained in Iceland after P&H Jewelers arrived in Iceland. Obtain a legal opinion from the Ministry of Education and Culture's lawyer on what the next step is if the export is stopped. According to the Design Museum's report, the spoons for which the export was stopped are not considered to have cultural-historical value. According to the National Museum's opinion, the jewelry for which the export was stopped is of such a nature that they should be preserved in a museum in this country.
2.8. Information about the collaboration between the Home Crafts Museum and the Knowledge Center in Blönduós. The Museum Council proposes that emphasis be placed on ensuring that those working in this field in Blönduós work together under one umbrella and thus combine their forces with the standards of professional museum work as their guiding principle.
2.9. Request for support from the Museum Council for the retraining of museum staff. Referred to the Museum Council's travel grants, one
grant per museum per year.
2.10. The Museum Council's opinion was requested on the application of the East Iceland Maritime Museum for a foundation grant according to Article 11 of the Museums Act. Approved subject to the condition that the construction complies with laws and regulations.
3. Next meeting and other matters.
Other issues:
Next meeting, allocation meeting set for March 22 at 12:15.
There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 14:15/AK.