Organizations that wish to borrow artwork for exhibition undergo a detailed application process. After making a preliminary inquiry, an applicant will be required to:
- make a formal request
- undergo a loan review and assessment
- follow the requirements of successful loan recipients
If you are interested in making a formal request but have not yet made a preliminary inquiry, please review the exhibition loans program overview before continuing.
Formal request
A formal request to borrow works of art from the collection must be made by letter and should include the following information:
- title of the exhibition (working title acceptable)
- exhibition venue(s) and dates
- name, address, telephone number and email address of the exhibition organizer
- name, address, telephone number and email address for the person responsible for the exhibition at each venue
- scope of the exhibition
- list of works requested quoting AFA accession numbers
- you may obtain accession numbers from the AFA Virtual Museum
- reasons for inclusion of AFA artworks in the exhibition
Any subsequent changes to these details must be confirmed in writing.
Please send your signed request to:
Manager, Art Collections
Alberta Foundation for the Arts
10708 - 105 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB, Canada T5H 0A1
You may send a scanned version of your letter by email to: afacontact@gov.ab.ca.
Loan review and assessment
All formal exhibition loan requests will be reviewed in relation to:
- availability of requested artwork
- whether the requested artwork is stable enough to withstand shipping requirements
- the ability of the borrowing institution to meet museum quality care and standards
- any other special requirements related to the specific nature of the loan request
All formal requests will receive a response by letter that will approve or decline the loan within two to three weeks upon receipt of request.
In the event that a work of art is formally requested and the borrower no longer requires it, it may be cancelled with written notice in advance of the agreed upon shipping date.
In the event that a work of art is formally requested and the borrower subsequently requests an alternate artwork, the AFA will require a new formal request be submitted and it must be in advance of the appropriate loan request deadline.
Requirements of successful loan recipients
Facility report
Following loan approval, borrowers will be asked to submit a Facility Report, unless your organization has a current report on file with us dated within the past three years.
If a loan is requested for a touring exhibition, facility reports must be provided for all venues.
Collections staff may request additional supplementary materials, including:
- recent actual relative environmental (temperature and humidity) readings for display area(s)
- insurance provisions
- final exhibition dates and venues
Deadlines for submitting facility reports and any requested supplementary materials will be forwarded after the loan is approved, and will be no less than 30 days in advance of shipment.
Insurance
Borrowing institutions are responsible for the safety and security of all AFA artwork(s) for the duration of the loan period.
The AFA will establish the insurance value for each artwork requested for loan, and the borrowing institution is responsible to obtain door-to-door insurance for all loaned artwork in their care.
We reserve the right to request a Certificate of Insurance from your organization, which must list the AFA as the Lender and loss payee for the full replacement value of the Loan.
Credit lines
The AFA requires appropriate recognition of all loans for public exhibition. Exhibition credit lines and artwork labels should reasonably reflect the AFA’s contribution.
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts should be appropriately credited as:
Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts
