Institutions accepting donated pieces of artwork, such as the Minnesota Historical Society, are seeing an increase in donations over the past five years. Much of the donated works are lively and irreverent and are being provided by donors who are still alive, unlike the past where donors posthumously bequeathed their art. So, what accounts for this increase? Older adults, specifically those of the baby boomer generation, are in the process of downsizing or decluttering their estates, creating a huge shift in possession. Donating to an institution presents one of the easiest offloading strategies for possessions. As this possession shift continues, the historical significance of the artwork will represent a time of increasing diversity and present new attitudes and purposes of art.
See John Hanc, From Downsizing Boomers, a Flood of Donated Art, N.Y. Times, March 4, 2017.
Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
