The GAO takes the Smithsonian to Task

Many have argued that a compelling case can be made that art and antiquities should be displayed in market nations in the developed world because they are better preserved there than they might be if returned to source nations which are often underdeveloped. The GAO report which James Grimaldi highlights in today’s Washington Post seriously undermines such arguments. It reveals a troubling picture of what should be America’s proudest cultural institution. Instead a picture of staggering institutional incompetence is revealed:

• Alarms ring and guards are unable to respond;
• A water leak in the Sackler Gallery could have destroyed artwork worth half a billion;
• Fossils were stolen from display cases at the Natural History Museum;
• Plastic sheets are required to protect Native American artifacts from damage;