As part of its mission, AMOCA preserves and collects significant ceramic achievements of the world’s cultures from ancient times to the present. Our permanent collection, which consists of over 7,000 pieces, is a growing representation of the impact of ceramics on the development of human cultures.
Gifts of art, or funds to maintain our collection, ensure that the AMOCA can continue to develop a first-class collection. There are many ways to make a gift of art to meet your current and future financial and personal goals:
-outright gifts allow you to receive a charitable deduction for tax purposes
-promised gifts allow you to continue to enjoy the use of your work while making a commitment of a future gift to the Museum
either during your lifetime or through a bequest
-bequests allow you to keep your artwork for the remainder of your life while ensuring it will have a proper home after your
death and lessening the burden of estate taxes on your heirs
By giving a work of art, you are not only joining a group of great benefactors, you are also ensuring that your cherished work will be cared for and enjoyed by the public.
Donation of Ceramic Objects
Potential donations of objects to AMOCA’s collection are reviewed by AMOCA’s Acquisition Committee, which meets 4 to 5 times a year. The process for donations is as follows:
1. Contact AMOCA’s Collections Department to inform us that you are considering a gift to AMOCA. We will ask you for the artist’s name, date of creation, title, medium, country of origin, size of work and any other relevant information, along with images of the piece(s). After initial consideration, the Museum may request to see the work of art in person.
2. Once you know AMOCA is interested in your work of art, the Collections Department will coordinate with you to bring the object(s) to AMOCA in time for the next available Acquisitions Committee meeting. The potential donation will be reviewed and the committee will vote to accept it into the collection or not. If the Acquisition Committee votes no, the Collection Manager/Registrar will coordinate with the you to return the object(s).
3. If approved, the Acquisition Committee’s recommendations will be presented at the next Board Meeting where the Board makes a final vote. If the object(s) are accessioned, the Collections Manager/Registrar will send the donor a deed of gift to finalize the donation.
Donation of Books and Periodicals
The museum also accepts donations of books and periodicals for the Helen & Roger Porter Resource Library throughout the year. These materials must directly relate to ceramics and/or ceramic making. The museum may reject books or periodicals if they are already represented in the library.
You may mail non-returnable materials to: AMOCA, Collections Department, 399 N. Garey Ave Pomona, CA 91767. If you would like to hand-deliver materials, please contact the Collections Department in advance of your visit at collections@amoca.org.
Please note that for security purposes, the museum cannot accept unscheduled drop-off of donation items.
The American Museum of Ceramic Art does not provide appraisals or authentications. We encourage you to contact the Appraisers Association of America at www.appraisersassoc.org. You can also find general information and web links for appraisals on the web site of the Archives of American Art (http://www.aaa.si.edu/) at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
