September Monthly Gathering – Stolen Art, Museum Ethics, and Artifact Restitution

Why are so many artifact repatriations and restitutions from museums around the world making the headlines? Is it always a museum’s ethical obligation to return looted, stolen, or illicit items? This presentation will discuss the policies and standards established by museums for the acquisition and disposition of Holocaust-related art, and Egyptian, Pre-Columbian, Italian, and Greek antiquities, as well as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Join us at 7pm, on Saturday, September 21, to hear Barbara Heller, the current Director and Conservator of Special Projects and former Chief Conservator at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). In addition to her other duties, Ms. Heller is a member of the DIA’s Cultural Stewardship Taskforce. She lectures, publishes, and serves on the board of directors and in advisory positions for several professional regional, national, and international organizations.

Please note that this program will be presented live and on Zoom. You can attend the live presentation, for a chance to also mingle with your fellow Mensans and guests, at our usual location:

Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield
23925 Northwestern Highway
Southfield, Michigan

Doors open at 6:30pm (EDT). The program begins at 7:00pm. 

Ticket prices for the in-person program are:

Adult members: $5, or buy a strip of 4 tickets for $15. Adult guests: $6, Children 12 & under: $2. Members receive free admission in the month of their birthday.

Following the presentation, please join us for dinner at Buddy’s Pizza, located at 31646 Northwestern Highway, in Farmington Hills, just northeast of Middlebelt Road.

If you can’t join us in person, the Zoom room opens at 6:30pm (EDT) for mingling. The program starts at 7:00pm (Eastern). 

There is no charge for the Zoom presentation, but, due to rising costs, your donation via PayPal is greatly appreciated. Please donate $5! To donate, go to paypal.com and click on the “Send Money” tab. Enter the e-mail address: treasurer@nullmensadetroit.com and your payment amount. Be sure to include a notation that your donation is for “SEMM Zoom Presentations.” Please remember that all attendees need to pre-register by clicking on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/SEMM-2024-Gathering