Two public programs (Oct 25-26) organized in conjunction with the 6th PREP Exchange on Nazi-Era Art Provenance Research, organized by the German/American Provenance Research Exchange Program (PREP) for Museum Professionals, 2017-2019, and hosted by the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.
Each PREP Exchange has featured engaging public programs—and we invite you to attend our PREP Public Program on Friday, Oct. 25th 5-7pm, and a PREP Public Panel Discussion on Saturday morning, Oct. 26th 10:30am – 1:30pm. Both programs include leading museums experts from German and U.S. museums and research institutes.
Please see the attached invitation and our website for additional details.
Please note RSVP is required for these events.
What is PREP?
The German/American Provenance Research Exchange Program (PREP) brings together, over a three-year period, museum professionals—archivists, curators, collections managers, directors, IT specialists, lawyers, and researchers—from both sides of the Atlantic who specialize in World War II-era provenance projects. This systematic exchange elaborates and expands on the methods and practices through which both countries have approached the issues pertaining to Holocaust-era art looting. PREP has widened the scope of WWII-era provenance research, which to date has prioritized painting, sculpture, and Judaica, by including Asian art, decorative arts, and works on paper.
PREP’s core program is comprised of six week-long Exchanges, with 21-24 participants each year who have been competitively selected, with each cohort attending two Exchanges each year, one in Germany and one is the US. Each Exchange is organized by a PREP Partner Institution in collaboration with museums, archives, and research centers in their respective cities. PREP launched in 2017 with the 1st Exchange at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, followed by the 2nd Exchange, at the Berlin State Museums. In 2018, PREP began with the 3rd Exchange in Los Angeles at the Getty Research Institute, and the 4th Exchange at the Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte in Munich. In March 2019, the 5th Exchange was held at the Dresden State Art Collections, and the 6th and final PREP Exchange will take place at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The German Center for Lost Art in Magdeburg is a consultative partner to PREP.
What are PREP’s Goals and Projected Outcomes?
PREP’S foundational goal is to establish a transatlantic network to accelerate research on WWII-era art loss. PREP introduces participants to resources and experts at institutions in both countries; provides a forum for professional growth and networking; facilitates collaborative research projects; and increases public awareness of the work of museum communities in both countries, thereby widening access to provenance resources and results.
These goals are furthered by PREP’s efforts to assure that the experience and expertise of researchers is preserved through the development of new technologies for recording and sharing of research results and sources. Through public programs and events planned in conjunction with each Exchange, and the forthcoming online publication, PREP Resources for Nazi-Era Provenance Research in Germany and the U.S., PREP disseminates its resources and outcomes to better share our research results with diverse experts and the public we serve.
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