Back
to Top of PageArt Ethics*
Sharon Stoerger MLS,
MBA
sstoer@yahoo.com
Codes
of Ethics ~~ Case
Studies ~~ Art Issues
~~ Other Issues in the Art World
Professional Associations:
American Society for Eighteenth-Century
Studies (ASECS)
http://asecs.press.jhu.edu/
A very detailed Web site with lots of links to sections like Officers &
Committees, Professional & Career Development and Publications. No code
of ethics is listed on their pages.
Association of Historians of Nineteenth-Century
Art (AHNCA)
http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Colleges/ARHU/Depts/ArtHistory/ahnca/
AHNCA is an affiliate of the College Art Association (CAA). No separate code
of ethics is available at this site.
College Art Association (CAA)
Historians of Eighteenth-Century
Art and Architecture (HECAA)
http://plaza.ufl.edu/mhyde/hecaa/
The HECAA site does not post a code of ethics, but membership data, current
officer listings and the HECAA Constitution are provided. Information on how
to subscribe to the HECAA listserv can also be found at this site.
Industrial Designers Society of
America (IDSA)
http://www.idsa.org/
A link to the Mission and Values Statement for IDSA is available that covers
the value of design, the leadership provided by IDSA, and the way IDSA serves
its members. No code of ethics is listed on this site.
Midwest Art History Society (MAHS)
http://www.mahsonline.org/mahsbody.html
No code of ethics is available at this time. Several sections on the site say,
"Coming Soon".
National Art Education Association
(NAEA)
http://www.naea-reston.org/programs-research.html
No code of ethics is documented on their Web site, but they do have a Research
Agenda section that attempts to identify research issues and ways these issues
may be funded.
National Council on Education
for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA)
http://nceca.net/purpose.htm
The NCECA site doesn't have a code of ethics section. They do, however, state
their organization's purpose.
Other Professional Art Associations Codes:
The following sites are organizations that have code of ethics statements that
may be of interest.
Graphic Communication Industry
http://www.gag.org/about/fair_code.php
The Code of Fair Practice for the Graphic Communication Industry that is intended
to "uphold existing law and tradition and to help define an ethical standard
for business practice in the graphic communications industry".
National Artists Equity Association
(AEA)
http://www.iit.edu/departments/csep/PublicWWW/codes/coe/National%20Artists%20Equity%20Association%20Dec.html
The Declaration of Artists' Rights
of the National Artists Equity Association (A.E.A), USA represents "the
best interests of practicing artists throughout the country" and significant
economic and legal issues".
National Association of Schools
of Art and Design (NASAD)
http://www.arts-accredit.org/nasad/code.htm
NASAD is an organization of schools, colleges and universities that offer art
and design programs. The NASAD Code of Good Practice has been approved by the
NASAD Board of Directors.
An Artful Dodger?
http://ethics.sandiego.edu/resources/cases/Detail.asp?ID=33
A case involving a major art museum director's dilemma over whether or not to
compromise standards for the sake of revenue.
Case Scenarios
http://grove.ufl.edu/~rolandc/scenarios.html
A mixed bag of case scenarios, but there are a few dealing with art. These cases
are intended for a college group, but they may be adapted to any level.
Ethics, Art & Money in the
Work of J.S.G. Boggs
http://www.jsgboggs.com/covey.htm
This scenario is based on a situation encountered by the artist J.S.G. Boggs
and his project involving fake paper currency.
National Endowment for the Arts-Lessons
Learned: Case Studies
http://arts.endow.gov/pub/Lessons/Casestudies/casecontents2.html
The cases presented at this site are different from the others listed in this
section. These National Endowment for the Arts case studies outline some of
the struggles they have faced in the art world. Solutions are also given.
Savannah College of Art and Design
Case
http://www.scad-and-us.info/
A scenario that deals with a student enrolled in an Art & Design MA program
and the grades he received for classes not attended.
Stolen Property or Finders Keepers
http://home.att.net/~tisone/problem.htm
This site lists an art-related scenario that can be used with a group divided
into teams. Each team has an "assignment" with questions that should
be considered during the investigation of the situation.
Plagiarism By Design? MIT Press
Seeks Recompense from McGraw-Hill for Copying in Architecture Book (must
be subscribed to the Chronicle of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/09/2004091403n.htm
Portions of Meredith L. Clausen's book, Pietro Belluschi: Modern American
Architect, found their way into Roger Shepherd's book, Structures of
Our Time: Thirty-one Buildings That Changed Modern Life. Clausen's work
appeared without attribution, and Shepherd acknowledges that there are reasons
but not excuses for their inclusion. Other problems with Shepherd's book, plus
reactions from the publishers of both works are discussed in this article from
the September 14, 2004 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
UPDATE (9/20/04): Additional information can be found in a September 20, 2004 Chronicle of Higher Education article titled, "Arts Professor at New School U. Resigns after Admitting Plagiarism." It can be accessed at http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/09/2004092005n.htm.
UPDATE (11/21/04): The professor who admitted to plagiarism a couple of months ago want his old job back, and he's willing to sue his former institution to do so. Initial reports from the school indicated that Roger Shepherd resigned, but that may not be the case. More information about this incident can be found in the November 17, 2004 article, "Professor Who Acknowledged Plagiarism Accuses New School U. of Firing Him Unfairly," published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. This article is available at http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/11/2004111702n.htm.
Plagiarism is a No Win Situation
http://www.nineronline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/01/25/3c50653c80faa
This is a general piece on plagiarism and students, but it does make some art
references.
Plagiarism is No Crime
http://www.theaoi.com/journalhistory2/articles/1999/decplagiarism.html
This article addresses the issues surrounding artists who use other's styles
and concepts in their work.
Copyright/Fair Use:
Copyright is very big topic in the art world right now, and it's often discussed
in conjunction with art plagiarism issues.
10 Big Myths about Copyright Explained
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
This site has been listed on many artists' pages that discuss copyright.
Actions and Arguments in Support
of Finding the Copyright Term Extension Act Unconstitutional
http://www.studiolo.org/IP/CTEA/CTEA.htm
Links to documents regarding to the Copyright Term Extension Act are presented
at this site.
Copyright and Plagiarism
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/seltzer/scholastic.pdf
Wendy Seltzer, a Harvard Law School graduate and associate with Kramer, Levin,
Naftalis & Frankel, presented Copyright and Plagiarism at the Scholastic
Art and Writing Awards Regional Sponsors' Conference.
Copyright Law in Cyberspace
http://www.utsystem.edu/OGC/IntellectualProperty/cybrscen.htm
A University of Texas site that's often mentioned in articles regarding artists
and copyright issues.
Ethics and Computers: Implications
for Teaching Art
http://grove.ufl.edu/~rolandc/ethics~paper.html
This article has a school art teacher focus, but many of the issues raised in
this paper could be adapted to fit a college setting.
Faculty Tackle Copyright Issues
http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2000/10/10/3af96e4bed069?in_archive=1
An article about Penn State changing its intellectual property policies, including
works of art, in regard to faculty.
Influence Versus Infringement
http://www.allworth.com/Articles/article13.htm
Designers often deal with issues related to professional behavior, law and ethics.
This article discusses those dilemmas.
Is It Art, or Memorex
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,43902,00.html
This article addresses the issue of net art and originality.
Legal Information for Artists
http://www.artistresource.org/forums/forum4/forum4.htm
Kevin Dunn, a California attorney and painter, designed this site as a way to
communicate legal information to artists.
Petrarch's Apes: Originality,
Plagiarism and Copyright Principles within Visual Culture
http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/papers/alfrey.html
Petrarch's Apes is a paper that was presented at the Media in Transition Conference
at MIT on Oct. 8, 1999.
Three Simple Steps to Avoiding
Plagiarism Prosecution
http://www.stare.com/pdf/1993pdf/banffplg.pdf
This brief document cites 3 different ways for artists to avoid getting involved
in the growing number of lawsuits involving plagiarism.
Web-based Photographers Attacking
Search Engines
http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2001/09/07/story/0000101995
A New York Times News Service article (reproduced in the Taipei Times)
that discusses Internet theft and online art.
2 Professors are Indicted over
Use of Bacteria in an Art Project (must be subscribed to the Chronicle
of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/06/2004063001n.htm
Steven J. Kurtz, an art professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo,
and Robert Ferrell, the chairman of the human-genetics department in Pittsburgh's
Graduate School of Public Health, have been charged with "violating federal
laws against mail and wire fraud." The materials that Kurtz obtained from
Ferrell were going to be used in an exhibit on the politics of biotechnology
in food that was to be displayed at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary
Art. Details surrounding this case can be found in this article from the June
30, 2004 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Additional information on this case can be found in the July 1, 2004 issue of the Scientist. It can be accessed at http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040701/04.
UPDATE (7/8/04): Steven Kurtz was arraigned in federal court in Buffalo on July 8, 2004. Kurtz was indicted on four different counts, and he could receive up to 20 years in prison plus a $250,000 fine for each charge. Robert Ferrell faces the same charges but will be arraigned at a later date. This article titled, "Prof to Be Arraigned Today," can be accessed in the July 8, 2004 issue of the Scientist at http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040708/03.
UPDATE (7/9/04): Additional
details about the July 8, 2004 arraignment of Steven Kurtz on July 8, 2004 can
be found in the July 9, 2004 issue of the Scientist. "Kurtz Pleads
Not Guilty" can be accessed at http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040709/04.
Ancient Art at Met Raises Old
Ethical Questions
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/02/international/middleeast/02ANTI.html?pagewanted=1&th
An exhibit currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum contains pieces with
unknown pasts, and that is bringing concerns that surround stolen antiquities
to the surface. In the "Art of the First Cities" show, the Naram-Sin
piece is one of at least eight objects that has no clear record as to how it
was acquired, and the debate regarding whether or not it is ethical to buy,
show or publish scholarly articles on these "orphan objects" has moved
into the pubic arena due to the events at the Iraq Museum. Points made by the
collector, the scholars, and the curator are discussed in this article from
the August 2, 2003 edition of The New York Times.
Big Auction Houses Take Closer
Look at Issue of Ethics
http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/1998/02/10/feat/arts.3.html
A Christian Science Monitor article that takes a look at stolen art and
the big auction houses like Sotheby's.
Indecency on the Internet: Lessons
from the Art World
http://www.csulb.edu/%7Ejvancamp/article1.html
This document discusses the fight groups like the National Endowment for the
Arts have had with Congress over censorship. It also examines how the lessons
learned from that experience can be compared to those between Congress and the
Internet.
Internet Auctions: In Flagrante
Delicto?
http://www.artworldnews.com/may00/online.html
An Art World News article that outlines the issues and problems surrounding
Internet auctions and art.
Is the Body More Beautiful When
It's Dead? (free registration to The New York Times may be required)
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/arts/design/01HEAR.html
Thomas Condon, a Cincinnati photographer, is finding that there is often a fine
line drawn between between art and crime. Condon was arrested after negatives
taken of corpses at the Hamilton County morgue were leaked to the local press.
If the Ohio Supreme Court does not take his case, Condon may find himself back
in jail on charges of corpse abuse. This June 1, 2003 article from The New
York Times discusses the legal issues surrounding this case and examines
why death death images often invoke negative reactions.
Israeli Academic and 4 Others are
Accused of Forging Inscriptions on Antiquities (must be subscribed to the
Chronicle of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/01/2005010402n.htm
Five members of an alleged antiquities forgery ring were indicted last week.
A few years ago, the Israeli Antiquities Authority established a committee to
investigate several objects that were reported to date back to the Israelite
period, and the recent indictments stemmed from this investigation. The effect
this "exposure" on areas of historical and archaeological research,
and additional information about this case can be found in the January 4, 2005
issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Museum Security Network
http://www.museum-security.org/
The Museum Security Network was created and developed by Tom Cremers, who encourages
cultural protection and prevents & solves crimes against cultural property.
This site has "outgrown all other national and world professional organizations
and service efforts in the field of museum and library security." The opening
page for the Museum Security Network site posts recent thefts including the
two masterpieces stolen on December 7, 2002 from the Van Gogh Museum.
Museums OK Ethics Guidelines
for Exhibits of Private Art
http://www.cnn.com/2000/STYLE/arts/08/04/museum.ethics.ap/
After the Saatchi exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, which was controversial
due to the shock value of the art (e.g. Virgin Mary displayed with clumps of
elephant dung), the American Association of Museums adopted new ethical guidelines.
This article discusses those guidelines.
The American Association of Museums ethical guidelines mentioned in the article can be found at http://www.aam-us.org/aamcoe.cfm.
New MFA Link Seen to Looted Artifacts
http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/paintings/122798.htm
SIDE NOTE: The Boston Globe (the source for this article) is reported
to be a good source for art and museum scandals.
This particular article takes a look at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
and issues surrounding the way museums purchase artifacts from the antiquities
market.
News Organization at Brigham Young
U. Returns Awards for Copied Web-Site Design (must be subscribed to The
Chronicle of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/06/2003060302t.htm
NewsNet, a news organization operated by students at Brigham Young University
(BYU), received honors in May for its site design, but they had to decline the
awards because much of the layout came from another site. Two students, who
are no longer at BYU, created the NewsNet site and used many of the style elements
found at the CNET Networks site, Builder.com. This June 3, 2003 article from
The Chronicle of Higher Education examines how this type of plagiarism
occurred and discusses the steps BYU is taking to correct the situation.
Additional ethics resources can be found at the following sites.
Bioethics. See also the Biotechnology Web Page (UIUC)
Social Science Ethics: A Bibliography
Created by Sharon
Stoerger MLS, MBA
©September 30, 2002
Updated January 5, 2005