Staff Reductions Threaten Care of Vast Federal Art Collection

For many years, the U.S. government has managed an extensive art collection comparable to a major museum, comprising approximately 26,000 pieces ranging from New Deal-era murals to Alexander Calder’s renowned “Flamingo” sculpture. These works are displayed in hundreds of federal buildings and loaned to various museums, historical societies, and libraries nationwide.

However, in March, the administration significantly reduced the team within the General Services Administration tasked with tracking, maintaining, and protecting this expansive and valuable collection, shrinking the staff from around 30 employees to fewer than 10, according to former personnel familiar with the matter.

This downsizing has prompted concern among art professionals about the potential risks posed to the collection, which includes works by prominent American artists such as Louise Nevelson, Nick Cave, and Ellsworth Kelly.

Julie Trébault, executive director of an organization dedicated to safeguarding artists and cultural workers, emphasized that any decrease in staffing could severely undermine the care, preservation, and public accessibility of these artworks.

The challenges are considerable. The General Services Administration’s collection rivals that of the Whitney Museum of American Art in size. Unlike museum collections housed primarily in one location with limited storage sites, this federal collection is dispersed across offices and institutions in every U.S. state as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.