Museums and qualified borrowers may request loans from the Davis Museum collection for exhibition purposes. Formal requests should be made in writing and mailed to the following address:

Office of the Director
c/o Helen Connor, Registrar
Davis Museum at Wellesley College
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481-8203

A copy of the loan request may also be emailed to Helen Connor, Assistant Registrar for Exhibitions and Digital Resources, at hconnor@wellesley.edu.

Please provide the following information as part of the formal request: 

• Exhibition title and proposed venue(s) and dates

• Details of the requested objects, including artist, title, and accession number (reference the Davis Museum’s online database for additional information) 

• Name, address, and telephone number of the borrower and registrar

• Purpose of loan, and if intended for an exhibition, a description of the exhibition and venue(s)

• A brief statement of the indemnity or insurance provisions to be made.

• Standard General Facility Report for each venue (facility reports may be sent via email).

Borrowers should submit loan requests to the Museum one year before the exhibition opening and at minimum six months before the commencement of the loan. 

Upon receipt, an acknowledgment correspondence will be sent to the borrower. The loan request will be scheduled for review by the Davis Museum Curatorial Committee, and a response with a decision will be sent. 

Once a loan request is approved, no major changes will be made to the loan request (including objects requested, dates, and venues). Any changes or requests for loan extensions should be made in writing and will be evaluated and approved by the Curatorial Committee, with final approval from the Director and Registrar. If granted, loan extensions will be for a specified period, and except for long-term loans, will not exceed one year.

Borrowers are required to pay a Museum Loan Fee of $250 for the first object requested, and an additional $100 for each additional object. The borrower is responsible for any other costs in connection with the loan. These include, but may not be limited to all costs relating to packing, artwork retrieval, customs clearance, transport and shipping of the loan; cost of appraisal; any insurance premium; the travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs of Museum staff escorting the loaned object or making periodic visits of inspection (for long-term loans); the cost of photography; the cost of special mounts, stands, frames and conservation work; and the cost of any catalogs and other items purchased from the Museum. 

Part of the outgoing loan process presumes that upon receipt of the artwork by the Museum or the lender, there will be a confirmation in writing. If no communication is issued by the receiving party, it is presumed that the artwork was received on time and in good condition.