Amherst Cinema Amherst, MA
Victoria S. Reed
Sadler Curator for Provenance, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA)
Raiders of the Lost Ark— Finders keepers? Looted art and artifacts, and the case for repatriation
Program Description
“The museum will buy them as usual, no questions asked,” Marcus Brody assures Indiana Jones about his treasures. For many years, this attitude guided museum collecting practices. Today, however, we see many American museums returning antiquities to their countries of origin. This talk will explore the ethics of collecting in the 21st century—as well as why and how museums must repatriate looted artifacts.
Presented At
Amherst Cinema Amherst, MA
Film Synopsis
Archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do.
In the first installment of the Indiana Jones series, the year is 1936. Archeology professor and adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant. Accompanied by his feisty, independent ex-flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), the two-fisted archaeologist embarks on a thrilling quest to locate the Ark before the Nazis do. Along the way, the two companions face poison, traps, snakes, and treachery. The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won four.
About the Speaker
Victoria S. Reed has been the Sadler Curator for Provenance at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), since July 2010. In this role, she is responsible for the research and documentation of the provenance of the MFA’s encyclopedic collection, the review of potential acquisitions and loans, and the development of due diligence policies and practice throughout the curatorial division. Reed has lectured widely and published extensively on matters related to provenance research, museum ethics, and restitution. She received her MA and Ph.D. in art history at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and her BA in liberal arts at Sarah Lawrence College.