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For Immediate Release

June 1, 2015
For more information contact:
Amber Sesnick
904.899.6034
asesnick@cummermuseum.org

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens


Chief Curator to Speak on Nazi-Looting Claim at NYU Symposium
Jacksonville, Fla. Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens Chief Curator Holly Keris will be
representing the Museum at the Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Symposium held at New York
University June 4 through 6, 2015. Her discussion will stem from the 2014 Nazi-looting claim
surrounding the painting Vanitas (1677) by Jacques De Claeuw. Originally owned by noted Old
Master dealer Jacques Goudstikker, the piece was returned to a Goudstikker heir by the Cummer
Museum Board of Trustees, but an agreement was later reached to keep work at the Museum.
Keris will take part in the Looted Cultural Property session of the symposium where she will
discuss the legal obligation of museums in these situations, as well as the importance of
understanding and sharing the history of a museums collection.
She explained, Size and geography do not define this conversation; it is an issue that involves
all museums. As educational institutions, we have the responsibility to share the stories behind
the art works in our permanent collections, and that includes the ownership history of each
piece.
Keris continued, Returning looted works of art to families have been among the most rewarding
moments of my career.
The symposium will bring together experts from museums and auction houses, a known art
forger, and members of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as well as the Presidents
Cultural Property Advisory Committee. The three-day event will hold three sessions discussing
theft, fraud, looting of cultural property, and fakes and forgeries.

For further information, including high-resolution images and descriptions, to schedule


media tours of the exhibition, or to schedule interviews with staff or guest experts, please
contact Amber Sesnick at 904.899.6034 or asesnick@cummermuseum.org.

For more than 50 years, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has been committed to
engaging and inspiring through the arts, gardens, and education. A permanent collection of
nearly 5,000 objects and historic gardens on a riverfront campus offers more than 130,000
annual visitors a truly unique experience on the First Coast. Nationally-recognized education
programs serve adults and children of all abilities. For more information, including hours, visit
www.cummermuseum.org.
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