Collection Policies

images of contemporary ceramic bowls from Japan, various shapes, sizes and colors images of contemporary ceramic bowls from Japan, various shapes, sizes and colors

Personal Photography

The Lowe Art Musem welcomes photography for personal use. Group shots, flash photography, selfie sticks, tripods and monopods are prohibited in the Galleries. Use of this photography and video on personal social media sites is welcome, and the Lowe Art Museum invites you to tag us on Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. The Museum reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withhold and/or withdraw permission to photograph on its premises. If at any time any volunteer or staff member witnesses behavior that puts other visitors or the collection at risk, visitors may be asked to leave the premises and forfeit their museum experience. Visitors may not reproduce photographs of the museum for commercial purposes.

The Lowe Art Museum’s policy on photography and filming in its galleries exists to ensure that works of art are not subjected to the adverse effects of accumulated light damage; to protect copyright, whether owned by the Lowe Art Museum or by another entity; to remain compliant with the terms of traveling exhibition contracts that prohibit photography; and to provide quality control for images reproduced from the Lowe’s collections.

Painting and Drawing

Visitors interested in sketching indoors may only use graphite pencils. No other materials are permitted inside the galleries. Visitors may sketch and paint outdoors; no sprayed materials, permanent markers or electrical tools are permitted. The Lowe Art Museum reserves the right to prohibit any materials security officers or other staff deem unsafe for the public or collection. Art materials may not be left unattended. Bathrooms may not be used for cleaning or disposing of art materials.

Work areas must be a minimum of four feet away from any artwork. Upon completing work, visitors must make sure that the areas in which they have been working are completely clean. Small scale painting is allowed only outside of the museum and by appointment only. Appointments must be during weekday visitor hours when museum staff is available (Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm). Appointments shall not conflict with any scheduled museum events. A refundable deposit of $100 is required. This deposit shall be returned in full if the requestor leaves the areas in good condition, otherwise the deposit shall be retained to cover the cost of cleaning the spaces. Artists must bring a large umbrella to protect their painting supplies from sudden downpours and must use drop cloths to protect the floors and benches from paint drops. For more information, please email collectionslowe@miami.edu

News Media Requests and Exhibition Publicity Requests for Photography

To photograph or film in the galleries for the purpose of publicizing an exhibition will be approved on a case-by-case basis and must take place during business hours when professional staff is on-site to supervise. All such requests must be coordinated through the University of Miami’s Office of Media Relations. Requests by the news media to reproduce works from the collection for purposes other than news reporting or criticism should be referred to the Assistant Director for Collections and Exhibition Services and are subject to the Lowe’s standard rights and reproduction policies. Contact Communications: 305-284-5422. Commercial / Non-commercial Use For all other uses, whether for commercial purposes (i.e., publication in a book or other product) or non-commercial (e.g., slides for a lecture), reproductions must be purchased through Bridgeman Art Library (www.bridgemanart.com).

All non-media related requests to film in the galleries should be referred to collectionslowe@miami.edu. Completion of an Application for Permission to Film in the Galleries is required for all non-media shoots, including student projects. Contact Communications: 305-284-5422.

Copyright and Title

The Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, may not be the owner of all rights necessary to publish the reproduction, including copyright and/or rights of privacy or publicity. It is, therefore, the requestor’s responsibility to obtain any necessary permission to publish the reproduction from parties other than the Lowe Art Museum and to pay any associated fees. The requestor must provide the Lowe Art Museum with written proof of such permission prior to publication. The Lowe Art Museum assumes no responsibility for infringements of copyright (Title 17, United States Code), violations of privacy or publicity rights (Title 45 CFR Section 46, Protection of Human Subjects), or other claims by other parties resulting from the requestor’s use of the reproduction, and the requestor agrees to indemnify and hold the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami harmless from any such claims. In authorizing the publication, the Lowe Art Museum retains all rights it may own, and does not surrender its right to publish the image or to grant permission to others to do so.

Notice: Warning Concerning Copyright Restrictions

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies and other reproductions of copyrighted materials. Under certain conditions specified by law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purposes other than private study, scholarship or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. The Lowe Art Museum reserves the right to refuse to accept a reproduction order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order may involve violation of copyright law.