The National Endowment for the Arts administers the U.S. Government's Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Program on behalf of the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities (Federal Council). The Indemnity Program was created by Congress in 1975 for the purpose of minimizing the costs of insuring international exhibitions. In 2007, Congress expanded eligibility under the Program to include coverage of works of art owned by U.S. entities while on exhibition in the United States.
These guidelines are for Domestic Indemnity (U.S. exhibitions may contain non-U.S. owned loans; however, only U.S.-owned loans and locations are eligible for coverage under the Domestic Indemnity Program). Organizations interested in coverage for international exhibitions should refer to the separate guidelines for International Indemnity.
U.S. nonprofit museums and organizations planning temporary exhibitions in the United States may be eligible for Domestic Indemnity coverage. Details appear below.
The indemnity agreement is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the event of loss or damage to an indemnified object, the Federal Council must certify the validity of the claim and request Congress to authorize payment.
For FY 2025, the application deadlines are: December 9, 2024, and June 9, 2025.
The Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Act (P.L. 94-158) as amended (P.L. 110-161, Sec. 426) authorizes the Federal Council to make indemnity agreements with U.S. nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations and governmental units for coverage of eligible objects owned by public and private collections in the United States, while on exhibition in the United States. For an exhibition to be eligible, the total dollar value of all U.S. loans in the exhibition must exceed $75 million, not including objects owned by the applicant or participating venue while on exhibition at their location.
If an exhibition will be shown at two or more institutions, one institution should apply on behalf of all participants. The Federal Council requires that the applicant must have previously organized one exhibition with objects borrowed from one or more public and/or private collections, and that participating venues have previously organized or hosted at least one exhibition with objects borrowed from one or more public and/or private collections.
Generally, applicants may submit only one application, either under the domestic or the international program, for the same exhibition.
The Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Act allows coverage for a single exhibition up to $1,000,000,000. The total dollar amount of indemnity agreements which can be in effect at any one time is $7.5 billion. This limit includes all current agreements as well as new certificates awarded through these guidelines.
A minimum of $75 million value for all U.S.-owned loans in the exhibition (not including applicant-owned objects in non-traveling exhibitions) is required for eligibility.