On September 27 the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) announced it was “winding down operations” after 55 years of championing the principles of authenticity and ethical ownership in the art world.
According to a press release, “The change in leadership at the beginning of the year presented a vital opportunity to take a thorough and analytical look at IFAR’s ongoing operational and fiscal capacity. Following that six-month assessment of our programmatic activities and finances, we concluded that continuing our work is no longer feasible. This decision was not taken lightly—various restructuring scenarios and business models were considered, but it was clear that the only responsible option was to start down the path of closing.”
Jennifer Schipf, board chair, said, “The board brought on a new executive director to help us chart the optimal future for IFAR, and, ultimately, her insights and analyses made it clear to us all that the best course of action is to wind down.
“We are immensely proud of what IFAR has accomplished. From groundbreaking research to influential advocacy, our work has been a testament to the shared belief that art should be respected, authentically represented, and ethically owned. We are deeply grateful to all of you—our donors, partners, volunteers, and community members—who have supported us along the way.
“As we prepare to close this chapter, we are focused on ensuring a thoughtful and responsible transition and one that celebrates and preserves IFAR’s legacy. We are mapping out a timeline for when IFAR will conclude its programmatic work and cease operations, which we anticipate will take place in mid-2025. In the meantime, we are committed to serving as a resource to the art community, continuing our new online education programs, and completing research projects that have been submitted to us to date. However, we will no longer publish the IFAR Journal or host IFAR Evenings as we focus on rehoming our mission-related assets, including the art law database, catalogues raisonnés database, and our institutional archive.”
Originally published in the November 2024 issue of Maine Antique Digest. © 2024 Maine Antique Digest