What happens when a museum has cared for an object for decades—but cannot establish legal ownership?

Museums and historical societies across Oregon regularly encounter collection objects without deeds of gift or adequate documentation, unsolicited materials left at their doors, and long-term loans whose owners can no longer be reached. Oregon law provides a process for resolving these situations, but the current requirements can involve significant time, expense, and paperwork. As a result, many objects remain in legal limbo, making it difficult for museums to manage their collections responsibly.

Join us for this FREE webinar to learn about a museum-led effort to modernize Oregon’s museum property law. Presenters will introduce a plain-language proposal developed after researching laws in other states, explain how the proposed changes could benefit museums and donors, and answer questions from participants.

You’ll also learn how to provide feedback on the proposal and advocate for legislation that supports responsible collections stewardship across Oregon.

Presenter Bios:

Karen Edgerton Bio:

Karen Edgerton is the former collections manager at Arlington Historical Society in Virginia and a recent transplant to Oregon. While attempting to establish legal title for undocumented artifacts, she realized that well-intentioned but cumbersome abandoned property laws were causing many museums to forgo establishing title entirely. She decided to use her time to tackle the root cause of the issue and is now working to help create a law that is effective for museums, donors, and communities in Oregon.

Heather Christenbury Bio:

Heather is President of the Oregon Museums Association and Executive Director and Curator of the Coos History Museum. She holds an M.A. in Museum Studies and has spent much of her career in collections management. Her experience spans university, history, art, and science museums—from small community organizations to large institutions—in multiple states and countries, giving her a broad, practical perspective on collections stewardship and the legal challenges museums face.