Boxes in the Basement: Deaccessioning at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art

<p dir="ltr">This thesis presents a case study on deaccessioning at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art (LLMA), the only LGBTQ+ art museum in the world. The LLMA collection is shaped by its history and evolution from a private collection to a Foundation collection to a Museum collection. As a Museum of Art, the LLMA staff is actively working toward aligning the existing collection with their current mission of representing diverse queer experiences through purposeful acquisitions and some deaccessioning. This thesis provides an overview of the challenges that are unique to deaccessioning objects in the LLMA. Furthermore, this thesis acknowledges and anticipates the emotional response that deaccessioning and loss in a museum collection can elicit from the public, particularly from the queer community who have experienced loss during the AIDS crisis.</p>