Cataloguing Requirements

The BMA core cataloguing fields for objects are as follows:

All items below not specified as a registrar managed field are the responsibility of the curator submitting or overseeing the acquisition of a new object into the Permanent Collection.

Field	Notes

Field	Notes
Object Number	temporary number created by registrar at import to database, permanent number created by registrar after completion of acquisition
Acquisition justification	justification text must be provided for all new proposed acquisitions
Artist	search for existing constituent record, if not in TMS-C, add BEFORE submitting new object templates, use Primary as role for maker
Date	enter ISO start date, ISO end date, and display date taking care to follow house style for display date
Medium	capitalize first letter
Dimensions	display summary is provided, when possible, via import template, it must be transcribed into dimension elements, registrar to confirm or measure objects upon incoming receipt
Object Type	picklist, do not use any "archival" types for artworks in Permanent Collection
Classification	designates collection area of Permanent Collection, can have multiple classifications
Nationality, Place Made	either the artist's nationality, or place made is required in the object record, in addition to an artist's record
Work on Paper?	true or false
Edition	required for editioned works only
Signature	location and transcription of artist signature
Donor, funder, source	all persons related to acquisition of artwork; gifts of art require donors, gifts of funds for purchases require funders, source describes collector or institution (if other than donor) with last custody of artwork prior to BMA ownership
Provenance	link previous owners as Provenance related constituents, even where redundant with above constituents, include dates of ownership when possible
Value	if no appraisal or market value is available, an estimate must by provided by a curator

Core biographical fields for Artists

All fields are the responsibility of curator submitting or overseeing the acquisition of works by new artists to the Permanent Collection.

Field	Notes

Field	Notes
Constituent Type	individual, institution, collaborators
First Name
Last Name
Display Name	auto populated by First and Last Name, ensure this is updated after any changes to those fields
Sort Name	auto populated by First and Last Name, ensure this is updated after any changes to those fields
Begin Date	birth year
End Date	death year
Display Bio	Birthplace, Birth year–place of death, year of death
Biography	general biographical information and summary of career, currently no format standards, for internal justifications and reference only
Nationality	generally assigned by birthplace, multiple nationalities can be listed for artists who permanently settle in other nations
Demographic category	internal statistical field
Gender	internal statistical field
Texas artist?	true or false, affiliation with Texas
UT faculty, etc?	true or false, affiliation with University of Texas at Austin
Collection artist?	true or false, helps to filter artists related to collection only and excluded artists related to loans and exhibitions

Required Acquisition Fields (Registrar)

Field	Notes

Field	Notes
Credit line	credit line as approved or updated by donor or development
Object Status	legal status of custodianship or ownership by BMA
Accession Method	method of acquisition, loan, or other
Committee Approval Date	approval date of Acquisition Review Committee meeting
Date Received	date received onsite by BMA
Director Approval Date	date of signature by executive director
Accession Date	date of signature by donor, date of purchase voucher