Effective August 7, 2014, the Postal Service™ is amending section 333.2 of Handbook RE-1, U.S. Postal Service Facilities Guide to Real Property Acquisitions and Related Services, to revise and consolidate into RE-1 all Postal Service policy concerning the New Deal Art Collection.
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Handbook RE-1, U.S. Postal Service Facilities Guide to Real Property Acquisitions and Related Services
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3 Acquisition of Real Property and Real Estate Services
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33 Methods of Acquisition
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333 Due Diligence
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333.2 Preservation of New Deal Art Collection
[Revise the text of 333.2 to read as follows:]
It is the policy of the Postal Service to preserve, protect, and maintain the New Deal Art Collection, defined as the Postal Service-owned murals and sculptures commissioned specifically for Postal Service facilities from 1934 to 1944 under the Treasury Department Section of Painting and Sculpture, Section of Fine Arts; and the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP). The New Deal Art Collection excludes, for example, artworks commissioned for Postal Service facilities outside of the 1934 to 1944 time period or outside of these programs regardless of time period, architectural elements, decorative elements such as unique fixtures and furnishings, and stamp art.
No New Deal Art Collection artwork may be removed, sold, lent, or otherwise disposed of without the Federal Preservation Officer’s (FPO) written approval. It is the intention of the Postal Service that New Deal Art Collection artwork will remain the property of the Postal Service. When the Postal Service anticipates transferring ownership of a Postal Service building containing New Deal Art Collection artwork, the FPO will take steps the FPO deems appropriate to safeguard such artwork. The FPO may relocate such artwork to another Postal Service facility, may leave such artwork in place under a loan arrangement with the new building owner, may relocate such artwork to a non-Postal location under a loan agreement with a governmental or private museum, library, arts center, historical society, or similar non-profit organization, or may take such other steps as the FPO deems appropriate. The FPO, in consultation with the Law Department, will determine the terms of each loan agreement for New Deal Art Collection artwork. When the Postal Service loans or relocates New Deal Art Collection artwork, the FPO may notify the senior curator at the National Museum of American Art when the FPO determines such notice is appropriate. The FPO will undertake such steps as the FPO deems appropriate to maintain, repair, and restore New Deal Art Collection artwork, subject to standard Postal Service processes for project funding and contracting for services. The FPO may seek advice from the Smithsonian Institution regarding repairs, restorations, or other matters. The FPO may designate another Postal Service employee, from time to time, to execute the actions approved by the FPO.
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We will incorporate this revision into the next online update of Handbook RE-1, U.S. Postal Service Facilities Guide to Real Property Acquisitions and Related Services, which is available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n Under “Essential Links” in the left-hand column, click PolicyNet.
n Click HBKs.
The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.
— Facilities, 8-7-14
